I've been spending the last few days deep in thought. I've decided to think of this project as a delicious luxury. I have complete and total artistic freedom. I may never be this free again! I may get hired onto a show and spend years (fingers crossed) realizing someone else's vision week after week. But for this small window of time, the summer of '07, I am creating an original TV show: a whole new world with new people with problems and aspirations and quirks and conflicts, navigating their way through life, constantly growing and revealing their true selves. Does it get any better than that? I feel a little God like.
I've discovered that every project worth doing is worth setting intentions for. Obviously I intend to have this pilot be an excellent, professional sample: structurally sound, full, hilarious, intelligent, warm and inspiring. But more than that, I feel like it's an opportunity to begin sending a message to the Universe about what I really want to do as a writer. I can't think of anything more fulfilling than being able to write stories, week after week, about characters I care about, that make me laugh, that grow and contribute and mess up and make it right, or not, who aspire and succeed and fail.
Ultimately, what I want to be creating are stories that anchor spiritual truths with comedy. I know for a fact that that combination evolves me and, because you get what you give, I intend to give as much spiritualized-comedy as humanly possible. Maybe it's in the form of shticky angels. Maybe it's through stories that deal with the struggles of right and wrong and the relief that comes from releasing that antiquated paradigm. However it manifests, I intend to start articulating my vision through this project.
Am I still dying to dive naked into a vat of Office scripts? Of course. Do I still secretly pine to be the newest writer on 30 Rock? Who doesn't? Is there a part of me that just wants to break off a piece of some of the best shows on TV, grow it like so much petri, slap my name on it and call it a Pilot? You betcha. But for now, I'm going to put all of that aside and believe in my heart of hearts that OF COURSE I can write a fantastic, original pilot! I'm going to trust that if I show up the ideas will too....
Words I Wish I Had Written: "Scratch a pessimist and you'll find a disappointed optimist."
Monday, May 28, 2007
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
And So It Begins...
Hello! The purpose of this blog is to document the journey of a Baby Writer, writing an original TV pilot. Armed only with my Writing (Blog) Mentor Jane Espenson (please visit her blog often at www.janeespenson.com ), an idea, and a writing schedule I shall attempt the Grand Daddy of writing projects: An Original Pilot Script (second only to the Great Granddaddy of writing projects known as The Feature Film...but that's another blog).
For those of you new to TV land, please allow Wikipedia to explain:
"A television pilot is a test episode of an intended television series. It may be slightly longer than a normal episode (sometimes it may approach twice the length so if sold, it will later be broken down into two episodes) and is intended to get network programming executives, and later the public, interested in the series. However, pilots are rarely fair examples of what a "normal episode" of a series is like, since they usually set the general background and tell the origin story for the series (e.g., if the series is about two angry roommates, the pilot will probably show how they met).
While many pilots are shot, few make it to the screen, and even fewer go on to become full-fledged television series. "
That last bit stings a little. Very few pilots go on to become full-fledged TV series. Okay, so it's not easy. I get it. Here's what's great: I don't have to get my pilot made into an actual TV show...my goal is to be hired onto an EXISTING show. And these days, the best way to do that is to create a show of your own as a writing sample. So that takes the pressure off. Sort of. I still need to hit it out of the park. Big time. There are a lot of really, really great writers out there with CREDITS. That's the rub. While I fancy myself as clever (in moments), at the end of the day, my resume has a lot of bare space. Like, mostly bare. Fine, it's totally naked. But, get this: I'm so new at the professional side of this that I have NO IDEA what isn't possible! As far as I'm concerned I could spend all summer writing my TV Pilot, it could be a smashing success and I could be sitting around a writers table with IBS and dry mouth by next year! Dare to dream!
So, tomorrow the journey begins. I will use this blog to document the ups and downs (hopefully mostly ups) of creating a TV show from scratch. And you are invited. Welcome to my world.
The pilot is about angels...so let's assume this journey will be blessed.
*Jane Espenson always ends her blog with what she had for lunch that day which is both quirky AND interesting. (It'd just be weird if I copied her.) I'm going to end each blog with:
Words I Wish I Had Written: "Life’s journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting…’Holy shit! What a ride!"
For those of you new to TV land, please allow Wikipedia to explain:
"A television pilot is a test episode of an intended television series. It may be slightly longer than a normal episode (sometimes it may approach twice the length so if sold, it will later be broken down into two episodes) and is intended to get network programming executives, and later the public, interested in the series. However, pilots are rarely fair examples of what a "normal episode" of a series is like, since they usually set the general background and tell the origin story for the series (e.g., if the series is about two angry roommates, the pilot will probably show how they met).
While many pilots are shot, few make it to the screen, and even fewer go on to become full-fledged television series. "
That last bit stings a little. Very few pilots go on to become full-fledged TV series. Okay, so it's not easy. I get it. Here's what's great: I don't have to get my pilot made into an actual TV show...my goal is to be hired onto an EXISTING show. And these days, the best way to do that is to create a show of your own as a writing sample. So that takes the pressure off. Sort of. I still need to hit it out of the park. Big time. There are a lot of really, really great writers out there with CREDITS. That's the rub. While I fancy myself as clever (in moments), at the end of the day, my resume has a lot of bare space. Like, mostly bare. Fine, it's totally naked. But, get this: I'm so new at the professional side of this that I have NO IDEA what isn't possible! As far as I'm concerned I could spend all summer writing my TV Pilot, it could be a smashing success and I could be sitting around a writers table with IBS and dry mouth by next year! Dare to dream!
So, tomorrow the journey begins. I will use this blog to document the ups and downs (hopefully mostly ups) of creating a TV show from scratch. And you are invited. Welcome to my world.
The pilot is about angels...so let's assume this journey will be blessed.
*Jane Espenson always ends her blog with what she had for lunch that day which is both quirky AND interesting. (It'd just be weird if I copied her.) I'm going to end each blog with:
Words I Wish I Had Written: "Life’s journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting…’Holy shit! What a ride!"
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