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Plan SSD From Outer Space
If you’re one of the four visitors who read the last post, you’ll know what this is about – and yes, the mission was successful.
I installed Crucial MX500 SSD boot drives in a pair of Lenovo AIO 520S-23IKU computers (2017) and a Samsung 870 EVO drive in a Gateway NV77H23U laptop (2012). On the first attempt, the Samsung went into one of the Lenovo machines, provoking an intermittent failure (No operating system). So I tried the Crucial devices AND I changed my procedure.
Instead of cloning the boot drive using the same machine the SSD was destined for, I used another computer for the task – taking the mechanical drive out and then connecting both old and new drives via USB. Both Crucial drives cloned without incident and I suspect this difference in procedure is responsible for subsequent success installing the Samsung EVO in my geriatric Gateway machine.
Continue reading “Plan SSD From Outer Space”A Tinker’s Tale
I’ve taken a break from writing these past ten days to attend to infrastructure tasks — computer maintenance, Internet service provider wrangling, a lighting project in the kitchen, a round of watch battery replacements …
Linda and I have a pair of identical 4-year-old Lenovo all-in-one computers that have become unbearably slow for reasons I might be able to diagnose if I was willing to invest a couple hundred hours, which I’m not.
Far better to replace mechanical disk drives with SSD devices, a cheap and fast way to breathe new life into sluggish hardware if said SSD installs trouble-free.
You might say, “John, why don’t you just buy new computers?” Well, then I’d be faced with reinstallation of licensed software in both machines, none of which will migrate. License keys will be unrecognized on the new machines, vendors will decline to refresh keys, I’ll be forced to buy products again, some of the products will only be available as cloud subscriptions …
Continue reading “A Tinker’s Tale”Double-Played
What author hasn’t imagined seeing his novel played out on the big screen? I certainly did, and if you’ve been following this blog you know I took at stab at writing a film adaptation of my novel Silken Thread.
I paid a fee for script coverage, during which I learned it’s harder than it looks. And then, lesson in hand, I took another crack at it, which you can see on the Script Revolution website by the artful use of your mouse pointer (slightly left, please).
I’m done trying that – but what the heck, might as well put it out there. To say I’m satisfied with the second draft is a stretch, but it was an enlightening story structure exercise. To wit – it made me focus on the elements of storytelling and the value of the three-act form.
But I find that screenwriting is a) heavier on craft than expression and, b) focused on selling an idea to other artists, after which art may or may not be forthcoming. I might persist if I was looking for a job, which I’m not.
All that said, the effort might conceivably influence my approach during the editing process.
Are you a novelist? How much effort do you put into concepts like ‘beats’ and story models when you’re writing?
Played out — John Dyer Writes
Earlier this year, I submitted my first-ever attempt at writing a screenplay to a smallish indie filmmaker, arranged through a service provided by Stage32. A producer had issued a call for coming-of-age stories, and my novel Silken Thread kind of fits. In 1960s Manila, an American teenager courts a CIA officer several years his senior. Novel here, screenplay here, if you’re curious.
Spoiler alert — I was not offered a movie deal.
I was told I’d written a novel but not a screenplay. Also …
- The story is missing the exciting parts of the protagonist’s life until the last 20 pages (during which the hero almost dies).
- The narrative structure should adhere to the three-act form.
- The author should pay attention to story beats.
- There’s not enough drama.
- The author should ask the question, “Why would anyone want to watch this?”
- The hero David Aarens is a person who never says ‘no’ to the challenges in his life.
- The document layout does not “look like a professional screenplay” and I should use Final Draft as an authoring tool.
Exposed!
Imagine my surprise when I found my title on a ‘Featured’ list.
Screenplayed
I just finished a screen adaptation of my novel Silken Thread. 20,561 words, 118 pages.
Logline – In 1967 Manila, a Chinese-speaking Dutch-American teenager courts a CIA officer ten years his senior.
Here’s another sample.
The morning after.
23. INT. AARENS RESIDENCE FORBES PARK
The next morning. David sets a two-suit travel bag by the front door; he’s apprehended by Mrs. Li.
MRS. LI
Hushed voice; speaks <Mandarin>.
<Where you going so early?>
DAVID
<I’m meeting someone before work. Are my parents up?>
MRS. LI
She pinches him on the ear.
<There’s a girl, and don’t tell me there isn’t.>
DAVID
Clasps her hand in both of his.
<Maybe she lost interest already. I have to find out.>
MRS. LI
<Da Wei; she will break your heart, and so will the people who give you this job. Just like in China; this is how you have a refugee living in your house.>
DAVID
<Ma Li; their broken promises gave me you.>
MRS. LI
<Oh, you going that way, are you? You better not forget who raise you when I get too old to take care of myself.>
Kisses David on the cheek.
<Make sure she love you, then bring around to meet me.>
Screenplaying
A call for coming-of-age submissions on Stage32 motivated me to at least start on a screen adaptation of my novel Silken Thread. Here’s a trial opening scene formatted in a style emulating James Cameron’s script for the movie Aliens.
Fade In:
- 1. INT. BREAKFAST IN THE AARENS HOME
Forbes Park subdivision, Metro Manila, July 1967. A spacious living/dining area with Danish Modern and Asian furnishings, high ceilings opening onto a lanai and garden. We meet a Dutch/American family of 3 served by a middle-aged Chinese woman. The teenage son arrives late, sits at the table.
DAVID AARENS
“Mom, Pop, Lao Ma.”
David addresses Mrs. Li in <Mandarin>.
<How are you this morning?>
MRS. LI
<Your father heard you come in late.>
She rolls eyes, pours tea.
DAVID
<Ouch. I thought I was being quiet.>
Continue reading “Screenplaying”The Illusion of Gravity by John Dyer – Book Review
With thanks to Ashley Manning
I was given a copy of this book in return for an honest review
In book one of The Anye Legacy, on a distant planet a lab experiment goes wrong which leads Rivan Saraf on a journey that could save the people on his planet. Hostile foreign government agents, known as the The Vanya are in town and hunting Rivan down.
This book starts with a lot of information about the history of Anye world. It’s a lot to take in all at once and does make the book feel daunting. I would recommend reading it and not worrying if you don’t take it all in, you can come back later if you feel the need. Once the book actually starts it eases you in with a great opening that introduces Rivan and his family. It really slows the pace down nicely and gets you settled in before the main…
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Post-Vellum Euphoria
My novel Elbert was at 96,000 words, final chapters unsettled, manuscript no longer consistent with the outline. So, I went back to the beginning — in the expectation that a better understanding of where I started would suggest how the story should end.
After four laborious rewrites of the book’s opening act, the text was hitting 100,000 words, a surprise since I thought I was streamlining it. The good news — I know what I’m dealing with. Yesterday, I wrote:
“Elbert is a story about relationships, self-discovery, and the necessity of facing the future with courage and compassion.”Continue reading “Post-Vellum Euphoria”
John Dyer Writes 
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