photo by KAZ Vorpal , via Flickr I stopped watching commercial tv on December 21 st , 2007. I did it for two reasons. One, 2008 was an election year and there is nothing I hate more than political commercials. Two, I could no longer handle the time suck that was taking me away from writing. Yes, I traded in my TV set for my keyboard, and I’ve never regretted the decision. Of course, I’ve never regretted the decision because I didn’t stop watching TV entirely. When I watch now, it’s on DVD or Amazon Prime, and nine times out of ten, I’ve paid for what I’m watching. I don’t mind paying either, because as horrific and distracting as most TV is, sometimes a good show is pure gold to a writer. How can watching TV or movies make you a better writer? Wow, there are so many answers to that question. Both movies and episodes of TV shows are the most brilliant, time-sensitive ways to study the three-act structure, for one. Paying close attention to the arc of the segments between comm...

I’ve noticed many authors are ambivalent about entering writing contests, but I’m not sure that’s always a good idea. Yes, they do cost you an entry fee, but getting your writing into agent and editor hands for less than $100 is much cheaper than pitching at a conference. Just do your homework and choose the contests with care. Here’s one contest that recently rolled across our radar. The Book Pipeline Competition , presented by Script Pipeline , is seeking playwrights and authors with stellar material well-suited for film or television adaptation. The winning writer will have the unique opportunity of developing their work with industry executives and representatives. Acceptable entries include: Novels and short stories Non-fiction Book Proposals/Pitches Graphic Novels Plays Final deadline is September 30 th . You can get more details and submit your work at http://www.bookpipeline.com/ Good luck if you decide to enter your work!