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11/06/2007: Day Two and An Answer for Betsy


Another day on the line, Gentle Readers, and I am simultaneously pooped and energized. I came home and napped, woke up at 6, and literally couldn't figure out if it was 6PM or AM. The sky is getting darker, so let's go with PM, okay?

They've got us Battlestarrers at the Barham gate to Universal now, out where Barham meets Forest Hills Drive. It has turned out to be a fun and active spot -- lots more marching and chanting than at our previous location. We've had lots of supportive shouts and honkings from passers-by and drivers -- thank you! We only had one ugly encounter, with a studio driver in a creepy Halloween mask, who treated us to a prolonged obscene gesture. It was genuinely chilling. But mostly it was a great day -- we were joined by writers from Law and Order SVU, from the new comedy Carpoolers, from Bionic Woman, and others, so it was also a wonderful chance for all of us to meet more of our colleagues.

By the way, we may be rotated out of this location at any time -- I'll try to keep you posted on where we are, Gentle Readers.

I've received some questions about what you can do to help us if you live too far away or are otherwise unable to come physically to our sides. Gentle Reader Mike asks, "Do we stop watching the shows? What about the reruns?" Well, I could be wrong but I don't think there's much to be gained through wielding your viewing power at the present moment. Watch whatever you wish. But, if you want to, you might want to watch it while composing a letter in support of the writers to the editor of the Los Angeles Times or any of the New York newspapers. Or while posting a writer-positive comment on any of the web sites that are taking on this issue -- Nikki Finke's column in the LA Weekly, for example. You can also take it upon yourself to educate your friends and family, who may not be getting the full story on what the issues are. If you read this blog, you're probably interested in television writing as a career. I want it still to be a sustainable career when you get here!

Speaking of breaking in, I want to direct your attention back to Chad Gervich's blog, in which he specifically addresses Gentle Reader Betsy, who wrote to me with a question I couldn't answer. His response is loaded with useful tidbits about breaking into the business and I encourage you all to check it out!

I think I have more faith than Chad does in the power of doing well in script competitions. Especially if you count the ABC/Disney and Warner Brothers Fellowships as competitions, I think they can help you get that proverbial foot in that metaphorical door. But don't let that be your only angle of attack -- Chad provides others. This job is volatile, sometimes short-lived, and for most writers not as lucrative as you might hope, but it's still the very best job in the world, and I want to see as many of you as possible getting your WGA cards in the near future!

Lunch: a sandwich and some of that wonderful cheesy garlic bread at The Smokehouse. (We also saw John Stamos and Maura Tierney there, who assured us that the cast of ER would be hitting the line to walk with their writers!)