Check out this delightful new web-series, courtesy of the immensely talented Jill Golick, Kerry Young, Karen Walton et al, along with some incredible sponsors. Get the whole story HERE, complete with activities and brownies! Or follow them on Twitter! Such a great series, with relevant messages, and exciting mysteries. Are YOU caught up? I sure am.
______
Two other things of note:
1. I still have two spots available to do a read for YOU! First come first serve. Head on over to The Future Ex-Waitress and comment, or email me at rachlanger2@gmail.com to reserve your spot.
2. I am FINALLY running another #DSLC (Double Shift Logline Challenge) tomorrow, so get your loglines prepped and ready, and follow me on Twitter for the submission call. Prizes TBA.
Showing posts with label Canadian TV Writing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Canadian TV Writing. Show all posts
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Wishful Thinking
Pretty sure I'd be a better writer if I spent a week or two under a palm tree. My budget is currently $5.49 and rising. Suggestions welcome.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Sell Me Out!
More on selling scripts and selling out...
I've been thinking further on this topic ever since we got to discussing this at Scriptchat and I posted THIS. Since then I have been working double time trying to kick things into high gear. I currently have four projects on the go. None of them are paying. All of them could lead to something paying in the future. I currently work five days a week at the bill paying job.
At this point, when lunch consists of rice-maker rice with mushroom soup poured on top, and I have to drink six cups of coffee to stay awake through a family or friendly outing (not bored, just tired) I would put myself whole-heartedly in the SELL OUT IF NECESSARY category. If I write it with a slender blue eyed blonde haired girl and you tell me it will sell with a purple giraffe, then give me the lavender crayon and I will tear through that sucker!
I'm losing my mind a little bit, and I'm giving into it whole-heartedly because that's what it takes to pay my bills and start a career (hopefully) as a writer. I realize that dues must be paid, but it will be a huge help when something pays off. Anything. I also feel that the majority of what I've written is not made up of personal stories that I want to tell. More so of subject matter that I find interesting and am interested in exploring further. So far, most of the suggestions for change that I've received have been positive and have made my stories not only more sale-able, but more interesting.
If I survive December and meet all my deadlines, perhaps the Bling-Bling will be my reward. Perhaps not. Hopefully my willingness to compromise will yield. Perhaps we will see what happens when someone tries to ask for more than I'm willing to give. Who knows? The beautiful thing is that its all up in the air, and there is nothing but possibility ahead. The awful thing is that its all up in the air, and there is NOTHING but possibility ahead. But here I am rambling while there are dues to be paid.
I've been thinking further on this topic ever since we got to discussing this at Scriptchat and I posted THIS. Since then I have been working double time trying to kick things into high gear. I currently have four projects on the go. None of them are paying. All of them could lead to something paying in the future. I currently work five days a week at the bill paying job.
At this point, when lunch consists of rice-maker rice with mushroom soup poured on top, and I have to drink six cups of coffee to stay awake through a family or friendly outing (not bored, just tired) I would put myself whole-heartedly in the SELL OUT IF NECESSARY category. If I write it with a slender blue eyed blonde haired girl and you tell me it will sell with a purple giraffe, then give me the lavender crayon and I will tear through that sucker!
I'm losing my mind a little bit, and I'm giving into it whole-heartedly because that's what it takes to pay my bills and start a career (hopefully) as a writer. I realize that dues must be paid, but it will be a huge help when something pays off. Anything. I also feel that the majority of what I've written is not made up of personal stories that I want to tell. More so of subject matter that I find interesting and am interested in exploring further. So far, most of the suggestions for change that I've received have been positive and have made my stories not only more sale-able, but more interesting.
If I survive December and meet all my deadlines, perhaps the Bling-Bling will be my reward. Perhaps not. Hopefully my willingness to compromise will yield. Perhaps we will see what happens when someone tries to ask for more than I'm willing to give. Who knows? The beautiful thing is that its all up in the air, and there is nothing but possibility ahead. The awful thing is that its all up in the air, and there is NOTHING but possibility ahead. But here I am rambling while there are dues to be paid.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Post Scriptchat Chat.
I'm sitting here, post #scriptchat thinking about my career as a writer, getting ready for my job as a waitress. After the unique and exciting experience that was #scriptchat, I feel better and worse. Better because I was always told that writers were a competitive community who weren't in the game to help each other out. That's clearly not true of all writers, as I've seen time and time again since joining Twitter. Worse because I know what I'm up against. There are SO MANY other talented writers out there. Who am I to think I have an equal talent level to these folks? I'm still a total beginner. And while I am one of the few who still believes in beginners luck, I can't help feeling that I'm going to be holding my breath for a long time (or sneaking in an oxygen tank when no one else is looking)
Also, things like THIS don't make me feel any better (Since, clearly the internet is there to make me feel better about myself). I'm not saying he's wrong, in fact its probably in your best interest to live in the right geographic in order to work your career, though I know of more than a few exceptions. But I don't want to move to Toronto. I just don't. Nothing against the city, but its not in the cards for us right now. So I'm holding on to the hope that I can be the exception. (Peter is a smart guy and a great writer, so his words are harder to pass of than random e-chatter)
I've never been a quitter, though sometimes my follow-through is weak. This is one area where I'm not willing to give up. I will continue to be hopeful, and push myself, exorcising all career avenues available to me. Hope is hope, even if its a fool's hope.
Also, things like THIS don't make me feel any better (Since, clearly the internet is there to make me feel better about myself). I'm not saying he's wrong, in fact its probably in your best interest to live in the right geographic in order to work your career, though I know of more than a few exceptions. But I don't want to move to Toronto. I just don't. Nothing against the city, but its not in the cards for us right now. So I'm holding on to the hope that I can be the exception. (Peter is a smart guy and a great writer, so his words are harder to pass of than random e-chatter)
I've never been a quitter, though sometimes my follow-through is weak. This is one area where I'm not willing to give up. I will continue to be hopeful, and push myself, exorcising all career avenues available to me. Hope is hope, even if its a fool's hope.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Tone, Forums, and of course, Fear.
Today I went to one of the VIFF Forums on Drama writing for television. The panelists included Laurie Finstad-Knizhnik of "Durham County", Molly Newman of "Brothers & Sisters" and Dahvi Waller of "Mad Men". I made it out of the day job in Burnaby at 1:17 PM (thanks to my fabulous co-workers, who took on a bunch of my work) and was paying for my pass into the session in downtown Vancouver at 1:42 PM with 3 minutes to spare. Also, thanks to my buddy Erin (@nopantsisland on Twitter), we had great seats!
What I took away form the forum is still a little jumbled in my head, as I try to sort it out, I will talk about the difference between television writing in the US, and television writing in Canada. From what I understand, in the US you get on as a writer's assistant, after getting coffee, copying outlines, and researching you may or may not be one of the lucky few to get a staff writing position on a show. From there, if you keep your head down and your ideas sharp, you may move on in your career and get to the point of actually writing an episode or seven. Once you ascend to another dimension, you may achieve Jane Espenson status (@CapricaSeven on twitter) though this is unlikely for most.
In Canada, you have an idea. If you know the right people in the right market, you may get some cash to develop that idea. If you have a great agent, you write a pilot for that idea, and someone makes it (I'm still unclear on the *someone* bit). Then, after you've tread the deep end for longer than you thought humanly possible, and your pilot gets picked up, they may (likely will) bring in a veteran to help you, and you become one of the coveted story-breaking, outline-creating, writers room attendees. Though from what I understand, you can be booted from this process at any moment, depending on the nature of your contract.
These overviews are pieced together from the bits I've been gathering by asking cheeky questions, appealing to more experienced friends, and researching what I can on my own. It seems to me both systems have their good points, and both have gaping flaws. The US system definitely puts the emphasis on mentoring young writers, and honing their skills into people who can eventually stand on their scribe-stilts. This system does not leave much open for the inexperienced writer with the big concept. If you want it, you have to earn it, pay your dues, and work your ass off for it. The Canadian system, however, leaves the door open for new ideas, even from inexperienced writers. You get a few names, you can most likely pitch to someone, even if they shoot you down. The problem is that once you experience a morsel of success, the stress and loneliness that follows from the solitary nature of that success can threaten to envelop you. I'm not sure which system is better, or if there is a clear winner, but I do know that they both scare the living crap out of me.
Is that normal?
Perhaps its because I haven't actually pitched anything besides a short film. Perhaps its because every time something doesn't come easily to me I question my skills. Perhaps I just need some chocolate. If I ever make a dent in either system, I will edit this post with an opinion. For now, I'm going to bask in the knowledge of the late, great Blake Snyder and read "Save The Cat". At least its something I can take to the bank.
OK I didn't mention Tone once. I got tired, and this was already too long.
What I took away form the forum is still a little jumbled in my head, as I try to sort it out, I will talk about the difference between television writing in the US, and television writing in Canada. From what I understand, in the US you get on as a writer's assistant, after getting coffee, copying outlines, and researching you may or may not be one of the lucky few to get a staff writing position on a show. From there, if you keep your head down and your ideas sharp, you may move on in your career and get to the point of actually writing an episode or seven. Once you ascend to another dimension, you may achieve Jane Espenson status (@CapricaSeven on twitter) though this is unlikely for most.
In Canada, you have an idea. If you know the right people in the right market, you may get some cash to develop that idea. If you have a great agent, you write a pilot for that idea, and someone makes it (I'm still unclear on the *someone* bit). Then, after you've tread the deep end for longer than you thought humanly possible, and your pilot gets picked up, they may (likely will) bring in a veteran to help you, and you become one of the coveted story-breaking, outline-creating, writers room attendees. Though from what I understand, you can be booted from this process at any moment, depending on the nature of your contract.
These overviews are pieced together from the bits I've been gathering by asking cheeky questions, appealing to more experienced friends, and researching what I can on my own. It seems to me both systems have their good points, and both have gaping flaws. The US system definitely puts the emphasis on mentoring young writers, and honing their skills into people who can eventually stand on their scribe-stilts. This system does not leave much open for the inexperienced writer with the big concept. If you want it, you have to earn it, pay your dues, and work your ass off for it. The Canadian system, however, leaves the door open for new ideas, even from inexperienced writers. You get a few names, you can most likely pitch to someone, even if they shoot you down. The problem is that once you experience a morsel of success, the stress and loneliness that follows from the solitary nature of that success can threaten to envelop you. I'm not sure which system is better, or if there is a clear winner, but I do know that they both scare the living crap out of me.
Is that normal?
Perhaps its because I haven't actually pitched anything besides a short film. Perhaps its because every time something doesn't come easily to me I question my skills. Perhaps I just need some chocolate. If I ever make a dent in either system, I will edit this post with an opinion. For now, I'm going to bask in the knowledge of the late, great Blake Snyder and read "Save The Cat". At least its something I can take to the bank.
OK I didn't mention Tone once. I got tired, and this was already too long.
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