A Love Story In The Making: The Foundation

The Original Cover Photo-2010

The Foundation
Since I had last finished my screenplay of Friends and Neighbors, it was time to find something new to write about. Since then, I wrote a few unpublished short stories centered in and around Atchison, Ireland, Virginia, Iraq, Manhattan, and Neodesha. While writing those short stories, I never thought I would decide to pull out some old teenage diary entries that were saved in a folder since I graduated high school. Originally collected, it was meant to be written as a book called, The Teenage Love Diaries. A book containing diary entries that centered around eight friends who spent their time in Junction City while attending Junction City Senior High. It was the first book that would be apart of The Junction City Senior High Series. Hence, if you look at the picture, it was originally supposed to say 'The Junction City Senior High Series'.  The word 'series' was cut off in the final print. Anyways, I've always wanted to tell a love story that every teenager in high school goes through. Something that is very personal in which everyone can relate to. During my junior/senior year of high school, I had an urge to write a musical that not only focused on social issues of racism, interracial romance, LBGT, abuse, and faith, but something that reflected a story of both an African-American family and a Latino family while living in a small, rural Kansas town in which Junction City can be reflected in a positive way. A story where hardships are overcome with love, faith, and acceptance. While working on the early music drafts, I pulled all of my inspiration from classical music, gospel, jazz, latin-jazz, socca, and Asian music, and begin writing down melodies and interludes. At the time, I asked my friend, Tiffany, to write the lyrics and offer some input. I tell you, she's a great writer. When slowly on the edge of completion, I thought it was great as it is. When I got to college, I slowly neglected to continue writing the story and the musical. Throughout college, those same characters stuck with me, and I pandered on my own reflections, actions, and feelings, and begin writing about the highs and lows in both my high school and college career. I was extremely proud and passionate about Friends and Neighbors, that my mind wandered back and forth on wether or not I should bring the "Teenage Love Story" back to life. I realized that the Teenage Love Story was the prequel to the entire young adult semi-autobiographical saga, and finally, I made the promise to myself to resurrect it from its dusty cobwebs. While taking those old, handwritten diary manuscripts, that's when I started to change the structure and narrative, and make it into a story rather than a diary of teenage thoughts. Hours and hours of re-writing, fixing, and editing went into revamping everything. While writing the story, I also wanted to better my craft in screenwriting, and so I begin to take what I knew and learn from my fellow screenwriting friends and applied it. As of today, I am still in the works of writing this untitled teenage love screenplay/story, and I am now privately selecting who I want to be in it, if it ever becomes an indie film. No promises are made on filming, but soon, I am hoping something will happen. As I walk the halls of JCHS, the stories still remain within the halls and in my head. The music that inspired me to write it, is still there. From the music we sung in choir class, to the cyphers and rhymes we all would do just outside by the flagpole. Every draft, every notebook, every entry, every drawing, and every music composition since 2010 has never been trashed, but placed in a huge binder so I can refer to who, what, when, where, why, and how of the story. The history still remains. I may get a stab in my chest when parts of the school gets renovated, but that doesn't change the common bond these eight friends have shared in the past. I always tell myself that this isn't my story, but it's everyone's.

The Overview

The original diary manuscripts plus a music score

Junction City, Kansas. America's heartland, deep in the flint hills. Riley Johnson and Carla Lopez share some common bonds as they work their way through a rigorous senior year of high school. Together, they both hold something in their heart. A secret that is. A secret that nobody really knows. With the help of their friends Antwone, Kim-sun, Megan, Hannah, and Ti-Ti, they slowly begin to unravel the secrets. But it isn't just Riley and Carla who have secrets to reveal, but it's every single one of them in which they all have a connection with. Inspired by true events, I officially present to you something that took eight years in the making, whereas as while I am still working on it, I continue to unravel new mysteries and secrets myse While spending my final year at K-State, I wrote a short story that supplemented to the whole story itself. It's titled 'In Remembrance' and was originally read in my advance fiction writing class on a podcast. The podcast is no longer available, but just know that in the future, I will try to share snippets of the story itself.

Friends and Neighbors Update: My thoughts on a new writing journey

The Struggle

Do you believe in the supernatural and spirit world? I know I certainly do. It was last year around October, I was in the middle of writing a ghost story for it to be a part of my weekly ghost story blog. Well long story short, I may have woken up some unknown spirits and somehow they got into my computer and crashed it all. My computer was seem to have slowed down, and then I kept waiting for it to load. Loading... Loading...Then it cut off. So then, it stayed a gray screen overnight. I knew at that point, my computer was done. So when I took it off to the computer store, nothing was recovered. I was devastated. All of that hard work. All of my short stories, novellas, essays, and other school work all seem to have gone to dust. I thought to myself, how am I going to write Friends and Neighbors? I guess maybe God just wants me to write it better. So I did all I can to write it, and I still wasn't feeling that same enthusiasm. Finally, I was told to take my hard drive to another computer store to recover everything that I had lost. "Good luck!" I told them "You might not get them based on from what the other company told me." Received a call a few days later and everything was recovered. I was happy as I can be.  Now, that's where my motivation clicked. I continued to write the novel, add some things, take away some things, and I thought to myself, nobody is going to read the story and turn it into a movie, I'm going to have to do this myself. Who knows, this novel may not even be a best seller. So I went ahead and started writing the script while writing the novella side by side.

The Process

The process is different from writing a story. You have tools and guidelines to follow when writing a movie script. I had to make the characters come alive. At times the emotions have hit me. Especially my favorite character, Rachel. I didn't know much on how to write a screenplay, but I continued to read and study the process. That came from reading real Hollywood scripts, watching movies, studying books, and so on.  First I thought about an outline. I can't include everything, but I included some key elements from the actual story. I kept revising, editing, changing, and adding a whole lot. When writing this screenplay, I thought about who I want to be casted, where at, what time, and this and that. Director's Thinking, is what was going through my mind, which screenwriters aren't suppose to be thinking like that. Unless you're Quentin Tarantino, Stephen Spielberg, or George Lucas. Regardless of the thoughts of what NOT to do as a screenwriter and though this story is dear to me, I still wrote it with my vision. So as the months have gone by, I kept writing until I have finally finished the first 'final' draft of the script as of this past April, and decided to submit it to The Academy, Nicholls Fellowships screenwriting contest. I was relieved, and from there, all I can do is wait on the  notes and feedback. It's nowhere near perfect, me being an amateur, and  I will not be surprised of the constructive criticism and feedback. But learning from the art of screenwriting and networking with many other screenwriters of the film industry, it has taught me to grow as a writer, and that's what I continue to do. 

The Future

Even though screenwriting is a process on its own, from extensive research to the writing of the script, the real hard work begins with pitching the idea and have it produced. I have my vision, and though I want the movie to be produced and film right in Junction City, there are no promises made at this point. Only a few select people have read snippets of the script. So what now???...Well, honestly I need to do just that. To sell the script and get it produced. THAT'S WHAT I THINK IS THE HARD PART. When you have over one thousand something screenwriters trying to sell their scripts, chances are often slim. It's hard, and many times, your script can get overlooked, tossed out, placed on a waiting list, or producers and film companies may not look at your script period.  But, it's going to take a lot of patience between now and then. It may happen, it may not happen. We all know that not everything comes easy, and you will get a lot of bumps and bruises, but that's good. Think of it like Shark Tank. Once you have invented the product, now you have to pitch and sell. So now it's a matter of pitching. Who knows what might happen. I also have learned that producers are allowed to do anything they want to do if they have access to the rights. For example (Back to my point of the process),

I love watching The Godfather saga, and by saga I mean the HBO version where it's like seven hours long. I learned that not even the writer and director, Francis Ford Coppola, had the final say to what he wanted in his movie. It was the producers to say what changes they wanted. He fought and went through hell to make that movie according to his vision, and now it's one of the top films next to Citizen Kane. You can read about it here. I'm saying that writers and directors don't always have the final say, but I think if we added more creativity and originality in the industry, movies could be great. And I think that's the essence of Friends and Neighbors, is because the story itself is unique. Who knows, the film might be shot in Wisconsin...I hope not. It's my vision. Anyways,

While that's in the process of being in the contest, and I'm 'somewhat' selling my script into a producer's hands,  I already started on writing the prequel to Friends & Neighbors. LOT'S OF SURPRISES IN THAT STORY!!! Both of these scripts has brought some interesting memories since they're both auto-biographical. As of now, I can't say much about what that story is about. Except "PRIDE ON THREE!!"

My goal is not just tell stories based on my life and experiences, but to help others gain some knowledge and wisdom to apply it to their lives. Many have asked me about where I get my relationship wisdom from, so why not show you through visualization instead. My only goal and hope is helping others reach the success, so I hope that these stories...or movies, give people a chance to do and be something greater.

@RonaldAtkinson9

What You Might Learn from Friends and Neighbors: Defining Patriotism

            When we think about America, we as a nation will show our pride. We praise our troops, we rally our cries for freedom, and we uphold the principles of our constitution. While many people may not always agree to the terms of what America is going through, or understand the truest history of our nation, how often do we show patriotism?

            Located next to Junction City, Kansas, lies a military base that is home to the Army’s oldest divisions, The First Infantry Division. With Junction City being a military town, it’s the only place that I know, exemplifies support to our veterans, loyalty to one person to another, and will pay honor to those who continue to fight, for both our freedoms, and the community. It’s not just about the military, but it’s to everyone in the town, including our community leaders.

            Tradition still continues, and it’s one thing that remains sacred to us all. This new generation may not understand it, but we have to educate them on it. We must teach our youth the values of being a leader, comradeship, and the loyalty to the homeland. As I sat here at Sundown Salute, how many people take the “celebration” for granted? Why do we have this every year? And what does it all mean? It’s not just a concert of rock bands for adults, or a carnival for kids… It’s much more than that. Why is our park called Heritage Park? People may have their opinions, but what is the value? For our citizens who join the military, why do you join? What values do you hold?

            As an African-American male, I can say that it may not be easy times for the people of my race, but I know that being an American is something I am proud of, and despite what our Country is going through, I still value what it means, and wouldn’t change my views about the military, this nation, or this community with a big heart. So I asked you now, how can we define the American way of life? What is patriotism, and how do you think this is going to be incorporated into “Friends and Neighbors”?  

What you might learn from 'Friends and Neighbors': An inside word

Ever since I wrote the musical "It's Your Time," and the drafts to "The Teenage Love Diaries," I would often find the moments within the story, come to life. Usually, they would come to life AFTER they were written. It's strange how every time I write a story, or something, it eventually comes to life right before my very eyes. Now, I'm not saying that I am Nostradamus, or a prophet, but sometimes it is strange to even look at. This past weekend, I went to Country Stampede. I had a fun time, and If you don’t know what Country Stampede is, it’s a four day, outdoor country music and camping festival, where people from all over the state come to watch famous country stars sing. In Friends and Neighbors, this festival is mentioned several times throughout the story.

 I always mention that characters within a story will always become a part of the author. Sometimes, it’s a matter of stepping in that character’s shoes to find the inspiration of emotion.  Last night, I felt a slight glimpse of emotion from the main character, Riley Johnson. In the book, there’s a chapter titled “An Unexpected Surprise.”  This chapter contains a lot of conflict, emotion, and twisted scenarios. In this chapter, there is a scene where Riley and Rachel meet each other for the first time since leaving College for the summer, but Riley encounters the feeling of him being unwanted at a party because Rachel’s friends "Prejudge" him based on the color of his skin. Last night, I actually walked into Riley's shoes, and felt the exact same emotion when I encountered a group of strangers with a friend. It was interesting to feel what the moment was like.  Now what’s the message behind the story? Well, I'm not giving out spoilers of the story, but it left me with this thought that I had Tweeted and even dusted to all of my Cyber Dusters. I said, "It may involve your life being on the line and at risk, but always do the right thing for others." When you save someone else's life, you're risking your own life. No matter what the situation is, where, who, big or small, your life is somewhat on the line. Think of a Soldier going out to battle. When a soldier runs out to rescue someone, the enemy is always firing back at the soldier.

An unexpected surprise, was actually the first chapter I had wrote for this book, and this chapter allowed me to expand around it. It introduces one of my favorite characters in this book, and that is Rachel. Like I said, I’ll throw in hints, but I’m not giving out spoilers. The only person who has read both the draft and revision of this chapter, was my professor. To be honest, this chapter is still being updated and revised as we speak. So what will you find in this chapter? Regret, Fate, and Racism…Okay, don’t believe it. Just think about it and you answer it all for yourself. Sorry, I’m not going to truly give away the juicy secrets.  Just know that it’s all an “Unexpected Surprise.”

Stay tuned for more updates of Friends and Neighbors

Ronald Atkinson

Friends and Neighbors: Update

You know that frightful moment when you’re typing up stuff in a word document, and eventually, something happens to your computer and you lose everything? What do we do? We freak out. But the good part is, we’re given a second chance to recreate those documents. We may forget a lot with what was being written, but we can always make it better, tweak something, and also make things fresh again. Put it this way, it’s like you’re doing something when you think it is good, but God has the power to change it and say “Do something better.” What we forget is, we’re always given second chances. We may fall seven times, but we can always get back up to try and try again. He knows what He wants from you, so he is always making sure that the best is yet to come.

As I was trying to relocate the updated version of Friends and Neighbors, it was nowhere to be found. A little spoiler alert, one of the most sentimental chapters was erased, and that was the only thing missing from the updated version. I don’t know what that really means, but we’ll just have to wait and see. Although I am taking summer classes, I’ve given very little time on writing this, and started to focus on what’s really important, and that is school. When July hits, I will be back in the full swing of things, and will resume to finish the draft. New characters have been added. Some minor, and some major, but most importantly, I have threw in the Bramlage family, if you didn’t catch the excerpt posted on my Facebook. I’ll give you more updates as time goes on, but in the mean time, I will not throw in spoilers, but I will throw in quotes, excerpts, and questions that will leave you wondering.

The Movie, The Musical.

The script to the musical, has been hidden inside of a dusty box. The original diary manuscripts, has been fading away for over a period of time, and is also with the musical script. The musical, and the diary entries,  serves as the foundation story to "Friends and Neighbors." Though, that story is controversial, I haven't decided whether or not I should blow off the cobwebs, tweak it, and revise it. Who knows... it may stay hidden forever.

The movie, did I talk about that? Give the movie some time. I can’t say that a movie of Friends and Neighbors, will, or will not happen. I can’t say that a pre-production process has started. I’ve gotten many questions, but all I can say is this… I have no control of what’s going to happen, when, and how, but I do know who is already casted for some of the characters…

And that goes for all three books.

Some of us are getting older to recreate our old selves, but thank God for Hollywood make-up.

Friends and Neighbors: A Foreward

When we think of summer, we think about swimming pools, baseball, barbecues, summer concerts, carnivals, or even those summer nights, sitting around the campfire and star gazing throughout the night. Throughout my life, I have had some amazing memories with my summers. While we spend our days in the present, we don’t think about what the moment is trying to teach us. Sometimes, we don’t even look at the value of the moment and why moments can be special, until later on down the road when we’re looking back at those memories that were created. Imagine you are going to a baseball game. You get to the game with your friends, and throughout the game, you’re sharing memories, laughs, and making more friends with those around you. What’s the value behind it? Friendships.

            Every summer, I always gain something new to learn. A lot of times, I always experience a life changing moment. It would take pages and books to describe every single summer, but the one I can say that was most inspirational, was summer 2012. It was the final summer that I had spent with my best friends, before we all had headed off to our separate ways. We shared memories, laughs, philosophies and even tears. By the time that summer was coming to a close, we slowly drifted apart and went our separate ways. After we departed, I ended the summer by spending time with my family. Since that summer, I have learned that family and friends is what makes a summer extremely special.

            Throughout the next few months, I started to write down a series of short stories and drafts. All of the drafts had no significance, nor correspondence with each other, but I felt that it could have been turned into something. I also thought about the memories of high school and college, and long story short, I came up with the title ‘Friends and Neighbors.’ While writing ‘The Five Phases of a college student, The peasant in the crowd, and The teenage love diaries, I felt that I had to write this story, as it serves as a sequel to Riley’s story of his first year in college.

            Friends and Neighbors is a story about four, young-adult gentlemen, told through the voice of Riley Johnson. In this story, we follow the characters, Riley, Eric, Antwone, and Andre, spending their last summer in Riley’s childhood neighborhood, before heading off on their separate ways. They each have their own trials and tribulations, but what gets them through it all, is the value of trust and friendship. This story picks up where Riley is leaving his first year at K-State, and now he ventures back to his hometown of Junction City, Kansas. What I try to include in this story, just as much as I did with the others, is to keep the authenticity of setting, characters, and focus of detail. Though this is a work of fiction, it’s still authentic in its own way. There were a ton of inspirations that have inspired me to write it, but nothing beats the inspiration of my friends, family, and hometown.

            There’s only one chapter that my professor has read, and it was hard enough to revise that specific chapter. Although there are more chapters that need to be written, some that need revision, and even other ‘books’ that serve as the sequel and prequel, I will make sure that this story will not only be a good impact, but will also serve as teaching lessons for high school, and college students. By gathering all of my values of relationships, I thought that stories will truly serve a good purpose

Here are some other writing projects that are in the works.

            College, A year to remember: Riley’s adventures through his first year at college. The prequel to ‘Friends and Neighbors.’ (Official title is still being determined)

             The Teenage Love Diaries: The prequel to it all. Riley’s senior year of high school, and how five friends deal with high school relationships, divorce, and faith.

             Gretel: A twisted, collegiate story with the elements of Hansel and Gretel. From a small town called Atchison, Kansas, Gretel goes through her first year of college, trying to find a purpose.