Here I Am! (Writer's Strike and Quote of the Day)

[alanajoli]

I was out of town and then down with the flu, so I've been away from the computer. (Most of the time I've been in bed, asleep, so I've been missing a lot of what's going on lately.)

One thing that I haven't missed is the WGA screen-writer's strike, and how brave all the folks are who are out there doing that. If you read just the New York Times, (a paper I normally love, by the way), you might get the idea that writers aren't, in fact, workers. That writing isn't work. Well, the writers among us know that this is bunk, and when the screen-writers are asking for something like nine cents per DVD sale and a minimal percentage of online sales regarding the work they've done--it's not like they're asking for a lot. So if you're in LA of NYC and believe that storytelling is important--and that writing is work!--show your writer friends some support for what they're doing. I hear that they appreciate pizza delivered to their strike locations.

So, the quote of the day comes from one of the strikers, Joss Whedon, in his blog entry on Whedonesque:

"We’re talking about story-telling, the most basic human need. Food? That’s an animal need. Shelter? That’s a luxury item that leads to social grouping, which leads directly to fancy scarves. But human awareness is all about story-telling. The selective narrative of your memory. The story of why the Sky Bully throws lightning at you. From the first, stories, even unspoken, separated us from the other, cooler beasts. And now we’re talking about the stories that define our nation’s popular culture – a huge part of its identity. These are the people that think those up. Working writers."

Comments

Amen, sister

[smerwin29.livejournal.com]

Anyone who thinks writing is not work has never really written before. For all of you writers or would-be writers out there, I strongly suggest you grab two books right now. The first is Frederick Busch's _A Dangerous Profession_. The second is Bret Lott's _Before We Get Started_.

Re: Amen, sister

[alanajoli.livejournal.com]

*Quickly adds books to her to-be-read list*

[elven-wolf.livejournal.com]

I've never been a big fan of Joss Whedon's work. Buffy lost my interest somewhere in season 2, I tried with Firefly but again it didn't grab me by the proverbial nuts.

That said, I've always found him an insightful individual. So I guess I enjoy what he says more than what he writes. Thanks for sharing the quote.

[alanajoli.livejournal.com]

Not ever writer can be all things to all people--and I think television writers may have an even tougher time pleasing an audience than novelists or comic book writers. (May. I'm not sure I'd argue that.) I tend to dig the Whedonverse myself, but to each his own!

[elven-wolf.livejournal.com]

I've had an interest in writing for television for a while myself. But I don't think I'd give up novels as a main pursuit. There's just so much more you can do on the page, I think. Sure, the film industry is getting more sophisticated in terms of special effects and just filming technique in general, and every so often a tv miniseries comes along that outdoes itself, but it just doesn't compare.

I still haven't seen Serenity. Perhaps it will have whatever it is that Firefly lacked for me. Perhaps it was just a matter of timing. What I did manage to see of the series I enjoyed, but I don't know what it was, after a while I just didn't bother watching, so I only caught a couple of episodes. Perhaps I should revisit them.

With Buffy, though, I just couldn't hang.

[alanajoli.livejournal.com]

Honestly, Buffy's tough. It's either going to work for you or it's not. I'm sure you've had plenty of rabid Browncoats encouraging you to pick up Firefly again, but I'll join them: try watching the whole series from the beginning and in the right order, instead of the way Fox released it. It's definitely worth checking out from your local library (many libraries actually have copies) or putting on your Netflix. ;)

But then, I was hooked on it from the very beginning, so I may not be the best person to consult!

[elven-wolf.livejournal.com]

I've thought about that. If I can sit down and just watch it with no distractions, it might work.

Buffy on the other hand, I've given up on.