Donald L. Vasicek

Year: 2008

  • “Annabelle, My Love”

    First, just a slight sound. Sort of I’m frightened,
    but I want to do this. Not in words, but her eyes,
    there a murky green with rounded pupils as large
    as dimes.

    They shed love on me. “Please, help me. Please,
    I want to die.”

    I leaned down to her ear. “Annabelle, I love you.
    I will always be with you.”

    She suddenly felt warm next to my hand on her
    shoulder. Emaciated, six years old, and dying.
    I stroked her. I nodded to Dr. Green.

    She removed a needle from her white smock,
    in one of those large pockets.

    “I love you, Sweety. I’ll always love you. I
    will always be with you.”

    It happened in a short second, or less. Dr.
    Green slipped the tip of the needle into a
    catheter on Annabelle’s right leg, which was
    wrapped in a royal blue cloth. Dr. Green
    pushed her thumb on the butt of the needle
    holder.

    I looked at Annabelle. Her eyes looked at me.
    Then, she died. Her eyes, frozen in death,
    stared at me. No breathing now.

    Her shoulder, skin and bone, some black and
    white hair, quiet and dead now.

    Where was I to go without Annabelle? Home,
    I decided. That’s where she wanted to go, I
    knew. I buried her under the cherry tree in
    the shade, one of her favorite places.

    It is so quiet without Annabelle. Who can I
    turn to now? Annabelle’s eyes instructed me
    to follow the bright star in the East, Venus, I
    believe, someone named it that. She said that
    is where you will find your direction “without me.”

    “Go there. It will give you information you do
    not now have. It will give you information that
    you can utilize.”

    When I looked at Venus the next morning at
    4 a.m., during my run, I saw my life in front
    of me. It was clear.

    Dick Sutphen’s THE LAW OF NEW BEGINNINGS:

    For each of us in our time, there are major life
    turning points. There is a break in the energy
    wave patterns and complete change results.
    Everything is affected this change in flux; some
    things to a lesser degree than others. Examples
    would be: 1. A traumatic situation or tragedy,
    such as the death of a loved one. 2. A religious
    conversion. 3. A point in therapy when
    something clicks and from that time on the
    patient begins to get well. 4. A mother giving
    birth to a baby. The lesson is to learn to take
    advantage of these new beginnings.

    This is Annabelle’s legacy to me.

    I let go of Annabelle. I am writing, something I haven’t
    done to any great extent for eight years
    since I began “The Sand Creek Massacre”
    film project. Although there is a physical void
    without Annabelle, she is with me…always.

  • “Market Ready Screenplays”

    Writing screenplays and getting them
    sold and produced are highly competitive.
    One must write screenplays that are
    market ready. To do anything less will
    result in failure.

    A market ready screenplay requires
    dialogue, characterization, format, plot, subplot(s),
    action, narrative, description, etc. that must
    execute genres which people will go see at the
    movie theater.

    To write a market ready screenplay, the writer
    must study screenplays that have been box
    office hits. Once that is accomplished, the
    screenwriter should then write their screenplay
    that is fresh and unique, but yet, parallels
    that of box office hits.

    For example, a romantic comedy simply
    requires the question, will the couple in
    question, get together or not? The
    twist here must be unique and fresh. “Must
    Love Dogs” starring Diane Lane and John
    Cusack exhibits the twist that Ms. Lane is
    seeking a man through ads. The require-
    ment, he must love dogs. Well, guess
    what, Mr. Cusack doesn’t love dogs, but
    she falls for him anyway, and on it goes.

    Study the genre you’re interested in writing.
    Study the format. The writing. Incorporate
    a fresh and unique approach to your genre
    of interest. This can be accomplished via
    a new twist that has never before been
    used in the genre of your choice.

    Donald L. Vasicek
    Writer/Filmmaker/Consultant
    Olympus Films+, LLC
    http://michaelc.nextmp.net/wordpress
    dvasicek@earthlink.net

  • “Writing” by Donald L. Vasicek

    Writing of any form requires
    study and research.  The strength
    of any type of writing resides in
    the application of what one learns
    and research, and then, applies it
    by writing, writing, and more writing.
    Each time one writes something, they
    become a better writer.

    For you, you might want to think about
    writing and producing documentaries.  It
    is rare a writer is hired to write a
    documentary film.  Many documentary films
    do not have a script.  Those that do, are
    usually written by the director/producer
    of the film.

    As for feature films, short films, etc., one
    can learn how to write screenplays through a
    variety of ways.  No approach to learning how
    to write screenplays is inscribed in marble.  It
    is dependent upon the individual writer.  Some take
    screenwriting classes.  Others study screenwriting
    books.  Some work with a script consultant until
    they have their screenplay market ready.  And others
    wing it.

    You can determine what works best for you by knowing
    who you are, how you best learn, why you want to write
    documentaries, features, etc., and what audience you
    want to attract with your work, and why.  Answering
    these questions will give you insight into what to
    write and the approach to take in order how to learn
    to write.