TONIGHT! A Big-Ass Multi-Hyphenate ~ Storytellers Social Club
Unless I drift off script and ramble, this is what I'll say this evening.
For logistical reasons, I haven’t been able to invite all Paid Subscribers to the first In Person event tonight in the County of Kings. I will certainly write about it here and will also find a way to offer in person and virtual meet ups to all interested parties.
Below are my prepared remarks for the evening. When I prepare remarks like this, I tend to read a sentence and then wing it until I realize I’m rambling and then return to the page. Stay tuned to learn how much I drift tonight.
My Intended Remarks
(Ed Note: i might try this joke where i’ll read my notes in a stage whisper: Don’t be nervous. Be your best self. Don’t be nervous. You ARE enough.)
Thank you for attending this gathering of creative, soulful, passionate, hard working people. Work is hard. Jobs and work and hustling is so much harder than hanging out. So tonight let’s hang out and listen to music and eat and have some cold drinks and meet some new people.
On that note, I want to thank Jimi and Briana who own this beautiful, unique, community-minded space. They’ve been incredibly supportive over the past weeks leading up to tonight so please thank them and take advantage of their bar and menu and be kind to staff.
I want to take 10 minutes to share a few thoughts about intentions and hopes and dreams and the known and unknown. I wrote things down so my words wouldn’t drift and dart around like flying insects.
Who’s here?
As promised, in attendance tonight are fiction writers, actors, journalists, illustrators, filmmakers, bloggers, sketch writers, poets, fundraisers, TV writers, playwrights and musicians.
We have members of a fiction writing group that have somehow been together for 20 years; we have at least one fashion writer, at least one cinematographer and the director of programs at Writers Guild East.
Within all that — just to glaze a bit — we have:
A best selling novelist;
An Oscar winning Documentary maker;
A BAFTA nominated filmmaker;
An Emmy nominated TV writer;
A Peabody nominated artist.
It’s good to live in New York, right?
Also in attendance is a guy who has raised hundreds of millions of dollars for social good organizations and a guy who created a Virtual Reality Video Game experience that was so original it took me weeks to understand what the hell he was imagining.
As I wrote this up, I realized that one way to describe this room is as a big-ass multi-hyphenate. Storytellers Social Club - a big ass multi-hyphenate.
Me
For now, I’ll just say my interests, my passion and my work life has been a mixture of creative work — mostly screenwriting with a bit of producing and directing — and leadership gigs at non-profit organizations.
My wife Rachel is here - she’s a fiction writer and my 2 kids are here to help with the launch. Shout out to Gael for sharpening the pencils!
What is this?
This event was born of a moment of clarity - an idea, a desire - that I managed to grab hold of instead of letting it scroll by like a social media post.
That moment of clarity was simply a desire to throw a party—to have a good time— with the interesting people I know. So look around and see we already have a success.
But something exciting happened along the way. A familiar feeling crept in. It was the feeling that comes with the ideas for a new story or any creative project.
You know the feeling: it’s somehow uncertain and certain at the same time. Uncertain about where exactly you’re going but certain that there’s something there and you want to pursue it.
So while this party is a finite thing that will end in a couple of hours, Storytellers Social Club has come to feel like the beginning of something for me and hopefully for you all.
All this to say, this is a work in progress and I will be following up with people for their thoughts and ideas about how this group could be valuable to you.
The North Star is to hang out and have a good time and to provide value to people engaged with storytelling. Maybe the value is simply the hanging out or maybe the value expands to provide:
A reader for your new draft;
An actor you wouldn’t have otherwise met;
The formation of a writers group;
Supporters for your next screening or production;
Advice about fundraising or branding or which camera to use;
Or maybe you get a great recipe for spicy fish stew or learn how to get rid of plant warts: duct tape. Or take out a splinter: duct tape. Or protect yourself from deer tics: duct tape your pant leg!
Why Now?
But narrative writers are trained to ask the question: Why now?
For one, the timing was right for me personally to organize this because I recently quit a job (hold for wild applause). I stepped down from my wonderful position as Associate Director of Almanck Screenwriters. I was also wrapping up a new script, and I wasn't teaching—so I had some available time and energy to organize. (I was going to say bandwidth but I’m trying to wean from using machine words to describe humans.)
Much larger than my own personal availability is the elephant in the room. And that elephant is not one person either. To me, the elephant in the room is the culture itself.
I know part of my motivation in having an in person gathering is to take some action in opposition to the isolationism and the bullshit divide-and-conquer techno-capitalist culture.
I often say creatives need to have a certain amount of fuck you in them to do what they do, and I’ve always had a bit of of that. If this gathering has any of that energy it’s the most positive, productive fuck you that you’ve ever done seen.
Members Only
As for other people joining: yes, but as of now, Storytellers Social Club has to be members only. At first I felt squishy about this because it sounds elitist and that’s the last thing we need. But I've grown comfortable with the idea for three reasons: 1. I want to maintain a diverse mix of disciplines; 2. I want to ensure members have things to offer as well as receive and 3: I have to make sure we don’t let in any AI BOTS.
Next Time
At the next gathering I imagine we’ll have someone other than me talking or reading about something awesome: a filmmaker or fundraiser or novelist. Somebody who’s willing to be vulnerable and honest and authentic about the storytelling they do.
Right now
Join the What’s App group with the QR Code.
As of now, I’ve decided to use What’s App as the form of communication. It’s private, it’s not a fucking email, and it turns out I can make neat little folders so people can put their Bio or Announce Events or make suggestions for the club.
I’ll be reaching out to some of you but I’d love to hear from all of you. I’d love to hear from folks who know about organizational structures and how to do this members only thing in the least fascist elitist way. partnerships sponsorships etc…
Have a Good Time
And that brings me to these Threesomes we’re about to have.
Social Club Threesomes
We’re going to break into threes so you have a chance to meet people you might not otherwise meet. For simplicity purposes, I suggest each person take 3 or 4 minutes to talk about their creative life from the point of view of Past Present Future. How you came to be doing what youre doing; what you’ve been doing lately and what you want to be doing in the near or far future. If you look on the back of your postcard you’ll find a number so meet up with people with that same number. If there’s any trouble with the numbers, join a group of strangers.
That about ends it.
I’m looking forward to seeing those of you who are coming tonight. I’ll be sharing about the experience and I will be doing more organizing here on Substack. Obviously all this takes time and energy so if you think there’s value in what I’m doing, I would deeply appreciate you considering upgrading to a Paid Subscription. I am still playing with paywalls and all that but my hope is to provide Paid Subscribers with access to me, my teachings and our growing community.
Hope Spring is springing for you.
Bingo!
Feast your eyes on the Bingo Card for tonight’s event.