How do you improve your writing ability? I've heard of people writing all the time even if they don't want to and it's crap, and other people who just get inspired automatically and hardly ever write but it's always good. Does anyone know the secret of improving the skill or have any thoughts more knowledgeable than mine?
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Learning to Write
- Thread starter bridgette
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bidgette, I only have a small suggestion for you. The thing I've found out about improving your skills in anything: Do it a lot. Then dissect what you did, get opinions, and try and improve on the next one. Keep doing it. Keep reading material from greats to aspire to. You may never become Shakespeare but you'll become a good writer.
I think many people never get past the self-help book stage and put it into practice. But one day of practice is worth 10 of reading more books.
I think many people never get past the self-help book stage and put it into practice. But one day of practice is worth 10 of reading more books.
What genre of writing are you wanting to learn/improve--e.g. fiction/nonfiction(documentary for example), suspense, drama, other? What have you done thus far to learn to write, what books have you read about writing, what writing have you done thus far?
Try...
Emulating your favorite screenplays... Go find'em -- download'em -- read 'em all. Analyze how they handle action, dialogue, transitions, exposition, reveal character. Read them more than once. Ask yourself questions as you read them so that you understand what you're reading.
One exercise I try to do at least once a year NO MATTER WHAT is to take a screenplay that I really like and COPY it word for word into my own screenwriting program.
Of course you can't do anything with it when you're finished but the learning process -- at least for me -- is unbelievable.
As you read each location slug -- REALLY THINK ABOUT IT -- visualize it in your mind's eye. Try to imagine that YOU are the original writer and see that location like he or she saw it when they dreamed it up.
Think about all your senses... What would you be hearing, seeing, smelling, feeling, and tasting if you were in that location?
Then copy it down to your program... Now repeat the process for each action sentence. See that action in your mind. Visualize it. Be there. Be a fly on that wall and observe that action taking place. Then copy that down.
Same goes for the dialogue...
Try to do at least 5 pages a day non-stop. If you're like most people, you'll begin to immerse yourself into that story... Think like the author was thinking... This kind of thinking triggers ideas and thoughts about the writing so be prepared to write notes about those triggers. I like to use a digital recorder as I do this.
Some of the notes will be about the writing you're copying over and some is going to be about yourself... Your own writing... People you know... Whatever. Make notes on everything.
This exercise helps immerse you into a different world... More of a subconscious state of mind and when you hit that zone -- you won't believe the kinds of revelations that can be had.
If you can do MORE than 5 pages a day -- DO IT.
At some point toward the end of the script you're copying over, you're going to see how it could have gone in different directions as long as you've thought about every line before you wrote it... Write these thoughts down.
Total immersion into an imaginary world that someone created is what you're going after... Do it once with someone else's world and doing it well will prepare you to do it with your own created world.
On top of that -- read screenplays -- get the mechanics down. Don't relay information to us... Write what the characters are doing AS THEY DO IT. No passive voice. No weak or lazy action verbs. Write it to be made into a movie -- keep it as visual as possible.
filmy
Emulating your favorite screenplays... Go find'em -- download'em -- read 'em all. Analyze how they handle action, dialogue, transitions, exposition, reveal character. Read them more than once. Ask yourself questions as you read them so that you understand what you're reading.
One exercise I try to do at least once a year NO MATTER WHAT is to take a screenplay that I really like and COPY it word for word into my own screenwriting program.
Of course you can't do anything with it when you're finished but the learning process -- at least for me -- is unbelievable.
As you read each location slug -- REALLY THINK ABOUT IT -- visualize it in your mind's eye. Try to imagine that YOU are the original writer and see that location like he or she saw it when they dreamed it up.
Think about all your senses... What would you be hearing, seeing, smelling, feeling, and tasting if you were in that location?
Then copy it down to your program... Now repeat the process for each action sentence. See that action in your mind. Visualize it. Be there. Be a fly on that wall and observe that action taking place. Then copy that down.
Same goes for the dialogue...
Try to do at least 5 pages a day non-stop. If you're like most people, you'll begin to immerse yourself into that story... Think like the author was thinking... This kind of thinking triggers ideas and thoughts about the writing so be prepared to write notes about those triggers. I like to use a digital recorder as I do this.
Some of the notes will be about the writing you're copying over and some is going to be about yourself... Your own writing... People you know... Whatever. Make notes on everything.
This exercise helps immerse you into a different world... More of a subconscious state of mind and when you hit that zone -- you won't believe the kinds of revelations that can be had.
If you can do MORE than 5 pages a day -- DO IT.
At some point toward the end of the script you're copying over, you're going to see how it could have gone in different directions as long as you've thought about every line before you wrote it... Write these thoughts down.
Total immersion into an imaginary world that someone created is what you're going after... Do it once with someone else's world and doing it well will prepare you to do it with your own created world.
On top of that -- read screenplays -- get the mechanics down. Don't relay information to us... Write what the characters are doing AS THEY DO IT. No passive voice. No weak or lazy action verbs. Write it to be made into a movie -- keep it as visual as possible.
filmy
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There are two different elements to development as a screenwriter: the first is actual writing ability, the second is screenwriting.
It's entirely possible to be a good writer and still be unable to write a great screenplay.
In terms of core writing skills, the key elements you need to develop for screenwriting are character development and its relationship to plot and dialogue; and, consise descriptive ability... or the ability to set a scene or describe a person vividly, in as few words as possible.
In my opinion you develop character/dialogue skills by firstly observing people in real life and keeping notes. You have to actually listen to the patterns in people's language and develop an ear for it... then try writing it, then get actors together to read out loud what you've written. So, the cycle is: observe, write, perform. The key to development is learning to be brutal with your own dialogue based on what you hear in performance... asking yourself it does sound natural, or whether it sounds false and forced? You'll have to rely on your own judgement for this, as any wannabee actors you might use often can't tell good dialogue from bad.
In terms of developing particular screenwriting skills, well, you need to understand that screenwriting is a very precise form of writing, with very particular conventions. You really do need to understand conventional story structure (as applied to film), character arcs, screenplay format, language conventions and dozens of other things, that only apply to screenplays. There are more DO's and DON'Ts in screenwriting than in any other form I've ever worked in... and they're all in place for pretty good reasons, and ignored at people's peril.
I think there are two factors that prevent screenwriters from developing: one is people fail to understand just how long it takes to develop the skills required (I ran award wining teams of writers in the radio industry for 13 years and it still took me another 9 to reach basic levels of competence as a screenwriter); and, writers tend to over estimate their own abilities... and because of that seem unable to take criticism of their work, and therefore don't learn from either their peers, mentors or their mistakes.
It's entirely possible to be a good writer and still be unable to write a great screenplay.
In terms of core writing skills, the key elements you need to develop for screenwriting are character development and its relationship to plot and dialogue; and, consise descriptive ability... or the ability to set a scene or describe a person vividly, in as few words as possible.
In my opinion you develop character/dialogue skills by firstly observing people in real life and keeping notes. You have to actually listen to the patterns in people's language and develop an ear for it... then try writing it, then get actors together to read out loud what you've written. So, the cycle is: observe, write, perform. The key to development is learning to be brutal with your own dialogue based on what you hear in performance... asking yourself it does sound natural, or whether it sounds false and forced? You'll have to rely on your own judgement for this, as any wannabee actors you might use often can't tell good dialogue from bad.
In terms of developing particular screenwriting skills, well, you need to understand that screenwriting is a very precise form of writing, with very particular conventions. You really do need to understand conventional story structure (as applied to film), character arcs, screenplay format, language conventions and dozens of other things, that only apply to screenplays. There are more DO's and DON'Ts in screenwriting than in any other form I've ever worked in... and they're all in place for pretty good reasons, and ignored at people's peril.
I think there are two factors that prevent screenwriters from developing: one is people fail to understand just how long it takes to develop the skills required (I ran award wining teams of writers in the radio industry for 13 years and it still took me another 9 to reach basic levels of competence as a screenwriter); and, writers tend to over estimate their own abilities... and because of that seem unable to take criticism of their work, and therefore don't learn from either their peers, mentors or their mistakes.
Edit 2: I've been writing fiction in play and narrative form, as well as another weird form. Chamber drama, fantasy, shockingly horrible drama (a la Haneke), science fiction and adventure are the genres I've pursued.
Edit 3: FilmJumper, I think you're right, but I'm not sure. I guess it couldn't hurt to try it once. I'm afraid of thinking too much like others. It was your post that led to the (far) below conclusion.
The truth is my main problem is being too lazy to write, not not knowing how to learn to write, which is of course ultra lame. I write maybe three hours per week, but not regularly, it's more like sudden six-hour bursts of writing. Those are hit and miss, but I unfailingly think they're inspired while I'm writing them. I'll show you what I consider the best of my work if you want, though I doubt you want. But that was before. Ever since the semester ended and winter break started I haven't written anything. Wait, I have, but just once.
Also it's hard to tell if I've written something good or just crap. I mistake crap for good, good for crap, and switch my opinion about it many times. It takes months for my opinion to crystallize - or so it seems.
I've also got to admit, I'm committing yet another aspiring writer sin by thinking I'm super-talented. I have reason to believe I'm talented, but not super. But I don't have reason to believe I'm not super.
I've learnt something from your replies. First of all that one kind of writing is running a simulation in your head, and like any other activity, doing that over and over and stretching it will result in improvement. There are other, more mysterious kinds of writing that God help me if I know how to improve. But I am good at them, sometimes. Or so it seems.
Anyway now that I know about simulations I can relax and know that I'm at least improving one skill by writing. I don't know if I'll overcome my laziness and write consistently, but I'll try. Lame but true.
Edit: By the way, I've decided that trying to come up with my own giant stories is too hard. I can only come up with little pieces of stories. So I've decided to plagiarize other people's stories but change them, sort of like what FilmJumper said but not really. What do you guys think of that?
Edit 3: FilmJumper, I think you're right, but I'm not sure. I guess it couldn't hurt to try it once. I'm afraid of thinking too much like others. It was your post that led to the (far) below conclusion.
I don't understand what that means. I would decide all that subconsciously. You mean like when the action takes forever? That's a don't. In particular what do you mean by "precise?" I mean, I read the ALIEN script and it was not like the movie and it was kind of lame. Speaking of that, when I'm a director I'm not sure if I'll be able to make everything awesome all by myself. I'll probably let the actors help me and whoever else wants to make a suggestion.
The truth is my main problem is being too lazy to write, not not knowing how to learn to write, which is of course ultra lame. I write maybe three hours per week, but not regularly, it's more like sudden six-hour bursts of writing. Those are hit and miss, but I unfailingly think they're inspired while I'm writing them. I'll show you what I consider the best of my work if you want, though I doubt you want. But that was before. Ever since the semester ended and winter break started I haven't written anything. Wait, I have, but just once.
Also it's hard to tell if I've written something good or just crap. I mistake crap for good, good for crap, and switch my opinion about it many times. It takes months for my opinion to crystallize - or so it seems.
I've also got to admit, I'm committing yet another aspiring writer sin by thinking I'm super-talented. I have reason to believe I'm talented, but not super. But I don't have reason to believe I'm not super.
I've learnt something from your replies. First of all that one kind of writing is running a simulation in your head, and like any other activity, doing that over and over and stretching it will result in improvement. There are other, more mysterious kinds of writing that God help me if I know how to improve. But I am good at them, sometimes. Or so it seems.
Anyway now that I know about simulations I can relax and know that I'm at least improving one skill by writing. I don't know if I'll overcome my laziness and write consistently, but I'll try. Lame but true.
Edit: By the way, I've decided that trying to come up with my own giant stories is too hard. I can only come up with little pieces of stories. So I've decided to plagiarize other people's stories but change them, sort of like what FilmJumper said but not really. What do you guys think of that?
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This link might be useful to some, a reference page I plan to read often myself-- John Rainey's CRAFT NOTES for screenwriting.
http://www.mythmakerjohn.com/craft_notes.htm
http://www.mythmakerjohn.com/craft_notes.htm
to learn to write, read and write. often. As I tell my children, everything that's worth your effort deserves it!
If you want to be a writer, you need to write. If you want to be an "I do it all" filmmaker, you do what you need...keeping in mind that eventually, you'll need to present your script to investors, actors and crew. They all have expectations of a script that, if not met, will not let you end up as a director.
Since this all starts with writing, learning to do so will benefit the other aspects of your career immeasurably!
Never assume you are a good writer, as soon as you've made that admission, you'll stop trying to improve. Many really good writers absolutely hate everything they write as a means to force themselves to improve constantly...even the brillian writing doesn't live up to their expectations, by extension, they personally don't live up to their expectations.
If you've reached your destination, there's not reason to continue to journey...make life a journey, not a quest for destination.
If you want to be a writer, you need to write. If you want to be an "I do it all" filmmaker, you do what you need...keeping in mind that eventually, you'll need to present your script to investors, actors and crew. They all have expectations of a script that, if not met, will not let you end up as a director.
Since this all starts with writing, learning to do so will benefit the other aspects of your career immeasurably!
Never assume you are a good writer, as soon as you've made that admission, you'll stop trying to improve. Many really good writers absolutely hate everything they write as a means to force themselves to improve constantly...even the brillian writing doesn't live up to their expectations, by extension, they personally don't live up to their expectations.
If you've reached your destination, there's not reason to continue to journey...make life a journey, not a quest for destination.
I stopped trying to...
convince anyone of anything a long time ago... LOL.
Now it seems that you feel your problem is actually being too lazy to write... No problem, we've all been there and unfortunately, I don't know you -- or anything about you.
All I can tell you is that it has happened to me. Being too lazy to write that is -- and then on top of being too lazy, I used to have to go through all kinds of little rituals BEFORE I could write. You know the drill... Like cleaning up your workspace. Laying out your notepads just right, yada yada yada.
For ME and only me... What I learned from being too lazy to write was that I was NOT in fact INSPIRED by any of the material I was writing.
I thought I was but I was not.
When I eventually realized that, I sat down and took inventory of the kinds of movies I like. It's pretty simple and I almost feel embarrassed to write it here but I love the sub genre of serial killers. I will watch and probably have watched every serial killer flick that is out there.
On top of that, I read every book within the genre...
I break down the best ones and see what makes them tick. The genre fascinates me so one day I just decided why not write about what fascinates me.
And I've never looked back.
And although I have definitely written other things, I could be happy pushing the serial killer story to places they've never been before.
You might try performing an inventory and see if you LOVE and are FASCINATED by WHAT you're writing.
If not -- find it. That alone is yet another step toward improvement.
filmy
convince anyone of anything a long time ago... LOL.
Now it seems that you feel your problem is actually being too lazy to write... No problem, we've all been there and unfortunately, I don't know you -- or anything about you.
All I can tell you is that it has happened to me. Being too lazy to write that is -- and then on top of being too lazy, I used to have to go through all kinds of little rituals BEFORE I could write. You know the drill... Like cleaning up your workspace. Laying out your notepads just right, yada yada yada.
For ME and only me... What I learned from being too lazy to write was that I was NOT in fact INSPIRED by any of the material I was writing.
I thought I was but I was not.
When I eventually realized that, I sat down and took inventory of the kinds of movies I like. It's pretty simple and I almost feel embarrassed to write it here but I love the sub genre of serial killers. I will watch and probably have watched every serial killer flick that is out there.
On top of that, I read every book within the genre...
I break down the best ones and see what makes them tick. The genre fascinates me so one day I just decided why not write about what fascinates me.
And I've never looked back.
And although I have definitely written other things, I could be happy pushing the serial killer story to places they've never been before.
You might try performing an inventory and see if you LOVE and are FASCINATED by WHAT you're writing.
If not -- find it. That alone is yet another step toward improvement.
filmy
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Really? Have you seen Cannibal? It's the most groaty serial killer movie (sort of) of all time. You can't know until you've fast-forwarded through it. It's icky.
Hey, thanks FilmJumper and you guys. It's nice to know I'm not alone about being lazy. I sort of felt like a mule posing as a horse that thinks it's a unicorn. I'll have to learn that I am a mule, or at best a horse, but that's good too. Or I dunno.
There are some things I know I like writing about. Roguish people, hyper people, hideous events, and callous/sadistic people.
Let me tell you about my best one IMO unsolicitedly. It's about this boy genius named Danu. He inherited a huge lab with super advanced technology from another genius, from a long line of them. There's all these fungus and dirt and stuff in the lab, and it's really moist. He seduces an older high school boy and does unusual things sexually to him then beats him up. Then he convinces the older boy to come back, promising vanilla sex, and he can do that like a dreamy hot woman from a 40s movie. The older boy agrees but he wakes up strapped to a chair in the lab. Danu says he's going to torture him. The older boy says, "Not really, right?" or something and the genius says "No, really. I'm a sadistic psychopath." So he tortures him more graphically than in Cannibal. Then he gives him an experimental drug and hears weird insights into the boy's psyche before the boy dies of heart failure. That can be trance-inducing and I'll read what schizophrenics said to help me with it.
There's also an AI that's really a human brain but it doesn't know it. Its name is David and it has an unrequited crush on Danu, and it's really smart also but insane. Of course it has to try to kill Danu, I don't know if it succeeds or not. I'll need to listen to some crazed stalkers for ideas or something. At some point it's going to dream it has a father. Also it's going to find its corpse which is an icky fungusy thing in liquid with wires and tubes coming out. "Eww, groaty." It'll say.
Anyway Danu is a carefree joker who devotes his life to sadism, science and psychic exploration. This is my dream TV series, at one point he solves a mystery as a normal person (no tech) to make it more fun.
Hey, thanks FilmJumper and you guys. It's nice to know I'm not alone about being lazy. I sort of felt like a mule posing as a horse that thinks it's a unicorn. I'll have to learn that I am a mule, or at best a horse, but that's good too. Or I dunno.
There are some things I know I like writing about. Roguish people, hyper people, hideous events, and callous/sadistic people.
Let me tell you about my best one IMO unsolicitedly. It's about this boy genius named Danu. He inherited a huge lab with super advanced technology from another genius, from a long line of them. There's all these fungus and dirt and stuff in the lab, and it's really moist. He seduces an older high school boy and does unusual things sexually to him then beats him up. Then he convinces the older boy to come back, promising vanilla sex, and he can do that like a dreamy hot woman from a 40s movie. The older boy agrees but he wakes up strapped to a chair in the lab. Danu says he's going to torture him. The older boy says, "Not really, right?" or something and the genius says "No, really. I'm a sadistic psychopath." So he tortures him more graphically than in Cannibal. Then he gives him an experimental drug and hears weird insights into the boy's psyche before the boy dies of heart failure. That can be trance-inducing and I'll read what schizophrenics said to help me with it.
There's also an AI that's really a human brain but it doesn't know it. Its name is David and it has an unrequited crush on Danu, and it's really smart also but insane. Of course it has to try to kill Danu, I don't know if it succeeds or not. I'll need to listen to some crazed stalkers for ideas or something. At some point it's going to dream it has a father. Also it's going to find its corpse which is an icky fungusy thing in liquid with wires and tubes coming out. "Eww, groaty." It'll say.
Anyway Danu is a carefree joker who devotes his life to sadism, science and psychic exploration. This is my dream TV series, at one point he solves a mystery as a normal person (no tech) to make it more fun.
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Film scripts have to deliver information to a huge team of people, all looking for different things. In the first place, the script has to tell its story in such a way that a producer, director and good actors can all visualize the end product... and, at the same time all have confidence the end film will create enough sales in order to justify the expense of making it. Now, the producer reads the script and wants to know what the poster and the trailer will look like, because that's how she'll sell the end product, the director wants to know how it will be shot... and the actor wants to know her character's journey and whether the role is going to make her look good.
Your script has to do all of those things... sell the story, make a clear vision for the director (without directing the film for her) and at the same time create compelling dramatic roles for the actors.
On top of that, producers and directors judge the duration of a film by the number of pages... working on the formula: 1 page equals 1 minute. That formula only works if you format your script the same way as everyone else in the industry... and, also if you use language in the same way.
And, as if that wasn't enough, the Art Director is using the script to figure out the look of the movie, the Location's Manager is figuring out where and how to get each scene's location... along with several hundred other people whose job revolves around interpreting the script... and, all of them wants just the right amount of information: enough to inspire them, but not so much that you're doing their job for them.
Now, because you're servicing the needs of all these people, screenwriters have developed a style of writing which is unique to film making... a lot of which Film Jumper talked about.
So, for instance, the most natural thing in the world when writing a film sequence is to write:
We see Jimbo, a tough eleven year old, climbing the tree outside the old Patterson House. He has a duffle bag on a rope, tied to his ankle.
When, actually, it should be:
EXT: THE OLD PATTERSON HOUSE (1979): NIGHT
From the boarded up windows, to the overgrown grass and decaying porch furniture, everything about the old Patterson House tells you it's the spookiest old house in this small Mid-Western town. Practically growing through the house, a KNARLED OLD PINE TREE.
JIMBO (11), a tough little tear-away in an "A Team" T Shirt, clambers up the branches of the Pine Tree, a DUFFLE BAG suspended from his ankle on a SHORT ROPE.
As to the other stuff:
Conventional Story Structure:
Either three, four or nine Act, depending on what works best for you; but, with an understanding that anything write is going to be read as if it was constructed to a three act model. The basics of three act story structure has been outlined by both Syd Field and Robert McKee.
Character Arcs:
The journey the character goes through during the movie... normally the plot for the film is the protagonist's character arc... and in some films that's all there is. However, if you're writing drama, it helps get a better cast if all the characters have some kind of arc.
Screenplay Format:
The way a screenplay is laid out... some of which you get just by using screenwriting software like Final Draft (expensive) or CeltX (free).
But beyond that, an understanding of when you put a character's name in CAPS, what a Lugline is and why you almost never use the expression "We see"
Language conventions:
In action description it's important to hit three points: keep it visual; active voice, not passive (so "runs" rather than "running"); and, finally, short sentences... avoiding complex compound sentences where possible. LOL
In many respect Hemmingway is a perfect model for language usage.
Hope some of this helps.
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If you have pinpointed your idea, I think... the best way is to listen to music: This helps when you're writing lines.
For example if you're writing a romance scene, if you listen to some love songs they'll really much help you change the style of your writing and you'll be surprised that you wrote it!
Try it out... it's a worthy try.
For example if you're writing a romance scene, if you listen to some love songs they'll really much help you change the style of your writing and you'll be surprised that you wrote it!
Try it out... it's a worthy try.
I will to the list: Sophocles. The new beta version is free and fully functional,
http://www.sophocles.net/beta/
I have been using it since it is what my mentor screenwriting consultant uses and recommends (and she used to use Final Draft and others but likes Sophocles much better). Plus, being a Linux geek I like that I can run it in Linux using wine. Seriously give Sophocles a try anybody reading this, it is fantastic, and like I said the beta is free.
http://www.sophocles.net/beta/
I have been using it since it is what my mentor screenwriting consultant uses and recommends (and she used to use Final Draft and others but likes Sophocles much better). Plus, being a Linux geek I like that I can run it in Linux using wine. Seriously give Sophocles a try anybody reading this, it is fantastic, and like I said the beta is free.
Every time I see a movie or TV show with some poor writer staring at a blank page or blank screen (just a blinking cursor), I feel much better. It helps me to realize I am not alone. I found a good way to get rid of the blank page, though.
When I am just looking for inspiration, I start filling the page with nonsense and random thoughts. Those thoughts and words eventually form a pattern that turns into an idea. I'll follow that idea until I run out of thoughts, and then start again. It's a good exercise.
Another good exercise is to watch a movie and write the script from the movie. Screen to script exercises help me reverse engineer the movie while using my own writing style and voice. I can then go to the orignal movie script to see how that writer did it differently (or how the director changed it during production) and then try to figure out why it worked better (or not). Sometimes this thought process can get in the way of enjoying the movie, though. The first time I watched Transformers was like this. I kept getting focused on "MacGuffin" and all of the stereotypical ways this plot device played out in the movie.
When I am just looking for inspiration, I start filling the page with nonsense and random thoughts. Those thoughts and words eventually form a pattern that turns into an idea. I'll follow that idea until I run out of thoughts, and then start again. It's a good exercise.
Another good exercise is to watch a movie and write the script from the movie. Screen to script exercises help me reverse engineer the movie while using my own writing style and voice. I can then go to the orignal movie script to see how that writer did it differently (or how the director changed it during production) and then try to figure out why it worked better (or not). Sometimes this thought process can get in the way of enjoying the movie, though. The first time I watched Transformers was like this. I kept getting focused on "MacGuffin" and all of the stereotypical ways this plot device played out in the movie.
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Sophocles runs pretty good under Linux (I am using Ubuntu Linux 7.10), no crashes of Sophocles yet. (installed and run it in Linux using wine-- see http://www.winehq.org/). I actually used to use Celtx, but it got confusing using Celtx and versioning, as Celtx never warns you about overwriting a new version of a script which really annoyed me. The latest version of Celtx that I tried also was very buggy with regard to page counts, unreliable. But heck it is free, as is the beta for Sophocles.
A bit off topic, my apologies, but I just could not resist--who hasn't played some World of Warcraft (WoW), and I thought I would mention that I used to play WoW in Linux using Cedega (a commercial gaming version of wine) and it actually played smoother and faster than when played using MS-Windows! (Diablo II also worked great in Linux). Here are some screenshots of WoW being played in Linux using Cedega:
http://images.google.com/images?sou...a+world+of+warcraft&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi
OK I thought that was interesting (OK I am likely the only one here who finds that interesting, but oh well I am bored today and looking for anything to type other than my screenplay blank page LOL)
http://images.google.com/images?sou...a+world+of+warcraft&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi
OK I thought that was interesting (OK I am likely the only one here who finds that interesting, but oh well I am bored today and looking for anything to type other than my screenplay blank page LOL)