JaneEspenson.com

It’s TODAY!!! From UnitedHollywood:

PENCILS2MEDIAMOGULS: It’s here! The first delivery of pencils will take place today. Over 500,000 pencils have been shipped. Please join us as we deliver the pencils to NBC CEO Jeff Zucker, Robert Iger, CEO of The Walt Disney Company, and to Universal Studios for GE’s CEO Jeffrey Immelt. Writers slated to appear include: Ronald D. Moore (Battlestar Galactica), Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly), Carol Barbee (Jericho), Alfred Gough (Smallville), Miles Millar (Smallville).

We will meet at 11:30 am at Johnny Carson Park, 400 Bob Hope Drive in Burbank.

I’m back from the Trek picket at Paramount. Again, there was a crazy wall-to-wall turnout of supporters, fans, and magnificent alumni. I was thrilled to get to see my old friend Armin Shimerman, whom I’ve been able to write for both as Quark and as Principal Snyder on Buffy. I also got to meet Trek actors including Brent Spiner and Nichelle Nichols. I heartily thanked David Gerrold, the writer of “The Trouble with Tribbles,” who pioneered the business of coming in to write “the funny one,” a model I’ve tried to follow in my own writing career. And, get this, when I retired to Lucy’s El Adobe for lunch following the picket, whom did I find? George Takei and Walter Koenig, lunching together. Holy cats, fellow Trekkers. Can you imagine? Sulu and Chekhov, sharing chips and salsa. I was undone.

So, I had exciting first-meets, and charming reunions with old friends (much of the Tru Calling writing staff was there — go figure), but the best part, as always, was meeting you, Gentle Readers. Many of you found me and made an effort to say hello and introduce yourselves. The fact that you support the writers warms my heart. We’re staying strong out there largely because we know you’re with us in this. Thank you so much.

Tomorrow, I’m going to be at Warner Brothers (probably Gate 2) with other women genre writers starting at 8 am. Look for the pink hats. It’s also “bring an actor friend” to the line day, so I’m hoping to have a surprise guest with me. Come by to see who it is!

In other strike news, check this out. It’s a very interesting piece from United Hollywood that might help you think of ways you can help, even if you’re too far away to come join us on the line.

In non-strike news, you can also check this other thing out. It’s another interview with me, this time done by the fine people at SpaceWesterns.com, who asked some interesting questions that made me think very hard.

Finally, I have to point out another prime example of refurbishing a clam (an over-used joke). You remember, I’m sure, extensive conversations we’ve had before about “Good day… I said good day, sir!” I was surprised and interested to hear a variant of this joke on 30 Rock the other night. This version went:

Person One: I said good day!

Person Two: No, you didn’t.

Person One: Well, I meant to.

It’s an interesting attempt to freshen up a familiar joke by making the person deliver it incorrectly. I’m not sure it was entirely successful, but I give it points for taking on such a difficult task.

Lunch: Guac, salsa, chips… eaten while watching childhood icons.

Oh my! I’m still recovering from the massively successful Mutant Enemy Day picket at Fox today. Did I meet every one of you, Gentle Readers? Because it feels as though I did. What a turn-out! Joss was, I know, impressed and moved by the support, as were all of us, both Mutants and Enemies. Thanks so much to all of you who came from nearby and from very very far away to show your support. It means a lot to us personally, and it makes an impact in the struggle as well. Knowing the fans are behind the writers makes it possible for us to persevere as these negotiations drag on.

Lots of people thanked me for the writing advice I dispense here. Allow me to point a finger off-stage to someone else who is giving excellent advice. I recently stumbled across the book “Writing The TV Drama Series,” by Pamela Douglas, and it’s great. I totally recommend it. Pamela has loads of experience as a working writer and she generously lays it all out and includes input as well from a number of “guest speakers,” including my current boss, Ron Moore of Battlestar Galactica.

One of the big reasons I recommend this book is because it’s so spankingly current. The shift away from four acts to five or more, the move from specs of produced shows to spec pilots… she covers it all. I don’t know Pamela personally, but I’m darned impressed.

Once more… thank you for this morning’s picket. What a glorious thing.

Lunch: grilled artichoke, chocolate-dipped fruit

Hot fresh info from Marti Noxon!

“Write Aid” will take place Friday, December 14 at 8 p.m. at Royce Hall at UCLA. Tickets will go on sale Friday, December 7, at 12-noon. Obtain them by visiting UCLALive.org, calling 310-825-2101, or contacting Ticketmaster. Tickets will also be available in person at the UCLA Central Ticket Office at the southwest corner of the James West Alumni Center, and at all Ticketmaster outlets.

Tomorrow is the big day. “Mutant Enemy Day,” the special event being held in celebration of Joss Whedon and his shows Buffy, Angel, and Firefly (and the up-coming Dollhouse), will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Fox studios. I hope you’ll be there.

I spent yesterday evening and this morning at Guild headquarters, making signs for the event. So if you get one that’s exceptionally poorly taped, it might be mine. I invite you to imagine me, beaning myself with the stick, stray tape caught in my hair… I do it all for you.

There is also exciting news about another big impending event with a Buffy connection! I have just received an email from the amazing Marti Noxon about an event she has helped set up for next Friday, the 14th of December at 8 p.m. Marti says, it’s a comedy benefit for the Motion Picture and Television Fund, which is available to provide health and social services to all workers in the entertainment industry affected by the strike. The line-up is EDDIE IZZARD, JACK BLACK AND KYLE GASS (Tenacious D), SARAH SILVERMAN, PATTON OSWALT, and LEWIS BLACK. It’s at Royce Hall, and tickets go on sale over the weekend via UCLA for 75 bucks a pop. […] The money will go to a great cause and it’s an awesome group of performers.

Whoa. I’ll say. My god. What a line-up! I cannot imagine missing this.

Marti points out that there isn’t a lot of time to promote this event. It got a nice write-up in today’s LA Times, but most of the promotion is going to be simple word-of-mouth. That means, of course, that you can buy lots of tickets and get great seats for this one-of-a-kind show! I don’t have a phone number for ticket orders. I called the Royce Hall box office just now, and they either aren’t going to be selling the tickets, or they just haven’t been informed about it yet. I’ll post a phone number or web site order info when I get it, but you should feel free to investigate this yourselves over the weekend if I don’t find out anything.

THEN, Monday at Paramount, there is a special picket for Trek writers and fans. I will be there, as will many other writers who were involved in Trek either intimately or tangentially (like me). Notice that this refers to all Trek incarnations including the original. Personally, my fingers are crossed for a chance to talk to D.C. Fontana. (I’m told that she and I were at the same party recently… that I even sat quite near her, but I didn’t know who she was, and missed out on a chance to talk to her.) Think of the possibilities!

Lunch: See today’s earlier post.

« Older Entries

Newer Entries »