Just over a month ago, my good friend writer/director/producer Scott W. Smith put up his 1,000th post on his Emmy-winning blog Screenwriting From Iowa. For the last several years, Scott has posted Every Single Day. Stop and think about that: even the bad stuff we do, we don’t manage to work it into every day, right?  Much less so, the good stuff.  Amazing accomplishment.

But more than just being prolific, Scott is insightful.  A true student of screenwriting, he has ingested every school of thought and book on screenwriting out there.  The suggestions and inspiration he offers on his blog come from these teachers, from writing his own scripts, and from his experiences in traveling the country and world.

Now, Scott has taken the best of his Screenwriting From Iowa writings and put it into a book form.  He’s using Kickstarter to get the initial funding together to get this thing off the ground.  As of this writing, there are 7 days left in the campaign with about $3,000 in backing to go.  If you love films like me, please consider getting involved. Great movies come from great scripts and Scott’s book will, without a doubt, inspire screenwriters in “Iowa… And Other Unlikely Places.”

Screenwriting From Iowa… And Other Unlikely Places Book on Kickstarter

Scott W. Smith on the book

- Matthew Porter

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I saw him several times as I moved from aisle to aisle at the grocery store.  I would steal a glance as I moved from ‘Cookies/Snacks/Chips’ to ‘Household Items/Stationary’, then back to ‘Bread/Rolls.’

An older, heavy-set man, fully occupying a Hoveround cart, wearing a blue cap with some kind of military insignia.  He sat an at end cap, going nowhere.  Waiting for someone, I guessed.

I bet he’s a veteran, I thought.  I should tell him ‘thank you for serving’.  I’ve done this before.  Not as a habit, but here and there.  For me, it’s not just some sweet little thing that makes me feel good.  I mean, thanks to guys who served, I can do the stuff I do, pursue my dreams, live in a house in a safe neighborhood with my wife.  The biggest injustice I have to suffer is when some jerk cuts in line at the Starbucks drive-thru.  This is the gloriously free life we get to lead because these guys stood on the wall for us.  So I figure, a little bit awkwardness in saying ‘thanks’ is a small thing.

I made my final approach to the checkout, moving toward him.  Then, at the last second, I just went to the checkout.  I don’t know why.  I don’t think of myself as a shy person, but I have these fleeting moments.

While checking out, I saw some blurb on a magazine cover about Clint Eastwood’s Flags Of Our Fathers movie.  I glanced to my left and the guy was still there.

My opening line was ‘Did you serve?’

“Why d’ya think I got this?” he replied, motioning to his hat.

I don’t remember his name; I do remember when I shook his hand, his grip was strong and that he didn’t let go of my hand.  I do remember he looked me square in the eye.  I do remember he said he was there at D-Day.  I do remember noticing one of his legs wasn’t his own.  I do remember him lifting his hat, showing me his souvenir, a deep, ugly, scabby wound covering most of his head.

What can you say to a group of people who did so much for us?  All I can think of is to say, I remember.  We remember.

And thank you.

- Matthew Porter

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- Attributed to Eleanor Hibbert, British author

While the above quote is overly broad, I think it’s useful in the context of work and accomplishments.  I mean, if you are addicted to clubbing baby seals, well, maybe you should give that some thought and perhaps a dash of regret should be part of that cognitive cocktail.

Is regret bad?  Good?  Useful sometimes?  Overrated? What do you think?

- Matthew Porter

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Behold, the Squaris Wheel...

Would you look at this thing? I am in love with this design. It’s fun, dangerous, and an obvious zoning violation. Further, setting this baby up over a weekend would without question make a homeowners association board wring their fretful little bureaucratic hands with worry.

And that makes me smile.

But beyond this, it reminds me of a time now long gone. Before the dawning of the Age of Oprah. Back when wax was something guys put on their car, not in their hair. Alas, now all I’m waxing is nostalgic.

So even if it’s only online, I hope you enjoy the Squaris Wheel. And hey, if you’re feeling froggy, you can find the complete Squaris Wheel plans here.

- Matthew Porter

PS: Click the pic twice to see the glorious full version.

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- Attributed to Bill McKenna

Professional motorcycle racer

Cycle Magazine, February 1982

- Matthew Porter

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Henry David Thoreau: Poet, Thinker, Dapper Dan

Depending on how you look at it, today’s Great Quote could either be inspiring or kind of sober, a’ la J. M. Barrie. Maybe it’s both. In any case, hope it helps get your week started well…

“The youth gets together his materials to build a bridge to the moon, or, perchance, a palace or temple on the earth, and, at length, the middle-aged man concludes to build a woodshed with them.”

- Henry David Thoreau
July 14, 1852 — Journals (1838-1859)

- Matthew Porter

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Of all the months named after a present singular first person auxiliary verb, May is definitely my favorite. And in lieu of a clever segueway, here now is a quick recap of all the fun we had this last month here at HeyPorter.com…

Great Quote Monday — John F. Kennedy

I think that sometimes the best quote is a challenging question, as evidenced here by John F. Kennedy.

Matthew Maxim #11: Hate Failure, But Never Fear It

Okay, it stinks as a bumper sticker, but read this article and see if you don’t agree that it’s relevant and applicable to everyday life.

Great Quote Monday — Helen Keller

Having read this quote– and now visited her childhood home– I almost feel bad for telling all those bad Helen Keller jokes way back when.

Found Comedy — Mega Brand Smackdown

Weeks later and I still can’t figure out how this sign got approved and printed. It’s enough to make the Hamburglar blush.

Great Quote Monday — Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Poetry for Great Quote Monday? Yep. And just imagine where we could go from here. Today Browning, tomorrow Shel Silverstein…

Great Quote Monday — Harold S. Dodge via W. Edwards Deming

I know: the word ‘quality’ is flogged so much that it has no edges left at all. Still, I think you’ll find this quote and the accompanying article worth a look.

Great Quote Monday — Jesus

And if you like this quote, try reading his bestseller.




- Matthew Porter

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“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”

- Jesus Christ
John 15:13 (NIV)

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W. Edwards Deming: The management guru women wanted and men wanted to be...

Today’s quote– about quality– comes from Harold S. Dodge as delivered by management guru W. Edwards Deming (also a statistician, college professor, author, lecturer, and consultant).

‘Quality’ isn’t the sexiest of concepts, as concepts go. Still, the idea of quality is inextricable from the idea of excellence. And, of course, the phrase ‘striving for excellence’ is just a fancy pants way of saying ‘we aim to stare our competition directly in the eye, except that the competition will be lying on the ground and we’ll be standing over them.’

Hey, when you put it that way, I think I could get behind this ‘quality’ thing.

Dodge’s / Deming’s quote reminds me of the work of Phil Crosby and his ‘quality is free’ and ‘do it right the first time’ concepts. Mr. Crosby was an author, management theorist, and quality management guru whom I had the pleasure of meeting several times. Which is to say, he attended the same church I did when I was growing up and I later dated his daughter for a time. Which is to say, now I’m not saying anything useful whatsoever, just doing some ham-handed name-dropping. [Shakes head] Not efficient at all…

“As Harold S. Dodge said many years ago, ‘You cannot inspect quality into a product.’ The quality is there or it isn’t by the time it’s inspected.”

- W. Edwards Deming
Out Of The Crisis (1982)

- Matthew Porter

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Now, on with the show…

Earth’s crammed with heaven,
And every common bush afire with God:
But only he who sees, takes off his shoes,
The rest sit round it, and pluck blackberries…

- Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Aurora Leigh (1857) Bk. VII, l. 812-826

- Matthew Porter

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