Ryan Gosling and Shakespeare. You're welcome.

If you're not the predator, you're the prey!

There are a lot of people who dream of selling a script for big money and seeing their work turned into a movie starring Ryan Gosling, Angelina Jolie or Seth Rogen. There are even more people who dream of exploiting these people, trashing their dreams by lying to them and misdirecting them and charging a lot of money for their services. I often cross paths with these predators and they make me angry. I also often cross paths with their victims and that makes me sad. Because people who trample on other people's dreams and take their money under false pretenses are scum.  This morning I ran into a writer on Craig's List who was looking for someone to format his script properly.He didn't know what he needed was someone with access to Final Draft software.  He'd been told " If it was in the correct script format for submitting to the "Writer's Guild he'd have a script that was a movie."
I don't know who this "reputable script advisor" (the writer's words) was, but I'd like to shake her until her teeth rattle.  the writer also admitted that he wasn't a professional writer in the ad, which raises even more warning flags for me. I breifly worked for a service that provided notes for would-be screenwriters and while I saw several promising scripts, I never saw one that simply needed re-formatting to "be a movie."
It's an insanely competitive business.  Being told all you need to do is reformat your work and you're good to go would be like an agent telling me all I need to do is change the margins on my novel manuscript and I'm on my way to a seven figure sale at Simon & Schuster. JUST. NOT. GONNA. HAPPEN.

Best of the Holiday Gift Guides

I love gift guides. That's why I decided to put together my own. (And wish lists, I love them too.) This is the time of year when every site and magazine/newspaper is putting together a gift guide and looking them over will give you some ideas on what to give that family member who's so hard to please.

Over at Wired Magazine, the Geek Dad list is up and it's got everything from game system point cards to iPhone cases to links to other parts of the list. See it here.

Over at Ain't It Cool News, Quint's three-part holiday gift guide is up, with offerings running the gamut from inexpensive to pricey (like that box set of Dark Shadows episodes that comes in a casket-shaped box).

Real Simple has a multi-part gift guide that splits off into gifts for women, men and children, for foodies and gadget-lovers.

Engadget's list is all about eReaders, a guide to the best of what's available right now. SlashGear has a list of "oddities" that would make great stocking stuffers. Gizmodo has put together a witty list divided up into categories like "For your sainted mother" and "Holiday Gifts for Ryan Gosling, Idris Elba and Other Guys You Love."  Then there's ESPN's guide.

InStyle Magazine has a guide that's not just for the girly-girl or the fashionista. Included are sections for kids, "upgrades for men," gifts for "9-5 friends" and gifts under $25. You have to love a list that includes  Nail polish for pets ($8.95); a python printed sleep set ($220 for both pieces); and customizable headphones ($179).

The Kattomic Energy 2012 Gift Guide will be back tomorrow with gifts for your favorite foodies.