Tuesday, March 10, 2009
My Ears are Burning
Pat Elrod stumbled upon this blog and put up a lovely livejournal post linking back here and reminiscing about some time we spent together in the aftermath of a con. (I'm pretty sure it was a Forever Knight event.) I can't comment on her post without joining LJ, so I'm hoping she has a Google alert on her own name that will lead her to this post. I'm I'm glad to know that my link is helping people find and enjoy the new Highlander minisode, and always enjoy the ongoing reunion of acquaintanceship that is enabled by virtual space. Earlier today I exchanged Facebook messages with a writer of Star Wars RPG's, whom I'd met at conventions years ago and remember fondly. (Although by "today" I guess I technically mean "yesterday" -- as always when on deadline, I reverse my nights and days, writing long past midnight and sleeping past noon.)
Monday, February 9, 2009
AFK
Good heavens, where have I been for over two months?! Well, FaceBook, of course, but besides that? One thing that happened is that my primary computer stopped working, gradually and infuriatingly, making signing on slow torture until I finally gave up and switched to my laptop. Which was then hit with the Vundo virus, incapacitating me and reducing me to logging on via an ancient laptop, which gave me a new relationship with the Internet for the last month or so: "Please oh please just let me check my email and send these files, and then I promise I'll turn you off and let you reboot." *sigh* Unable to surf without crashing, I was reduced to playing Spider Solitaire when I needed to procrastinate! (Don't let anyone tell you that procrastinating isn't a necessary part of the writing process! Whatever gets those folds of your brain properly aligned to start the words flowing, I say go for it.)
The primary computer is now back to life so I'm back to being able to surf freely during work-break intervals. Which brings us to the more proximate cause of my recent disappearance, a well-known syndrome known as On A Show.
Talk to any peer group of working writers, at any stage of their career, and they are familiar with the syndrome: one of them gets a staff job, and promptly vanishes off the face of the earth. The first time it happens, you may think that the lucky staff writer is snubbing you, but then it's your turn to be in the same situation, and you realize it's not at all intentional. And then your hiatus rolls around and it's your turn to call everyone you used to hang out with, and beg their forgiveness for going AWOL. And they forgive you, because they did the same thing.
Being On A Show can be all-consuming. Even if it's not a situation where you're in the office till 9 every night and every weekend (and many situations ARE like that), you're usually taking dailies home to watch over dinner, or researching your next story, or assessing every situation through the eyes of your characters. Even when you're 'off the clock,' you're BORING, because everything on your mind is the troubles and triumphs of getting that week's episode in the can. You start to think that the story of how you had to redo the script three times to accomodate the limited availability of a guest star is actually entertaining! So it's best, really, that you confine your social life to your current colleagues and one or two long-time friends who've followed the whole saga like it's their favorite soap opera. (Best if these confidantes are in other lines of work entirely.)
A few years ago I worked on a show that shot in Hawaii, and went on location for 5 weeks, a time of such intensity that it felt like a year's worth of absence. Another time, I travelled with MythQuest to Canada for 6 months at a time. These physical absences were clear cut, and easier to explain, But sometimes, without leaving town, you have to mentally "Go To Canada" with your show, and hope that your friends understand.
I've just finished doing a major piece of writing/rewriting on something I can't publically name at the moment. It's something I very much enjoyed doing, a return to characters I've worked with before and am therefore quite fond of. It's been a brief but intense period of metaphorical Going To Canada-- and returning from it is like returning from months on location. I have to restock the fridge and reconnect with my life. Except I actually have another project with an approaching deadline (not complaining!), so...
As we progress in our careers, my friends and I have sought to create a balance, where we can be working on a project without having to go into the On A Show zone. I do believe it's possible, but I also accept that there will always be weeks when the only thing to do is just give in to it, to be transported out of my actual life and into the fictional world that exists only in the bubble around my monitor.
The primary computer is now back to life so I'm back to being able to surf freely during work-break intervals. Which brings us to the more proximate cause of my recent disappearance, a well-known syndrome known as On A Show.
Talk to any peer group of working writers, at any stage of their career, and they are familiar with the syndrome: one of them gets a staff job, and promptly vanishes off the face of the earth. The first time it happens, you may think that the lucky staff writer is snubbing you, but then it's your turn to be in the same situation, and you realize it's not at all intentional. And then your hiatus rolls around and it's your turn to call everyone you used to hang out with, and beg their forgiveness for going AWOL. And they forgive you, because they did the same thing.
Being On A Show can be all-consuming. Even if it's not a situation where you're in the office till 9 every night and every weekend (and many situations ARE like that), you're usually taking dailies home to watch over dinner, or researching your next story, or assessing every situation through the eyes of your characters. Even when you're 'off the clock,' you're BORING, because everything on your mind is the troubles and triumphs of getting that week's episode in the can. You start to think that the story of how you had to redo the script three times to accomodate the limited availability of a guest star is actually entertaining! So it's best, really, that you confine your social life to your current colleagues and one or two long-time friends who've followed the whole saga like it's their favorite soap opera. (Best if these confidantes are in other lines of work entirely.)
A few years ago I worked on a show that shot in Hawaii, and went on location for 5 weeks, a time of such intensity that it felt like a year's worth of absence. Another time, I travelled with MythQuest to Canada for 6 months at a time. These physical absences were clear cut, and easier to explain, But sometimes, without leaving town, you have to mentally "Go To Canada" with your show, and hope that your friends understand.
I've just finished doing a major piece of writing/rewriting on something I can't publically name at the moment. It's something I very much enjoyed doing, a return to characters I've worked with before and am therefore quite fond of. It's been a brief but intense period of metaphorical Going To Canada-- and returning from it is like returning from months on location. I have to restock the fridge and reconnect with my life. Except I actually have another project with an approaching deadline (not complaining!), so...
As we progress in our careers, my friends and I have sought to create a balance, where we can be working on a project without having to go into the On A Show zone. I do believe it's possible, but I also accept that there will always be weeks when the only thing to do is just give in to it, to be transported out of my actual life and into the fictional world that exists only in the bubble around my monitor.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Attention Bob Chapin Fans!
My pal Bob Chapin has a great turn as "Elliot" in Episodes 5 and 6 of the webseries Faux Baby, availbale on strike.tv, youtube and hulu. One of the writer/producers on the series is my friend Laura Brennan, who worked on the 6th season of Highlander: The Series and wrote the excellent "Star of Athena" story in the Evening at Joe's anthology.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Listen Up!
The day after Thanksgiving has been designated the National Day of Listening -- a time to sit down with someone and hear their story.
If you're with family, take the time to ask an older relative about their life and their memories, while they're still here to share.
I'll be at LosCon that day, LA's excellent longrunning SF Convention. I'll take the opportunity to really listen to some people who know more than I do about the earlier days of SF, fandom, and TV. Some of the program participants I'm always interested to hear from include Michael Engelberg, D.C. Fontana, David Gerrold, Larry Niven, Steve Barnes, Harry Turtledove, Bill Warren, Len Wein, and Marv Wolfman. I'm also planning to make the effort to try some new things, hear some new voices -- I'm particularly looking forward to the rich track of panels by actual scientists and futurists.
On Saturday, I'll be talking as well as listening -- I'll be participating in 3 panels, on Writing for TV, the interaction between TV Fans and Writers/Producers, and something fun entitled "What I Do When I Should Be Writing." (You're soaking in it.)
If you're with family, take the time to ask an older relative about their life and their memories, while they're still here to share.
I'll be at LosCon that day, LA's excellent longrunning SF Convention. I'll take the opportunity to really listen to some people who know more than I do about the earlier days of SF, fandom, and TV. Some of the program participants I'm always interested to hear from include Michael Engelberg, D.C. Fontana, David Gerrold, Larry Niven, Steve Barnes, Harry Turtledove, Bill Warren, Len Wein, and Marv Wolfman. I'm also planning to make the effort to try some new things, hear some new voices -- I'm particularly looking forward to the rich track of panels by actual scientists and futurists.
On Saturday, I'll be talking as well as listening -- I'll be participating in 3 panels, on Writing for TV, the interaction between TV Fans and Writers/Producers, and something fun entitled "What I Do When I Should Be Writing." (You're soaking in it.)
Monday, November 17, 2008
Amen
There's an absolutely heartbreaking sentiment about our newly-elected President at Postsecret this week.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFCML5WCGljrd7jtJaSgoFh2GzRETRdl3QwKiamtrd-waMkf9lMHioBtJocvSExqMG_-zxfvpT18_SOU2p6lu2TumGpOz0owuoRb22OR67kGJ7WtcevFEYLzK159k1SugEi3TVWmPfLSw/s1600-h/hope.jpg
I wish I didn't have to carry the same prayer in my heart, but I do.
On the other hand, I adore the graphic on the postcard itself.
(PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a postcard.)
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFCML5WCGljrd7jtJaSgoFh2GzRETRdl3QwKiamtrd-waMkf9lMHioBtJocvSExqMG_-zxfvpT18_SOU2p6lu2TumGpOz0owuoRb22OR67kGJ7WtcevFEYLzK159k1SugEi3TVWmPfLSw/s1600-h/hope.jpg
I wish I didn't have to carry the same prayer in my heart, but I do.
On the other hand, I adore the graphic on the postcard itself.
(PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a postcard.)
Friday, November 7, 2008
Still Immortal After All These Years
What makes one TV show last forever while others, perhaps more successful initially, fade out of memory?
We're always trying to catch lightning in a bottle. Highlander caught it. Even while were were making the show, we knew. Because of the avid fandom and their heartfelt feedback, we knew.
But I couldn't have predicted that more than 10 years after we went off the air, we would all still have it so much in our hearts.
As I mentioned a while back, a new short episode of "Highlander: The Series," featuring the original cast in their roles as Methos, Amanda and Joe, and written by our guiding light David Abramowitz, is now available. And you can see the whole thing for free on hulu.
I feel lucky to have the chance to visit with these old friends again.
We're always trying to catch lightning in a bottle. Highlander caught it. Even while were were making the show, we knew. Because of the avid fandom and their heartfelt feedback, we knew.
But I couldn't have predicted that more than 10 years after we went off the air, we would all still have it so much in our hearts.
As I mentioned a while back, a new short episode of "Highlander: The Series," featuring the original cast in their roles as Methos, Amanda and Joe, and written by our guiding light David Abramowitz, is now available. And you can see the whole thing for free on hulu.
I feel lucky to have the chance to visit with these old friends again.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Finger Whippin Good
Anthony DeLongis sent me this link to his recent appearance on G4, showing off whip tricks in connection with his recent Indy 4 gig. Had me laughing out loud!
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