The Writing Center

Our latest exciting news is that we will be offering a new class in the spring — Writing for the Screen. This class is for anyone out there who wants to write for film or television, whether you’re already in the process of writing a script or are still in the idea stage. The class will feature detailed instruction on how to put your work into the proper script format, how to write for viewers as opposed to readers, and will give you a chance to study films and television programs as well as share your own work.

Our screenwriting instructor, Garrett Chaffin-Quiray, has earned degrees from the University of Southern California’s School of Cinema-Television, has worked in Hollywood, and has written and published extensively on film (his reviews and essays have appeared in dozens of books and newspapers). He’s a wonderful addition to Metro Writing, and we’re so glad he’s joining us.

Check out our web site for more info on Writing for the Screen as well as to read Garrett’s bio. If you have any questions, feel free to write or call, as always. (And keep in mind we’re offering an early registration discount for Writing for the Screen.) We hope to see you in the spring!

As readers of this blog know, I’ve been following closely the release of the Sony Reader, a handheld eBook-reading device that promises stunning clarity and portability.

Despite the $350 price tag, I really wanted one of these devices. Until I began reading the reviews — the negative far outweighing the positive.

My major reason for needing a Sony Reader is my poor vision. Every book I buy these days seems to be experimenting with smaller and smaller typefaces. I’m all for conserving paper, but who can read 8-point type? The Sony Reader allows you to increase type size on the fly.

Unfortunately, there is one feature missing from this device that has, for now, kept me from pulling out the credit card. There is no backlight on the Sony Reader. I like to read on planes, and I was recently on a 10-hour American Airlines flight when the lights in coach suddenly went out (not suprisingly, the lights in Business Class continued to operate just fine). I realize I shouldn’t base a purchasing decision based on one broken-down airplane, but that little episode made me wonder why this device doesn’t offer a backlight. If the Apple iPod can have a backlight, why can’t the Sony Reader? This seems like a feature we’ll see on version 2.0 of the device — or a competitive device from the folks at Apple.

So, for now I’m sitting on the sidelines, waiting to see what the competition does — and what Sony does next. I still believe that these portable readers are going to be huge. But I’m not convinced that Sony has created the perfect device — not yet at least.

If you’re curious about getting a Sony Reader now, here are two opposing reviews of the device…

The Good
Chicago Sun-Times

The Bad
The News & Observer