Cayla Delardi

Entrepreneur Article: How Humanities Degrees Cultivate Marketable Skills

July 22, 2016 by Cayla Delardi

In a recent article on Entrepreneur.com, writer Bennant Berger sets out to dispel the myth that a liberal arts degree is detrimental to a graduate’s job prospects. He demonstrates in just a few paragraphs how valuable the core skills of humanities—including writing, critical thinking, and creativity—are when applied in the business world.

Here are a few of our favorite quotes from the article:

“English majors and others in the liberal arts arena read, write, communicate, and critique — and then read and write some more. Their relationship with the written and spoken language is nuanced and informed. […] Whether writing decks, copy, white papers, business proposals or simple emails, professionals with the skills to communicate their ideas effectively go a long way in any workplace.”

“Humanity degrees, also called social sciences, are called that for a reason — they are the studies of human nature, thought, and creation. Knowing how people think, what the smartest minds have written and how groups behave provides valuable insight into teamwork and client interactions. What some call soft skills are actually key to professional success.”

Read the full article here: https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/277828

We offer a variety of humanities courses to help you improve your professional skills. Registration for the fall semester is open, so don’t delay!

A College Refresher: A Sampling of the Humanities at CALA
Communicating Leadership and Power in Public Speaking
Improving Writing Skills
Extreme Professional Makeover: Communications Bootcamp
Writing on the Job
Feature Writing for Print and Digital Media
Brilliant Minds
Sharpening your Presentation and Speech Skills
Interviews and Profiles

Former SPS Screenwriting Student’s Screenplay Selected for the Athena Film Festival Black List Mini-Lab 2016

July 12, 2016 by Cayla Delardi

Kristina Zacharias discovered her passion for screenwriting while living and working in New York City, a move she made after graduating from Virginia Tech with a degree in Film and Media Theory. It was around this time that she had an idea for a story and wanted to learn about the process of turning it into a film, so she decided to take a screenwriting course at NYUSPS.

The first course she took with Professor Jason Greiff, called The Screenwriter’s Craft, was where she “really fell in love with the craft and all the elements that go into writing a script.” She continued, “I would have continued to pursue screenwriting no matter what, but Jason is an incredible teacher – knowledgeable, passionate about movies and a great storyteller. For a long time, I bugged him to teach more of the advanced workshops, so I could keep taking his classes.”

One particular tip of Professor Greiff’s that stuck with her was his use of a visual marker to signal tension in a scene. She explained, “[He] uses this upside-down check mark as a visual guide to escalate tension throughout the script. If you’re not incorporating tension in every scene, then the ending will never feel satisfying. I think about that check mark all the time!”

She cites the courses that she later took with Professor Michael Zam as being equally influential on her writing, saying, “Michael Zam made me think about the actors that might play my characters and helped me focus on making the scenes interesting and challenging for them, as well. He also taught me to trust my audience. I don’t need to overload them with information. If I’m good at my craft, the story will unfold even without much dialogue.”

The idea that she developed in her courses with Professors Greiff and Zam became a screenplay called Restavek, which tells the story of a child slave in Haiti.

In Haiti, 1971, at the start of “Baby Doc” Duvalier’s notorious Presidency, a little girl named Family dreams of becoming a famous singer. Sent to live as an unpaid servant for an abusive family when her mother suddenly disappears, Family is now known as a restavek and must work in exchange for food and shelter. With the help of a politically-driven teacher and a naïve journalist, Family’s dream (and survival) hinges on a once-in-a-lifetime chance to sing for the new President.

This February, Kristina submitted Restavek to the Athena Film Festival’s Black List Mini-Lab, and was one of the four talented women selected to participate. The lab was created by the festival in conjunction with The Black List to highlight the lack of gender diversity in the film industry and give female writers the exposure and recognition they deserve. The first part of the process encourages writers to submit their full-length screenplay drafts—which must feature strong, non-objectified female protagonists—for consideration. After a difficult selection process, the chosen writers are given the opportunity to workshop their screenplays during an intense weekend filled with peer seminars, one-on-one mentoring sessions with industry professionals, film screenings and panels. The participants use the feedback and advice they received from the events to continue working on their scripts in the months that follow, in hopes of ultimately having them produced into films.

The 2016 Black List Mini-Lab Writers (L-R) Jennifer Noonan, Britta Lundin, Dee Chilton and Kristina Zacharias ph. Scott Meyers, gointothestory.blcklst.com

In addition to being selected for the lab, the screenplay was also ranked in the Nicholls Fellowship’s “Next 100” list, and went to the second round of the Austin Film Festival Screenwriting Competition. Kristina is also Cassian Elwes Independent Screenwriting Fellow for 2016.

Restavek, along with the other three works from this year’s lab, is now available to read on the AFF website.

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Have your own film idea you’d like to workshop? Sign up for one of our fall screenwriting courses!

Beginning Screenwriting
Writing a Screenplay in 10 Weeks
Screenwriting: An Exercise-Based Approach
The Screenwriter’s Craft
Rewriting a Screenplay in 10 Weeks
Advanced Screenwriting

Interview With Madhvi Ahuja, Author of Cupidity—Ping Me, Love and Former SPS Writing Student

June 27, 2016 by Cayla Delardi

We are pleased to announce that one of SPS CALA’s former writing students, Madhvi Ahuja, has recently published her first book! After taking a few of our writing courses with Professors Robert Black and Chet Kozlowski in 2012, Madhvi began working with her friend, Kiren Rai, to author Cupidity—Ping Me, Love. Set in New Delhi, India, this fun, engaging work of fiction tells the story of 3 close friends, Naina, Tara, and Nihal, and their search to find fulfilling relationships and an outlet for personal exploration. They delve into the vast, unfamiliar world of online dating in the hopes of making emotional connections, liberating themselves from the constraints of social conventions, and shaking up the mundanity of their everyday lives.

Read our interview with Madhvi below.

When did you decide that you wanted to become a writer?

To find peace in chaos, some people meditate, some cook, I write. I don’t think it was something I decided, writing found me. It became my go to place when I was little. It helped me skim through my thoughts. Over time, I found that I had to build on structure and style. I consciously pursued writing much later in life.

Tell us about your experience with our courses. How did they impact your writing?

In 2012, I found NYU SCPS had a few courses that could help sharpen my writing skills. The entire experience was exhilarating, to say the least I soaked it in like a sponge! The teachers shed so much light on how to improve. And the course structure and assignments helped me identify and fix the gaps and errors.

Were there any standout moments for you in the courses?

It was all very technical. I remember asking, after a second version on an assignment, ‘does the editing ever stop?’ I got a smile and a very composed, ‘no’ in return. In that frenzied internal moment of will-I- ever-get- it-right!?! I found the calm. I was ok, and that was a writer’s epiphany, of sort.

Who are your favorite authors? Why?

When I was younger, it was all about mysteries and drama, to be honest. However, over time, it’s not about one person or a story, it is about what captivates me as a narrative. Not the story but the way the story is being told. Somewhere along the way, I stopped reading purely for story, and more for how words are beautifully woven together for me to enjoy what is written.

What was the inspiration for Cupidity? Were any of the characters or events based on real people?

Three years back, Cupidity- PING me, love came as an opportunity through a friend, my co-author. In India, the online dating universe was new, but the need for love and void of loneliness were age-old, world- wide, relatable spaces. This light- fiction genre was easy for me to fall into, so I picked elements from the research, and flew with creating stories around them. It has been a fantastic experience!

Is there a particular message or lesson that you want you readers to take away from the story?

The story has three main protagonists. Each of their stories has been written in a relatable manner. I think what is significant as a take away is that it doesn’t matter where you are or who you are, these are human emotions, we all feel them. It is ok; you are not alone.

What is your writing process like? Do you have any strange or interesting habits?

As I was warned by professors and other writers, everyone has a unique process. Co- authoring a book showed me that because we had very different processes. I wrote at odd hours, and every draft was written as if it were a final paper assignment! Chapter wise, from beginning to end with no gaps, no room for error, correct spacing, indenting, and spellchecked. I wrote as if it were my last draft.

What was the biggest challenge in creating the book?

The many, many, many, MANY edits the manuscript saw over the span of three years. As we evolved in our lives and as writers, so did the storyline and narrative.

What was the most fun aspect of the process?

The conversations of where the story was going. I am glad I co- authored my first book; it gave me immense confidence. I was able to discuss my ideas and play out the plot with someone as invested in it as me.

What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

The same I got from my professors, write. It is the only way you will improve. Just keep practicing. Also, make sure you keep learning from other people’s writing.

Do you have any more writing projects in the works?

I need my creative mind to process and enjoy the reviews of Cupidity- PING me, love. Currently, I am thinking about my next book, but I still have to start laying the foundation of it. However, the writing has not stopped. I have my own content solutions firm, ‘the writer’s web.’ We write for businesses across different writing platforms.

Finally, where can readers get in touch with you?

Readers can get in touch with me via my Facebook pages:

https://www.facebook.com/cupidity.in

(Please review the book on Amazon!)

https://www.facebook.com/thewritersweb.in

Or my website: www.thewritersweb.in

Or my email: contact@thewritersweb.in