JaneEspenson.com

Want another way into the business? I now know of two playwrights who were — get this — invited into television.

One of them was a colleague of mine from the ABC/Disney writers’ program, and the other was a young woman whom I met the other day on the picket line. Both of them were young playwrights recruited into television without them reaching out for it — someone with television connections attended a play and then things happened.

I don’t think this happens a lot, but it is certainly illustrative of a larger truth — if you want to write, go out and write. Write spec scripts for contests, look for writers’ assistant jobs, absolutely, but if you can also establish yourself as a respected writer of plays, short stories, novels, non-fiction books, essays, reviews, recaps, comedy pieces, columns, profiles or as a journalist, you will doing yourself a tremendous favor when it comes to making an impression in Hollywood. You probably won’t get recruited, as my two examples were, but then again, it’s certainly more likely than if you’re not out establishing yourself as some kind of a writer!

Lunch: quesadillas

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!

Ooh. Ask, and I shall receive. I posted confusedly yesterday about ScriptFrenzy, and who should come riding to my rescue but C. A. Bridges, the Webmaster over at fans4writers. Here is the inside dope on ScriptFrenzy, per C.A.:

ScriptFrenzy takes place in April. The object is to write a 100-page script in a month. The people who started it up are from National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), which happens every November and requires you to write a 50,000 word novel in a month. The point of both is to encourage people to prove to themselves that they can finish a script or novel. Quality is largely optional, although several NaNo novels have gotten publishing deals.

Possibly best of all, from both events, are the forums. Hugely popular during the events and a great way to get information.

So there you go! This sounds like a worthwhile way to both encourage yourself to meet a deadline, and to make valuable connections. I approve. For more info go to scriptfrenzy.org. (Note the “.org” ending.)

Lunch: Udon noodle soup with mentaiko

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.

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