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WOW. What a turnout today at Universal! Thank you so much, Battlestar fans! Our gate was bustin’ with fans and I hear there were crowds at the other gates as well! Nicely done! And I enjoyed meeting all of you!

I’m going to be hard to pin down on Monday — probably splitting my time between the Universal Barham Gate and the Colfax Gate at CBS Radford where there is going to be a confluence of female genre writers.

Then there is Tuesday, Nov. 20, your last chance to come show your support before the Thanksgiving holiday. This is the big March and Rally on Hollywood Blvd! The plan is to assemble at 1PM at the corner of Hollywood Blvd and Ivar Avenue, with the march beginning at 1:30. This should be something and a half!

I’m about to run out the door for a long-planned weekend trip with my old friends from the Disney writing fellowship, so I’m not going to be posting over the weekend. You’ll have to keep an eye on things for me, okay, Gentle Readers? Keep watching UnitedHollywood.com — I’ve got a feeling this “Pencils for Moguls” campaign is gonna heat up!

Lunch: cheap sushi. Yuck.

I read a really good produced script the other day. Some of you may have seen the episode of television that resulted from it, in fact. (It’s an Ugly Betty.) In the script, two adult siblings are competing with each other. Early on, we see a flashback to the two of them racing against each other as children. One of them wins and we’re told they always won. Late in the script, in order to accomplish a goal, the two adults end up having to race down a street, just as they did as kids. I thought that was pretty well done, reducing the adult competition to something that could be such a direct reenactment of the childhood flashback. This time, when the childhood loser won, I anticipated that we’d understand that things had changed. I felt that was a pretty competent way to tell the story.

But here’s what was really well done. The one who lost as a child, lost again as an adult. Instead of an easy lesson, competently taught, we got a genuine surprise and a much more complicated lesson about real life — if you let the other person set the rules of the game, they’re gonna pick the game they always win. Gotta say, I was impressed.

This is a good thing to keep in mind when you’re breaking your spec pilots. If an ending seems so neat and tidy and inevitable that you never have to even give it any thought… well, give it some thought. There might be away to twist it, and come up with something more interesting. (And remember, it isn’t enough just to have it differ from expectations, it actually has to have something positive to add.)

Strike: The last two days have seen me on the 6 to 10 a.m. shift. The first two hours are cold. The second two, very hot. The transition is instant. Thanks to Sarah and Ashley and Christina and… oh, was it Wally?… and so many other Gentle Readers who joined me on the line. Thanks especially for the fresh-baked pumpkin bread! Whoo! You guys are the best!

I’m changing locations for one day — Thurs (tomorrow) will find me on the 10 – 2 shift at Fox where I’m reuniting with a few of my old Gilmore Girls colleagues! Come on by, GG fans! We’d be delighted to visit with you!

Then, Friday, it looks like Fan Day, Featuring Battlestar Galactica, will be at the main gate of Universal in the afternoon. That’s all I know now… details to follow.

++++++UPDATE — I’m hearing that Fan Day is now set for 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the main gates of Universal — this is the series of gates into Universal that run along Lankershim Blvd. Food drive! Special guests! I’ll be there. Will you?+++++++

Also, have you heard about this idea to send (mercifully unsharpened) pencils to the moguls? Of all the fan movements, this one seems to be the one that’s catching fire. I like it! If I hear more about it, I’ll let you know.

Lunch: poached eggs, rye toast, grilled tomatoes — a post-picket brunch at Art’s Deli

Gentle Reader Amanda is working her way along the path toward a television writing career. She found an agent, and now she’s written a spec pilot that’s been getting some favorable attention. Here is how she writes about her journey so far:

The last few years I’ve been spending all of my time trying to duplicate the voice of other shows or develop other people’s story ideas on features…you know why? Because deep in my heart I felt like there might not be a place for me as an ORIGINAL writer. [The spec pilot] was just a writing sample. I had NO IDEA anyone would be interested in it. Endeavor just told me “hurry up and write a pilot ’cause that’s what everyone else is doing”.

And then, there’s the writer’s strike. Not my favorite timing, obviously. But I understand it. The bright side is: when else will all of my favorite writers be snuggled up on one city block with nothing better to do than talk to me?! Silver lining! Silver lining!!

Yay, Amanda! Isn’t this inspiring? This is why you strive, Gentle Readers! This is why your pour your little hearts into those specs!

By the way, I read something somewhere about how young writers should be discouraged from using the picket lines as networking opportunities. Oh, I disagree. Don’t force a script into anyone’s hands, but I see nothing wrong with coming out, wielding a picket sign for a few hours, and talking with working (well, you know what I mean) writers about what they do. It’s not just networking, it’s smart career research coupled with support of a kind that actually means something! Follow ordinary rules of courtesy, and you should do fine.

Strike: Today was the big Fox rally. It was crowded and wonderful and possessed by a unity of resolve such as I’ve never felt. I was pleased to meet many of you, Gentle Readers! Thank you for coming out! Stay tuned about more possible special events next week!

Lunch: a veggie burger at Houston’s in the Century City mall. The best part was the side dish of acorn squash, a personal fave of mine.

CORRECTION: The 10 a.m. Friday rally mentioned in this post will actually be at Fox Plaza 2121 Avenue of the Stars, Century City

I got a chance to talk today to a writer who recently moved from a very dramatic one-hour drama to one that is much more comedic, and is staffed with lots of writers from the half-hour world. This writer is discovering that their pitches — even ones that have to do with the logical structure of the story — are getting shot down if they aren’t pitched in such a way to emphasize the comedy of the situation. This is a common feature of comedy rooms.

In fact, I’ve often seen stories that make no sense defended simply with, “it got a laugh at the table.” End of argument. You can’t argue with a laugh.

So if you find yourself in a comedy room, adjust your pitching style accordingly. Watch, listen, observe what is being valued in the pitches made by the other writers. Pay attention to what “sells” — i.e. gets in the script. If the currency in your room is made out of funny, make sure the bet you slide forward is made out of funny.

Strike: many hearty thanks to Friend of the Blog Kate, who came out to march with me today! Also, to Gentle Readers Lila and Megan, who also showed up to march. Megan even brought delicious turkey sandwiches to share. Yay, Megan! Kal-el and Chris also walked with us again. I’m so proud of my crew and I hope to meet more of you on the line! Do not drop by Universal tomorrow, however, as I will instead be at Fox studios – 10201 Pico – for the huge Guild-wide picket and rally starting at 10 AM. It’s going to be big and wild and everyone is invited! There will be famous actors and (probably) snacks and (certainly) every writer you’ve ever wanted to meet! SEE YOU THERE!

Lunch: delicious Megan-made turkey sandwiches

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!)

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