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All of the scripts for Buffy were written in Scriptware. I don’t even think Scriptware exists any more. At any rate, they certainly don’t answer when you send them email asking how to convert old Scriptware scripts into Final Draft. But, I was able to figure it out on my own, with a minimal mangling of formatting. I now have a complete archive of all the drafts of all the scripts that I wrote during the Buffy years. Yay!

The format-mangling is substantial enough that I’m going through all the scripts and correcting the bits where dialogue has been formatted as if it’s action and vice versa. This is allowing me a chance to re-read all the old drafts. Fascinating.

Some of what I’m finding pleases me. You know how I like to say that you can convey the depth of a character’s emotion by making them suddenly inarticulate? Here’s an example I like:

Some of what I’m finding displeases me. Here’s a joke that goes on exactly two words too long:

Don’t you think that joke is so much better without the “bloody dangerous” explanation? A vampire doesn’t like picket fences. That’s plenty clear, doncha think? Sigh.

Remember, if you read your own work and find things like this, mistakes that now seem obvious, it’s a good sign. It means you’ve learned something in the time in between.

In strike news, my boss, the amazing Ron Moore, has written this excellent piece which appears at UnitedHollywood.com. Go read!

Lunch: Acapulco (the chain restaurant, not the resort city). I had a wonderful tortilla soup and fresh guac made tableside — Acapulco is stepping it up, people! But every time I go there, they’re vacuuming! What’s with all the vacuuming, Acapulco?

So, I was discussing the idea of an analytical approach to comedy with a writer on the line the other day and he directed me to this profile of George Meyer from The New Yorker in 2000. It’s a look at a writer for The Simpsons with an approach to comedy that is fascinatingly analytical. Look for the bit where he talks about jokes “skipping a step.” It’s kind of revelatory.

I know I’m going to be thinking about that insight for a long time and trying to apply it to my favorite tv lines.

If anyone has ever made you feel bad about approaching humor analytically, this piece will make you feel better. Heck, I dare say it’ll make you feel funny.

In strike news, the fine writers at Gate 2 at Warner Bros. have come up with an interesting idea, and I’ve been asked to help spread the word. The concept is “Teaching Thursdays,” in which writers of various genres join the line on Thursdays, making themselves available to discuss story, structure and everything in between to aspiring writers if the aspirings would be willing to come out and pick up a sign. I’ll let the organizer explain:

For our inaugural Teaching Thursday we thought the best way to kick it off would be with blood, guts and glory! Yes, it’s MEDICAL DRAMA DAY! We will have writers from hit medical shows at your bidding! Not sure how to structure HOUSE? They’ll have answers! Not sure what story has NOT been done on ER? One of their writers will probably know! Not sure where your patella is? Look it up or ask a GREY’S or PRIVATE PRACTICE writer…

See you there!

Sounds like a great idea to me.

Lunch: left-over Persian food mixed with some leftover sloppy-joe meat. Not bad!

Mailbag! Thanks to Gentle Reader Joe in San Jose, who enclosed a letter of strike support. Adam in West Hollywood wants to know what’s on my Tivo — right now, a lot of Keith Olbermann and Project Runway, actually. Did you see the dress made out of candy? Fantastic. I want food-clothes! Peggy writes in to inform me about a script-writing event called scriptfrenzy, but it seems it was in November. Oops. Mea Culpa all over that one. Can you write me about it again next year, Peggy, and I’ll check it out? Oh, and how lovely — I have a letter here from Patricia Fass Palmer, who was our producer on Gilmore Girls and now counts herself as a “Gentle Reader” — whoo! That makes me incredibly happy. Thanks, Patricia!

Strike Update: I’m sure some of you are wondering about my reaction to the DGA deal. The answer is that I have none. I haven’t heard enough yet to make up my mind about whether or not this deal will form the basis for a good deal for the writers. I don’t really think any of us has had the time yet — or access to enough well-informed analyses — to state with certainty that the deal is overwhelmingly good or bad. And this is a decision we certainly do not want to make with haste, not after we’ve invested this much time. So, please, be skeptical of anyone who is stating anything with absolute certainty this early.

Do you know that juries who do an immediate straw poll after they adjourn to the jury room are less likely to ultimately reach a verdict? That’s because once people have expressed an opinion, no matter how tentative, they feel obligated to defend it, and they get entrenched. I think we need to keep that in mind for a little while, as we watch the analyses roll in. If we act like drowning people lunging for a raft, we could be fooled into reaching for the shark. Take a breath, think, research… then make up your mind.

Lunch: sushi at Echigo. They can substitute a tuna roll for that crab roll I don’t like? Really? I had no idea.

I’ve been looking over past entries from this our shared blog, Gentle Readers, and I’ve noticed that I’ve talked a lot about making sure that, as often as possible, your jokes are used to express character. It occurs to me now that there’s no reason to limit this idea to jokes. You may find yourself writing the dourest darkest drama unleavened by any humor (although I hope not — everything’s better with some funny in it), and you should still make an effort to make sure that the lines your characters speak are constructed to illuminate who they are.

In order to accomplish this, it helps if all of your characters have attitudes, actual opinions about what’s going on in the story. Got a character who isn’t invested in the story? How about making him SO uninvested that he’s advocating not going on the adventure at all? Now he’s got a positive agenda, something to argue for, not just against. (“Hey, guys, if we call off the assassination, we can still get to the park by the third inning…”)

Got two characters who don’t have opinions about the A-story? Maybe they could have an unrelated B-story conflict that makes them instinctively take opposite sides on some A-story issue. Again, you’re finding a way to make every line they say reveal something about what’s going on with them.

By the way, that’s a great rule of thumb for any scene… if a character doesn’t have a logical reason to take a certain action or advocate for a certain position, then give them an emotional reason. Like, for example, antipathy toward the hero or a desire to sleep with the villain or an unconscious identification with the victim… find a way to keep them invested.

Characters who care deeply, even if it’s for bad reasons, are going to make every scene about themselves. Which you know, if you’ve ever been in the middle of a group of people who think every scene is about themselves, is very, very good for drama.

STRIKE NEWS: I’ll be picketing at my new usual location tomorrow: NBC Burbank, but at a special time. I’m going to be there, I believe from 11:30 to 2:30 with the Women of Sci Fi! This is an amazing group, and if you can stop by and walk with us, I think you’ll be inspired. UPDATE: I think now that I will actually be there from 10 to 1, due to a conflict with another obligation. Come early to see me, or later to see the rest of the Sci Fi group.

Lunch: scrambled eggs with a chopped-up potsticker and crumbled Doritos scrambled in. A triumph.

Gentle Reader Richard writes in from London, asking about the prospects for British writers attempting to break in the US feature or television writing business. I’m sorry, Richard, but I just don’t know. I can give writing advice, but Getting A Job advice isn’t really my field. I can tell you, in general, that I don’t think US show runners would have any cultural concerns about hiring a British writer. We could easily remove all those extra ‘u’s and the jokes referring to famous soccer players. The fact that I’ve never worked on a staff with a Brit writer makes me think that this is unusual, though. Now, I have the notion that feature writing is a more international game. Certainly there are successful feature writers who don’t live in the US, after all.

Richard also asks about the kind of jobs an aspiring screenwriter might do here in Los Angeles. As I’ve discussed before, the job of Writers’ Assistant is one of the very best ways to work yourself into a writing gig. Look to this blog, the entries of Oct. 12th and 14th of 2007, for a detailed discussion of the joys and perils of this job. Note to Gentle Reader Megan in LA — these entries should also address the questions in your letter — thanks for writing.

Obviously, Writers’ Assistant is a very hard job to get. That’s why I recommend applying to any fellowship or contest for which you’re eligible. That’s how I got my start.

Richard, you may also want to consider trying to establish yourself overseas. If you had an agent there in London, and maybe a TV gig or a bit of BBC radio play writing, it would help make you salable over here, I would think.

But again, I want to remind all the Gentle Readers out there that this isn’t my area of expertise. I’m here to talk about nuts-and-bolts of screenwriting, and anything I say about job-getting should be viewed with suspicion.

ALSO… thanks to Gentle Reader Lilia who sent me a strike/holiday gift, and to Doria for the holiday card! I’m still sorting through piles of recent mail, so don’t worry if you haven’t seen your letter referenced yet.

Lunch: scrambled eggs with onion

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