It's a very ethical use of Kickstarter. It's using it as a store, really.
Basically, you Kickstart to buy a pack (and get one donated to a school).
So, the more people who Kickstart, the more packs they print.
John talked about it on the Scriptnotes podcast.
Yeah, what 60Words said.
For every pack that sells, one is given to a young, at-risk writer. In the comments section of the kickstarter page, people that run those types of kids programs are already asking if they can be added to the list to get some of the free packs. Read those specific comments. Look at those organizations -- they are worthy times ten.
This is a good fun thing.
So quit bitching and go buy yourself a shiny pack for Christmas.
For every pack that sells, one is given to a young, at-risk writer. In the comments section of the kickstarter page, people that run those types of kids programs are already asking if they can be added to the list to get some of the free packs. Read those specific comments. Look at those organizations -- they are worthy times ten.
This is a good fun thing.
So quit bitching and go buy yourself a shiny pack for Christmas.
Lecture over.
Thought we weren't going to receive the packs til April, no? The video on how they're made was good to watch. And it's always a plus to help those les fortunate than ourselves.
Kudos to John and his team for finding a way to help others. Happy to be a part of it.
FA4
"Arguing that you don't care about the right to privacy b/c you have nothing to hide is no different than saying you don't care about free speech because you have nothing to say." -- Edward Snowden
Love John A and his podcast. Kickstarter seems on the up and up. I might buy one just because I enjoy supporting fellow writers and I admit the pack would look cool on the shelf. Something to hold while I cry while typing.
But -- I just don't get the idea itself on being that helpful to screenwriters being stuck on a story and why couldn't the cards be a PDF of helpful hints instead? The cards aren't changing. You get the information in about 10 minutes if it was in a little ebook that you could flip through. (I know he mentioned on his blog they tried an app and hated it).
Love John A and his podcast. Kickstarter seems on the up and up. I might buy one just because I enjoy supporting fellow writers and I admit the pack would look cool on the shelf. Something to hold while I cry while typing.
But -- I just don't get the idea itself on being that helpful to screenwriters being stuck on a story and why couldn't the cards be a PDF of helpful hints instead? The cards aren't changing. You get the information in about 10 minutes if it was in a little ebook that you could flip through. (I know he mentioned on his blog they tried an app and hated it).
I can't be alone. Unless that is card 27.
It's a tool, one of many. Not all tools will work for all people. Having all of the hints laid out on a single page might work for you, but having all of those hints demanding your attention at once can be distracting for someone else. Like having a vague urge for a candy bar, standing in front of the candy shelf and trying to decide which to pick.
One card, one idea, encourages focus on one thing. Instead of a dozen candy choices, you're handed a Butterfinger. You can focus on the Butterfinger, and evaluate the merits of snacking on that, then eat it or discard it because it doesn't quite fit your gnoshing criteria.
Some can stand in front of the candy counter and focus. Some can't. Some walk away with every candy on the shelf because they can't make up their minds. For young writers (meaning chronological age, not how long they've been writing) this will be VERY useful. Focusing on one thing at a time is a learned skill.
And sometimes, it might be fun to shuffle the deck and see what Fate provides, like a writer's Tarot of the moment. (You can do that with a PDF and a dart board, too.)
I bought two packs - one for me, and one for teaching purposes. (Plus the two donations.) I can see so many ways to use these cards in the writing workshops I run, quite apart from using it for my own writing.
I think pretty much everything John, Craig, and Scriptnotes generally, are associated with is worth giving a shot. I'm consistently impressed with their knowledge, their commitment to helping other writers, and their love of writing.
I purchased a pack today, only my second time funding a Kickstarter campaign (the first was Reading Rainbow, of course ). It's always nice when you can get something as useful as this and also feel good because it's helping out a good cause. Kudos to John!!
"I love being a writer. What I can't stand is the paperwork.-- Peter De Vries
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