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Profiles - Your Stories
 Linda Seger - Helps Writers To Understand the Nuances Of Screenwriting
http://www.lindaseger.com/
I'm a script consultant, have written 11 books - 8 on screenwriting, 3 on spirituality, and give seminars on screenwriting around the world (currently have taught in 30 countries on 6 continents).
I have 3 M.A. degrees and a ThD - the ThD is in Drama and Theology, and am now moving from writing books on screenwriting to writing books on spirituality (book #11 will be published in February, 2009) while continuing my script consulting and seminar business.
What makes me interesting???
I made up my business in 1981, and the business is now international, and there are now some hundreds of script consultants around the world. I've trained about 70 of them in 5 different countries (New Zealand, Scandinavia, Germany, the U.S., Italy).
My most famous client was Peter Jackson - who won the Academy Award for LORD OF THE RINGS - I worked with him on his 3rd script in 1989. (BRAIN DEAD was the script).
My work has had quite a profound effect on the film industry. I've taught thousands as well as hundreds of thousands through my books - and have helped writers understand the nuances of the craft of screenwriting, as well as helped raise the respect of the industry for the "lowly" writer (who usually is the least respected person in the process.)
My books are ready by many professionals - i.e., Ron Howard said he uses my book MAKING A GOOD SCRIPT GREAT on all his films, starting with Apollo 13 and that it greatly helped keep A Beautiful Mind focused. And he's allowed me to use that quote. Robert Rodat who wrote SAVING PRIVATE RYAN said my book was helpful for that film. (etc.)
Clearly, I've taken many risks and my success doesn't come from luck, but from going to a brilliant career consultant, and creating a team around me that can help and support my goals.
When I need something I find good people, hire them (or ask them to help me if that's not their business), and I use a method of working with people which is sometimes called "web-thinking" - meaning a collaborative rather than competitive approach with my colleagues. (I have written a book on this method.)
One of the most interesting parts in my life now - because it's new - which most people wouldn't know about me and which I still am working on - I do an unusual form of competition on horse-back called freestyle reining.
Reining is the most difficult form of Western riding one can do, and freestyle means that one puts a series of difficult maneuvers to music, in costume, and has 3 1/2 minutes to perform.
Like ice skating, one is graded on technical and artistic. At the moment, my artistic scores are higher since I've just been doing this for 3 years and am still at the "rookie" level (that's how difficult it is!) So, I am hoping someday (well, I can't wait forever, after all, I'm 62!) to move up in the ranks of this competition.
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