Interview with Mark Saltzer [thesaltzer]

What did you first read? How did you begin to write? Who were the first to read what you wrote?

1. Dr. Suess or The Bible Stories or was it Ulysses? 2. With my left hand. 3. My kindy teacher or my Mum.

What is your favorite genre? Can you provide a link to a site where we can read some of your work or learn something about it?

Comedy. You can find one of my co-written screenplays on InkTip. Nothing Like It In The Universe is the title, written by myself and Jason Seear, my best friend of 27 years. You can also get the DVD "Love Tricycle" or maybe see it on YouTube. This was an animated short film I co-wrote, no dialogue, just action and scene descriptions, probably the hardest script to date. Even though it isn't relevant to the question here is a list of material I've written so far that I can remember at this very moment in time. Film Scripts Gwort - The Magician Nothing Like It In The Universe The Clan What's The Holdup? Bugs TV Scripts Project Entomorph Heaven's Above Edge Of Reality Life, The Universe & Audrey Spinster Bachelor Boys In The Pipeline. In Shakespeare's Shoes Shadowman Still Nothing Like It In The Universe 28 Hours Later Haunted Spirits Anonymous Purgatory Assassin's Pact Dinosaur Central & many many more.

What is your creative process like? What happens before sitting down to write?

A scoob really helps, but normally an idea pops into my head, I jot down the idea or record it nowadays on a Phone or Computer or type it on a Notepad App. Once the idea is set, if the concept has potential (eg. Lyrics or Poetry that could become a song or a melody that could become a chorus or detailed scenes in my head that could flesh out into a screenplay or short story) I bang out an outline, then flesh out some more details then... if the story or song keeps my interest I will complete it. Songs take 15 minutes to an hour. Screenplays have taken up to a month, one script from basic idea to 120 page first draft took me 3 days. I will say all ideas are given to me by the universe and all its collective creative genius.

What type of reading inspires you to write?

Douglas Adams, Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman, Graham Chapman, Betrand Russell, Sigmund Freud, Raymond E. Fiest to name but a few. In a nutshell, comedy, fantasy, witty, concise, smart and snappy dialogue, intriguing plots and twists and no, not J.K. Rowling or the chick who wrote Twilight.

What do you think are the basic ingredients of a story?

The things that keep you reading until the last page. Good dialogue, believable scenarios within the universe you create, energetic and spontaneous events that keep the characters involved in something the reader would love to be involved in them self, but making sure the reader sees them self, or at least the people they associate with in the real world, in the characters they are reading about on the page in front of them.

What voice do you find most to your liking: first person or third person?

This is a tough one, I would have to say as a scriptwriter it can be both, but I guess third person is the answer for me in most cases.

What well known writers do you admire most?

Seneca, Freud, Russell, Homer, Buckminster-Fuller, E. Feist, Python, Pratchett, Gaiman, Douglas, Gervais, Hicks, Williams, Twain, Carlin, Parker, Stone, Lennon, McCartney, Harrison, Morrison, Johnson, Harper, Romero, Tarantino, Fry, Laurie, Pegg, Wright, Cameron, Plant, Page, Gilmour, Waters way too many to mention. This list is in no particular order by the way. Oh and I guess I have to Shakespeare but Seneca kinda covered that.

What is required for a character to be believable? How do you create yours?

Substance and the ability to relate to the reader, working in retail and hospitality for most of my life I have a database of characters I can draw from whom I've actually met. Bring in realistic dialogue and snappy conversation between characters makes for believable characters, also researching the occupations of the characters in question helps you develop characters that you can smell.

Are you equally good at telling stories orally?

I have been told by many of my peers that I can describe in my words (orally) scenes that they can visualise clearly in their heads. I walk away leaving them with indelibly stamped images, characters, scenes and adventures in their mind's eye.

Deep down inside, who do you write for?

The reader or the audience, whatever comes first. But I will only ever write something that I would like to watch, read or listen to. I'm very fussy when it comes to things I will waste my time on, after all, time is meant to be spent working in a job you kind of enjoy to pay the bills.

Is writing a form of personal therapy? Are internal conflicts a creative force?

Very much so, you can do and say things in stories that you would love to say yourself but you would never do it. Of course the characters in your stories can fondle small furry animals, that doesn't mean you want to fondle small furry animals or least so the Germans would have you believe. I once wrote a short film, the lowest budget movie in history. I decided to write it after writing a string of big budget movie scripts. The script entitled Martin 9.99 is my way of not having to visit a Psychologist. Everything the main character says in the script, as controversial and politically incorrect as it may be is exactly what I had been wanting to say for years, of course I could now get it off my chest through the character in the script. I have also done this on many occasions with songs I have written, so much so, one song I wrote really disturbed my Dad. Lyrics to the song in question. MODERN MAN 1st Verse Broken bottles lying on my bed A train of vengeance running through my head Brake lights flashing, children crashing It’s a symphony and that’s all What are we doing with the world next week Should we read the bible and take a peek Is it good news? Is it bad? Will it make me happy... or make me mad Chorus Try to see the real thing if you can There’s more to life than saving modern man 2nd Verse Walking on fire in borrowed shoes Treating the subject like second hand news Mothers dying, children crying It’s a symphony and that’s all What are we doing with the world next week Let the rich guys win and forget the meek Will we live or will we die? Will it make me laugh or make me cry? Chorus Try to see the real thing if you can There’s more to life than saving modern man Try to make a difference if you can There’s more to life than saving modern man 3rd Verse Brothers and sisters crying in the street Religions fall and God takes the heat You seem restless make a bomb It’s a symphony and that’s all What are we doing with the world next week Should we strike a blow or turn the other cheek Should we listen to the stories they tell Are we going to heaven or are we going to hell? Chorus Try to see the real thing if you can There’s more to life than saving modern man Try to make a difference if you can Or there’ll be nothing left for modern man

Does reader feed-back help you?

What's the point of writing if you are not getting feed-back from your readers or audience? Feed-back is integral and imperative to your decision of whether you should pursue your dream, based on the fact that you genuinely have talent or deciding to stay at EB Games and work your way up to Regional Manager, because genuine feed back tells you YOU SUCK. One thing I have found, surrounding yourself in a comfort zone of mediocrity is deadly to your career, even if you are talented, complacency is a creative killer, if people can't be genuinely honest and criticise your failings how are you ever going to improve.

Do you participate in competitions? Have you received any awards?

I try to avoid competitions like the plague, I entered Project Greenlight with one of my scripts and made the Top 100 but with competitions comes politics and creativity and politics are light years apart or at least they should be. I believe a short film I co-wrote has picked up a few international awards and I did win my first Red Faces performance and drew first place the second time I appeared on the show. Oh and I came third in a Japanese Verse Speaking Competition back in High School.

Do you share rough drafts of your writings with someone whose opinion you trust?

Yes, more than one person actually.

Do you believe you have already found "your voice" or is that something one is always searching for?

If you find your voice you can stop writing, because everything will sound the same. Your voice changes as you mature as a writer and it never stops changing.

What discipline do you impose on yourself regarding schedules, goals, etc.?

I use the Biblical System if I achieve it in this lifetime it will be a miracle.

What do you surround yourself with in your work area in order to help your concentrate?

That question should either be "help you concentrate" or "help your concentration". To answer it, I surround myself with technology, software, hardware, USB thingies and microphones and iPhones and SD Cards and a more technology oh and if the need arises a guitar, a real guitar made of wood. Again scoobs come in very handy as well in the work area or at least in the smoking section of the work area. Also soundtrack music from Motion Pictures and just music in general helps in getting the juices flowing.

Do you write on a computer? Do you print frequently? Do you correct on paper? What is your process?

That would be sacrilege and vandalism too, honestly who would write on a Computer, what give it a tattoo or sign your autograph on it. I use a computer to write my manuscripts, I use Final Draft for my scriptwriting needs and Word for other stuff although I am now starting to play with Pages and it seems to be quite sexy compared to Word. I avoid printing at all cost at least until the Final Draft, save the trees!!! In fact screw printing the Final Draft to paper, print a PDF instead. With iPads and other e-readers who really needs paper anymore... I know I know accountants and the tax office and lawyers - Damn Nature Haters!!!!

What sites do you frequent on-line to share experiences or information?

Twitter, YouTube & Facebook, although I am seriously investigating Blogging. Oh and recently InkTip.

What has been your experience with publishers?

It's not what you know, it's not who you know, it's who knows you. Publishers are more for novels, InkTip is my only real outlet, that and Blogging. Got a Music Publisher interested in signing me at the moment but the contract is still with the lawyers and their printing presses and $280.00 letters.

What are you working on now?

Preparing myself for the consciousness shift, not really pursuing anything seriously, if the universe wants me to go in any particular direction I will follow the life signs, torn between to lovers or should I say trying to work out what will be best for me in order to prepare for the consciousness shift. I think my big plan at the moment is collating my music and video collection into some coherent order, oh and all my photos. Kinda working on two script projects, one a sequel to an already written blockbuster (One of ours) and a new comedy. Also got some others off the shelf recently but thinking with only a few years IF THAT, before the consciousness shift it's not really worth pursuing anything as it will soon all mean absolutely bubkiss.

What do you recommend I do with all those things I wrote years ago but have never been able to bring myself to show anyone?

People pursue writing to make money. I say this, would you rather die with 100 Million Dollars in your bank account, or die knowing that 100 Million People were touched by the words you wrote. Don't be ashamed of your writing skills, the big guns say "A WRITER WRITES" if you have written something then good for you well done, even if it's shite you still got off your scrawny butt and wrote it down. Show people, don't bury it in a Pyramid Tomb for archaeologists to dig up 10,000 years from now and say "What was that guy thinking when he wrote this shite?" NO, I say, get it out to everyone, create a blog and publish your works on it. Then spread the word of your wonderful creation to the Bloggosphere, the Twitterverse and the FacialZone and be proud that people are reading your shite, that's right YOUR SHITE. Who knows, what you may think is pure shite others may think is complete brilliance, look at "The Mighty Boosh" as, I might add, an excellent example.

Ask me a question, make a comment, or request my opinion on something:

Mark Saltzer [thesaltzer] Tweet (function() { var po = document.createElement('script'); po.type = 'text/javascript'; po.async = true; po.src = 'https://apis.google.com/js/plusone.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(po, s); })();

Mark Saltzer [thesaltzer]
Tweet