28 responses to “Soul Food”

1. Again, so many juicy kernels of inspiration and craft work. I will use all of them but this one landed hard in my heart:

   Tactic: Draw from your experiences and observations to create authentic, relatable moments in your story. These genuine touches can help your audience connect more deeply with your narrative. Tell your truth and hope the world feels your honesty.

2. WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you. This is now my new morning mantra for my early 5am writing sessions. This has inspired me big time. I will start on this in the morning. I love reading the Hollywood Reporter but this ignites my creativity mega big.

   HUGE THANK YOU.

   Here are my steps

   Daily Routine: Make reading the news a daily habit. Dedicate time to scanning headlines and delving into stories that pique your interest each day.
   Diverse Sources: Read from a variety of news outlets to get multiple perspectives. Include sources that cater to different demographics, political views, and cultural backgrounds. Make it a point to read news targeting a community you’re not familiar with.
   Deep Dive: When a story piques your interest, go beyond the headline. Read related articles, editorials, and follow-up pieces to gain a comprehensive understanding. Find YouTube videos from people living in that reality.
   Contextual Analysis: Consider the broader context of the news. What societal trends or historical events are influencing this story? How do they relate to larger themes in your writing? What can be applied to all humans? Is there a message hiding in plain sight about love, pain, greed, charity, etc?

3. I am on FILM FREEWAYS and I never noticed this one before. I have family in Glendale so I will be preparing to travel out there for the next one. I also will attend the Pan African Film Festival — I have loved it every year.

4. Awesome! I did the YOU TUBE journey years ago. But after reading this article, I think it is time to be open to it again along with several other sagacious tips/insights in this article.

5. We are living in a global industry so I am landing on number 5 big time.

6. This article was extremely helpful. As always, I took notes and I have already started using some of these gems.

7. Ah. yes. This was highly informative and I treasured the specfics on the Big Four vs. Streaming services.

   I see this happening as a playwright as well. You go through years of development, rewrites and more.

   So theatres are risk adverse as well especially when it comes to regional theatre, Off Broadway and Broadway

   This gave me a great look into the steps to getting a pilot made and the overall process.

   So, I can now put my brain on the other side of the coin from now on.

8. Whoa, I love this. A plethora of contacts to research, know and be prepared for.

9. Yes, play chess and not checkers. I love it. I saw a lot these going ons working in Los Angeles in various capacities. I was thrown into it and I learned a great deal by observing the fireworks. And I am a life long learner, so I learn even more with all the dealings.

   This is a treasure and blessing to get this pertinent information at our finger tips.

   I learn more and more with each one of these articles.

10. Working as a professional actor for years in the business taught me how to have all my contracts inspected. I have to thank my first acting manager for instilling the business of acting into my bones. So, I carry a lot of that with me today.

    On the writing side, I read so many golden takeaways from this insightful article below:
    If the past winners end up repped by one of the big seven or working with studios or production companies with a verifiable track record you’re in good hands. If it’s all smoke and mirrors, walk away.

    With every contest submission, I check the career track of the winners — where are they going? Did the contest advance their careers in some way? And a list of questions I ask before submitting a dime of my hard earned money working three jobs to make a living.

11. Thank you for this powerful article. It perfectly underscores what you and Franklin touched on yesterday. Now more than ever, we need to create bold, authentic storytelling that resonates with Black audiences. We as writers must step outside the box—crafting layered, transformative characters with emotional depth and distinct voices.

    Being a creative writer today means writing with brilliance, purpose, and strategy. Thanks for the in-depth comparisons. Passion is our fuel, and authenticity is our power. Let’s create the kind of narratives that audiences will never forget.

12. So, there is a lot here in terms of take aways. However, this is one of the best below..

    Yet, don’t let your ego waste your money. Find someone that will give you extremely tough notes and review your work with a an eye towards the professional standards and not your feelings. You want your work to be in the best possible shape before you start paying for contest.

    I have learned so much from this article — you have to be strategic about every move. What works best for in terms of giving your career momentum. Know you, know your brand, know the people that are the right match for you and go BIG.

    Being a screenwriter is a life long process. You can never learn enough. I feel I invest in all these areas but I have room to get better. That said, the article showed us how to go about it.

    THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

13. This opened my eyes to what production companies and studios look for. They want to cater to their audience base, market the film for that EDI GOLD REEL, keep an audience glued and possibly come back for a sequel. My whole perspective has changed on how I read scripts now due to this arsenal of development insight.

    Also, it makes me look at my work differently as well.

14. This is a treasure trove of profound knowledge. I love what Charles King is doing as well. Mudbound, Fences and Black Messiah resonated with me deeply and with audiences.

    Also, the eco system of BLUM HOUSE really helped me to understand what they are looking for.

    In addition, this reminded me of the importance of a screenplay with a strong concept. Thousands of screenplays land on their desks. And yes, they do look at spec screenplays but it has to not good bug AWESOME!

    I found this article uplifting as well. New voices are important and welcomed as long as it offers them the SHOW and the BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES.

    Lastly, this article taught me the back part of business we rarely ever here. Well done!

15. I love the keen insights in this splendid article. From experience, I know an option agreement does not mean easy street with no bumps along the way. Dreamgirls started the development stages in the early eighties with a possible Whitney Houston attachment to the film that fell through Then, production entities changed with the budget concerns for the film. Wicked also went through development for years until the recent release. Having the right star attached, the correcting marketing tunnel, a healthy budget and more goes into the Development phases. As someone wise told me, “enjoy the journey and get the best out of it. ” Amen.

16. David,
    Thank you so much for bringing Mr. Franklin on and for the continued opportunities to be in the room with such insightful industry professionals. I’m especially grateful to you and Mr. Leonard for creating these spaces where we can grow—not just as writers, but as thoughtful creatives navigating this industry.

    Mr. Franklin definitely dropped some gems, and I walked away with a clearer sense of direction as a Black (BIPOC) writer. These meetings are incredibly valuable. They offer a real, behind-the-scenes look at what the industry truly needs and how we can contribute meaningfully.

    As you’ve reminded us: What do people really want to watch? What will get them to leave their house and sit in a theater for a few hours? Writing with purpose, intention, and being able to intentionally with that justify the cause (a strong ROI) is truly the next level of writing.

    Thank you again for pouring into us. It’s appreciated more than you know. Time for many of us to get on the BlackList!

17. Love to hear Franklin’s thoughts.