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Welcome to "I am the pen", my drama website



UPDATE: Adding a Novel area. Nothing's in yet though.

SPECIAL NOTE: Although Valid is all out there, it can be a little confusing. Due to the fact that I couldn't make it appear the way a screenplay should, I suggest you first read the explanation of how this version differs from a regular screenplay if you're used to reading real screenplays. The link to the explanation is found in the screenplay area.

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  • Personal data
  • Web site data
  • Legal information
  • Updates

    • Personal data

    My name is Scott Snyder and I'm a writer. Specifically, I write Christian stage and screenplays. I may include other stories here in the future. I have written a couple of skits which I have included in their own section, but for the most part what you will find here are of a more serious adult variety.

    What is my statement of faith and what do I believe? I would like to include Petra's "Creed" here to better explain that, but I don't have the legal right to do so. You can read more about my statement of faith in the "essays" section. My first essay is entitled "More about me". You can also read it if you want to understand what "I am the pen" means. That being said, it is important to briefly state what I am all about before moving on.

    I believe in the virgin birth of Jesus Christ. I believe in the trinity of God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. I believe when Jesus was crucified that he went to Hell, took our sin with Him, laid it there, and was resurrected by the power of the Holy Spirit. I believe that the gifts and power of God through the Holy Spirit were first offered up to everybody at Pentecost, and have never been retracted by God. And of vital importance for salvation, I believe that when Jesus Christ said that He was the way, the truth and the life, He meant it. He is the only path that leads to God the Father, and that adding any additional prerequisite that we must accomplish is an affront to the cross.

    A few minor specifics about me for those who are interested: I was born 1970 in Des Moines, Iowa, and for all but 2 years of my life spent in the Portland, Oregon area, I have lived in Iowa. I currently reside in Des Moines, but for the most part I grew up in Marshalltown. My parents, Jim and Judy (or James and Judith if you want to be formal about it), currently live in Albion, Iowa. I also have a brother, Joe (Joseph), who still lives in the Portland, Oregon area. I was married to Kristen Koester in 1992, and I have a son Matthew Snyder who was born in 2000. I currently have 2 cats for all of you pet lovers: Eddie (whom my wife named after Sir Edmund Hillary because when we were purchasing him as a kitten he kept climbing up my back to the top of my head) and Jackie (whom I named after Jackie Chan because I quickly saw he was not adverse to performing all of his own stunts).
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    Web Site Data

    My main reason for creating this web site is to share my dramas with everybody. You may feel free to use most anything you find here unless otherwise specified. Please see the Legal section directly following this section, as well as reviewing the specifics concerning any play or other material. God gave us all seeds to plant for a harvest. These are my seeds that you may plant. A play unperformed is a wasted effort. If you use my material, you will be giving birth to the seed and will in no way be infringing upon my rights or sensibilities. I really, really want you to have them free of charge. I would appreciate an e-mail letting me know when and where you are going to perform them, but I don't require it. I just like to know.

    I started this site March 2007 and it still looks a little bland-to-ugly at the moment. My apologies to anyone who's irritated with how it looks, but I've decided to focus on the content rather than the package. I thought for a while that I would get to the package and presentation later, but that's just not me. I don't really care how it looks as long as it's got what it takes on the inside.

    Parents and drama directors, please be advised that most of my plays deal with issues of an adult nature. I don't mean that you'll find swearing or pornography but I do deal honestly with issues like adultery, death and the like. Performing most of my plays for younger children would simply be unwise as they would not understand much of it. If you're looking for pieces for a younger audience, you can check out the skit section, but it's pretty limited.

    I have also written a screenplay which I have added in the screenplay section. If you are interested in using this screenplay for your own production, please contact me and we'll discuss it.
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    Legal Information

    I want you to review the specific legal information I include in the director's notes for each play, but in general, I want you to feel free to perfom any of the plays and skits included on this web site. This does not include publishing rights, only preformance rights. That being said, there are a few things to consider.

    Currently, everything here is mine. If I accept guest contributions in the future, you will have to follow their guidelines and restrictions for their own pieces.

    Please consult someone more legally knowlegable than me about this, but it is my understanding that you have the legal right to perform any piece you want in a church setting (that's the only setting for which I've researched) without verbal or written consent from the owner, if you 1) give credit to the author of the piece and 2) DO NOT sell tickets or in any other way charge for entrance. YOU MAY take up a free will offering if you want to. If you wish to perform one of my plays, you have my unrestricted permission. I request that you give me credit as the writer, but I do not mandate it. If you wish to charge admission, you have my limited permission. My only contingency is that you do credit me as the writer, whether written on something you give the audience, or verbally before or after the performance, I don't care. You may keep all of the money raised from a free will offering or from ticket sales. If you wish to give me a percentage, please contact me and I will let you know where to send it. I AM NOT a legally recognized not-for-profit organization, so any gift will not be tax-deductible.

    "The Executioner" was written by me, but is legally owned by the church I was attending at the time that I decided to tithe it, CHRISTIAN LIFE WORSHIP CENTER in Clive, Iowa. You will need to contact them to obtain the performance rights to this play if you are going to charge admission.

    My screenplay(s) are another matter. You may feel free to read them for your own enjoyment. You may even feel free to print off a copy if that would make it easier for you to read, but if you want to actually make a movie using them, you will need to contact me and we will discuss the specifics at that time. I greatly desire to see them used as well, but due to the permanent nature of a DVD, I will relenquish much less control over the use of my screenplays. I don't want that to dissuade you from contacting me if you're interested, even if you believe a rewrite is in order. I am very easy to work with. My primary concern is in not diluting the message of Jesus Christ. For that reason, I will never surrender final script approval.
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    Updates

    March 10: Added essay "Desire More".

    February 2008: Just a little clean-up work. No new additions.

    January 2008: Added essay "Why We Hate Ewoks".

    December: Added part 8 through 12 to finish Valid.

    November: Added essay "The Importance of the Sabbath". Added parts 6 & 7 to Valid.

    October: Added parts 4 and 5 of Valid. Cleaned up part 3. For those who read it before this point, you will need to reread it to understand future sections.

    September: Looking around, cleaning up, that kind of stuff. Nothing new on the screenplay, but some old has been redone. Added essay "Mr. or Mrs. God?"

    August: Changed the nameless "Running Girl" in part 2 of "Valid" to "Jessica". Added part 3. It's smaller than the first two parts.

    July: Added the second part of the screenplay "Valid". Added essays "Believer Vs. Christian" and "Sex With God". I also corrected a link error, previously the link to the essay "What Did You Say?" led to the essay "The Simple, Complicated Truth." That has been fixed.

    June: Added an essay "What Did You Say?" Added Part 1 of the screenplay. Also began adding some notes and behind the scenes stuff, but that will be an ongoing process.

    May: Added A new essay "The Simple Complicated Truth". Added a mime opera to the skit section.

    April: Added a link page. Added the plays "The Game", "The Trial", "The Dream", "The Fourth Wall", and "Tell Me Why". Added the essay "Because I Said So".

    March: Up and running for the first time. Added plays "The Executioner" and "Conversation With God". Added skits "The Interpreter" and a puppet skit. Added essays "More About Me" and "Dreaming" parts 1 and 2.
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