It’s been a while since I last posted, so I apologize to anyone who has this on their RSS feed. This term and other… events, have kept me quite busy. However, in that time I’ve decided to generalize my portfolio into all forms of writing, as I have recently developed a fascination for an admiration of TV writing. I want to keep a couple of specs on hand just so I have them to show anyone who asks. I’m not sure what I would write though. Most of the shows I am extremely familiar with have been off the air for a few years at least and are in reruns now. Charmed, Angel, Firefly. (Can’t tell I’m a Whedon fan can you?) I even had some ideas for New Amsterdam, but now that’s been hacked too.

I was thinking perhaps Pushing Daisies, or if I’m feeling terribly ambitious and rather crazy, Battlestar Galactica, though that doesn’t have much time left. Love House, but not hip to medical jargon. Taking on a breakout hit like Heroes is just dangerous. Rome, again, favorite of mine but it’s canceled and there’s only so much you can do within the timeline of Roman history that was displayed. I admire the writing style on Gilmore Girls, but it’s a.) been off the air for a couple years and b.) difficult to pull off that snappy banter, though that’s the direction television seems to be taking. However, it allows the most leeway in terms of coming up with plot.

Does anyone know though, when you’re writing a spec should you be writing it for the current season, or an upcoming season? Or can you write it to slip into an earlier season? Because honestly, once Amy Sherman-Palladino left the show, it just wasn’t the same. At all.

Aside from the spec script, I’m planning on entering The People’s Pilot. Essentially it’s a high-profile contest to write a proposal for a new series. I’m in the process of formulating my Ties of Vengeance ideas into a one-hour drama series in the vein of Rome with several different character viewpoints all tied together by common and uncommon enemies. Quite a number of changes to be made of course, and I won’t be able to post it here, but anyone who has experience in this kind of thing and would be willing to read it, I’d be very grateful.

On a game-related note, I finally got my Xbox back after the disc drive kept scratching up my discs and making them unplayable. I ended up exchanging about 5 copies of Mass Effect alone, and then I just got a disc cleaner (which is nice, by the way – the MadCatz one – highly recommended) but the disc kept scratching up and erroring literally right before the final boss fight. I would clean it and put it back in, but the same thing happened. Fun stuff I tell ya! But they just gave me a whole new system and a month of free Xbox Live for my trouble. Of course now I need a bridge to actually play online, but that’s another matter.

In the wake of my console’s homecoming, I purchased Call of Duty 4. I had heard good things about the story, and so far I think it is quite interesting, though not as much as I was lead to believe. Still, for a true war-time FPS, the story is good, and the elements of storytelling are effective. I definitely love that you play as different soldiers and get different viewpoints. Right now I’m on Price’s flashback mission. Last time I tried it I got my throat ripped out by a dog.