a long time a-comin'

After a nearly 9 month break from keeping a blog, I was reminded recently that if Googled, people will find your lifeless blog.  And will let you know they read your lifeless blog.  So, with that in mind, I thought that I'd do a little CPR and write a little on a so-far lazy Sunday afternoon.

Writing has been going well enough.  I took three 4-week sessions of Larry Brody's TV Writer class this year.  I came away with something each time.  In fact, my pilot titled "The Nerd Herd" was something I developed in his class.  It's now a finalist in the annual "People's Pilot" contest that the TVWriter.com website runs!  It's really a first confirmation of my writing merit, and I couldn't be happier.  Whether I place or not, I plan to solicit the script through various channels as I did with MechaWest (a project I'm not quite ready to call it quits on), so we'll see how it pans out.   

Just yesterday I finished a first draft of my "The Big Bang Theory" spec.  I think the structure is good, but it still needs shaping (as any first draft would).  This is my first attempt at a multi-camera script, and while I initially avoided it, I'm glad that I'm attempting it.  I'm not a fan of most contemporary laugh-track type episodes, but for an exercise/serious spec that I can submit for a variety I think I'm doing all right.  Three months from start to first draft finish seems like a long time, but since this was done over lunch hours and a few hours each weekend, I think I did all right for a new format.  Not a passion project by any means, but I'm having fun with these characters.

In May, I went to Los Angeles for the first time.  I visited with some new people and old friends.  Venice Beach, the J. Paul Getty Museum and Nickelodeon Studios were my main stops.  I got to visit with Karen Kirkland, the head of the Writing Fellowship there and had a great conversation about L.A., writing and what to do next.  The place had a fantastic energy that I won't soon forget (including celebrity spotting J.K. Simmons preparing to do a voiceover).  I can't wait until the next time. 

Other than that, I'm just plugging away at the day job.  New school year means plenty of room scheduling to do.     

Yanking my Yankee chain?

I sent a query to a UK distributor about a month ago.  The contact replied almost immediately and requested my pilot and "show bible".  Not wanting to scare her with an avalance of material, I sent the pilot and a synopsis.

She wanted even more.  She thanked me for the pilot, but again requested a show "bible" with any sketches I had.  So, I consulted with the artist I used previously for character designs and paid for a handful more.  A locomotive, a town sketch and a few more main characters.  I dotted my series concept with them, making it a bit more palatable and sent it off.

And just in time.  My contact emailed that she was leaving for vacation as of last Friday, but would be back in January.  She asked if we could "pick this up" when she got back. 

Amy and my internet friends at TVWriter.com seem optimistic at the progress, but I remain convinced that this is business as usual.  She's given me no words to the effect that she is overly impressed by my work.  Maybe the concept bible I sent her will help turn the tables in my favor, but I still fall back to the thought that my sci-fi western geared towards a 'tween audience may not be what a UK company would want to deal in.  Then again, sifting through 30 pages of concept is not something a busy professional in children's acquisitions would willingly participate in.

The advice now?  Send her a holiday card and get to work on something else.  Pronto. 

a new hope?

Huh. One teleplay contest didn't pass me on to their Quarterfinals. I'm not really pissed off about it or anything, but it was disappointing to wonder for a few weeks what it might be like to be a Quarter- or Semi-Finalist. Just need to remind myself that my writing does not hinge on a contest to make or break me.

It was nice on Friday, though, to get an email responding to my query from Alloy Entertainment (the company behind "Gossip Girl" and "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants"). Not my cup of tea, but the company focus on young women and teens, along with acquiring properties of such books and media, makes me a little hopeful. One of their divisions, The Collective, requested the pilot of "MechaWest"- though it seems that this division has a focus more on taking stories and books, then converting these into television or film (and other related media). So, I guess that's nice. My premise must have been interesting enough to whet their whistle, or they just need to do their due diligence and look at anything that might sell. Either way, mission accomplished. The last 6 months of intermittent solicitation and education have culminated into something tangible. I added a BLUE color code category on my MechaWest Submission Spreadsheet. WHITE= no response yet, YELLOW= not sure about this one, RED= no unsolicited/ not interested, GREEN= Synopsis/Query sent. BLUE= pilot sent for consideration! Ding, ding, ding!

I'm proud of my pilot, and have worked really hard on it. I'm glad someone that has some power (and hopefully desire) to manifest a possible production this piece can really do so. The likelihood is slim, but we creative types always cling to that which seems impossible. If we gave up on the "impossible", nothing would ever get done.

Put that in your pipe-dream and smoke it!

It's amazing what an unsolicited submission through a Canadian animation production company can do for your demeanor.

I'm surprised that I ran across several of these in my research- companies willing to look at one's unsolicited untried synopsis just through an email submission.  Having it be through email must cut down on tears and rants over the phonelines, to be sure.

Otherwise my recent inquiries have gone unanswered.  I'm sure a few will be a matter of time, but I will have to brace myself and actually get on the phone to them.  Yes, Canada too.

But, the hunt has become a fun thing to do.  And the small glimmer of hope that a call or a quick view of my synopsis will trigger a "ting!" in someone's head to inspire them to request my pilot fills me with a creative energy making me want to keep going.

The second wind at Mile 11.  Except I don't know how long this marathon is.

Why I am not a Salesman...

I had dinner with an old friend the other night. He asked me what I was working on lately and I told him about "MechaWest".


If there was a more incompetent show pitch, then I don't know about it. He listened well enough, but, man, I felt like I was all over the place talking about my story. It was silly, and it reminded me that if and when I ever get the opportunity to pitch my pilot, I better be a world more lucid than I was at dinner.

At least I was enthusiastic.

My dad was, and still is, a salesman of electrical supplies for about 40 years. And a homebody; not a big storyteller. He believes in his products though, and he wouldn't sell anything otherwise.

I need to take a lesson here, and practice, practice, practice. And actually script it out (I used to be an actor afterall). Better yet, my brewery tour guide experience might serve me better; you know, follow the outline and speak to your tour group, taking them on the journey of a lifetime.

And play them with beer samples afterwards. That couldn't hurt, either.

Three Week Break!

Today marks the start of my three weeks away from work! I'll rest up, finish Christmas shopping (very little to do, as my family and I always go for the small gift exchange), and generally lounge around the house.


I was thinking that creativity would be a hallmark of my time off, but the threat of MAME ROMs discovered last night looked me square in the eye and kept me occupied until 2:00 am -for you young folks, that's pretty late for me MAME is a game system that can take .zip files of the codes for classic video games and put them on your personal computer. I've had PacMan, Donkey Kong, etc. for a long while now, but only did a search for ones that didn't work before last night. Cyberball, Tron, Disks of Tron and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom will keep me occupied while the cats nap nearby on these cold winter days.

I'll endeavor to be creative, and finances will dictate if I can have my MechaWest pilot professionally read this month or next, but I feel good about where it's at. I may jump into another episode and outline the one that introduces Maggie.

If you happen to read this, and I'm not sure if anyone will in any case, but have a very happy holiday season, enjoy your time off from school, work, etc. and relish in family friends and other loved ones. I plan to do just that!

The Insomnia Caper

Woke up at two-thirty in the A.M. with "monkey mind" (you know, all the horrible thoughts that prevent you from going back to sleep. If you make it past 3:48 am, then you're golden, apparently). I went to bed early enough last night due to a headache and now I am fairly functional for my day job.


The blessing is that I finished a new scene for my "MechaWest" pilot in the wee hours this morning. I'm several drafts into this, and wasn't happy with the overall layout or getting to the gist of the adventure at hand. These several scenes help cut to the chase; my only fear is that they may be a bit too long. I'll let it marinate today and move on like I should.

Speaking of which, I am a writer. My only works displayed thus far on DA have been character commissions for the most part. I'm more than a little reluctant to post my drafts of MechaWest, being unfinished and all. I'd really like to find something worthy of display that I can truly call my own. Something in writing. Something.

Already getting ideas, but I have to make my lunch for today. Later!

The Freshest Kid in Town

The job is going well enough.  I've been at it a week and just learned how to add pre-approved exam questions for the Nursing Department.  A big weight off of my shoulders. 

It's nice to be relatively interactive with people again.  Despite not having the freedom to put on the headphones and zone out performing menial computer tasks, I like the faculty vibe.  Everyone so far has been very helpful with the variety of tasks that I've had to absorb this last week.  I'm sure that there's more to come, but I feel like I can tackle most everything handed out.

Next week, I have the Robert McKee Seminar.  It hasn't hit me yet, what with all the job and schedule changes, but I am excited to have four days devoted solely to writing.  I plan on looking again at Story to refamiliarize myself with content this weekend (apparently he loosely follows this book as a syllibus). 

I really want to have the energy to devote a bit more time to MechaWest.  I have the website, but no content.  I have the pilot, but no series.  I have the research, but no application.  It never seems like enough, even after a great day of writing and plotting.  When it happens, that is.  Seems like writers that I aspire to be like all have insomnia.  Never had it; probably never will.

In the immediate future, I'd like to:

1.  Get some renderings of Sadie and Maggie.
2.  (Continue to) plot out the series of 8 episodes
3.  Flesh out and outline episode 3 as a possible "pilot" (as it introduces my favorite character- Maggie).
4.  Get a good book on writing for television.

Of Painting and Perverts

We spent the day painting inside. And we're exhausted. I had to get over my fear of heights, as I purchased a 4 foot step-ladder from Home Depot in order to get at the high entryway. Upon reflection, I think the real fear was losing balance and tumbling down the stairs, having no real gripping point. I got over being a baby about it, and covered the wall with "Basketry". Our townhome will kick some ass; one step at a time.


Writing "MechaWest" coming along, slowly but surely. The pilot has gone through it's second draft, but I'm not 100% happy with it. Trouble is that I'm not sure what's lacking right now. But I plan on sending it to someone who can tell me how bad it is in a few weeks That ought to show me that it's bad to have lofty dreams! Why can't I just get a job, hippie? I've been spending more time formulating the first season anyway, and making the first steps in consulting with a historian and a script reader. It makes it all the more real for me.

Fascinated by "To Catch a Predator". Those poor underage solicitors being exploited by Chris Hansen like that! It's a downright shame! Does he have to mention that they all send pictures of their junk over the net? There ought to be a law... 8-O

Not sure what's up for Labor Day. Hopefully, anything but... (labor)

The Path to Glory...?

I live in a blissful ignorance sometimes. My two spec script drafts are as finished as I can get them, at least for right now. I'm pretty happy with both, despite the Venture Bros. script being 40 pages long. This might actually do, as industry "standard" for comedy scripts is 35 (according to Nick, anyway). Besides, it's not about the length so much as it is about character, voice and emulation of the series. I think that I should rest on the fact that I've finished two drafts in two months, and that I will have these read by someone in the future who can comment on them with a critical eye. I can always fiddle around with them and sharpen them as long as the series is still active.

So, with that said, I must move on with MechaWest development. Reading "Wishcraft" has opened some things up for me. Barbara Sher shares much with Jack Canfield on the idea of charting your path. An early exercise gave me the very obvious idea of contacting local animation companies to get some insight on how the industry works from their vantage point. Most of the work lies in commercials and industrials, but one company in particular (with offices in Minneapolis and L.A.) stated that they've had three shows optioned. Whether these were through partnerships or in-house staff I'm not sure, thus the clarity I lack on this matter.

I called and spoke to a laid-back guy at the company, saying that I sent an email earlier in the week and that I was following up. I was actually nervous about calling, and I'm still unclear as to why. I explained myself with as coherrant a manner as I could muster, and the guy said he would look for my email, take my info and give it to someone so that I could have a conversation about the industry. It probably helped that earlier in the day I made about 50 calls to elementary schools for NTC, booking free shows for the fall- I needed to be clear and "sell" myself through this inexplicable nervousness I felt. "No worries, man" the guy explained as we were ending our conversation. There might be possibilities with these artist hipsters after all.

A practice run at a show-pitch is what I may aim for. You know, for when I do the real thing.

Charting the course

Reading "Wishcraft" is a real trip. As a book determined to help you realize your goals, it sure could stand for an update. No references to email or the internet, as it was written in 1979. It reminds me of Sagan's "Dragons of Eden" (there's a fascinating new game that is able to mimic physics- it's called 'Pong'...). The message still rings true regardless.

I am in the process of making a flow chart to realize my dream of producing "MechaWest" (or more likely having "MechaWest" produced). I've come up with some great ideas and clarifications in how that could be realized, and the negativity is being swept away. The part about creating the series and having it produced still demands a connection. There's actually more to it than getting an agent who will get me a producer who then will get me my show produced; that's one branch still floating around on its own. I don't know why this is all so challenging to lay out, but perhaps my right and left brains are squabbling over how to do it. I'm close, but it's no cigar just yet. When it becomes coherrant, I'll make it pretty and place it on the official MechaWest Mosaic Board.

Going to have a glass of wine with my wife now.