JaneEspenson.com

I have in hand a wonderful letter from Gentle Reader Branko in Croatia. Thank you, Branko! He reports that since he last wrote, he has broken into the ranks of working television writers with a gig writing teleplays for the Croatian sitcom Cimmer Fraj. Whoo! That’s about the coolest thing I’ve ever heard of. By the way, I’ve tried in vain to obtain a translation of “Cimmer Fraj”. Nothin’. Perhaps it’s a proper name? It looks like it might mean “Stawberry Summer,” but I suspect I’m wrong.

Branko points out that non-US citizens aren’t eligible for the ABC/Disney Fellowship. Oh — I hadn’t even realized that. That’s unfortunate. But he suggests an interesting alternative as a way into the business: radio plays. Interesting. Branko, tell us more!

“BBC is a huge monster that requires constant feeding with scripts. Radio 3, Radio 4 and Radio 7 produce a significant number of radio plays. While it’s not an enormous leap in the right direction it’s still a step. It’s a nice way to tell an exec — ‘yup, I can write good dialogue. Or at least folks at the BBC think so.’ You’ll notice a spark in her eyes. When you’re an unproduced writer, BBC sounds damn good. Almost as good as BBQ.”

Ha! That’s a pretty good joke, especially for someone who doesn’t speak English as a first language. So, those of you who live in places where the BBC is more accessible than ABC should definitely look into this option.

Lunch: The Battlestar staff took a trip off-campus to a Mexican restaurant for chips and salsa and guacamole and margaritas. Wonderful.