Well, hey there...

So, this is my anonymous networking blog. I want to be a writer and I've been told that networking on the net is a good thing.

That must sound like a bit of an oxymoron... so, let me explain. I don't want anyone I currently work with to somehow think that I don't like my work. I do. For the most part. I don't think I would ever post something that would be derogatory about my work or the people I work with, but the bottom line is that I don't plan on being there forever, and not only do I not want them to know that, but I also know how quickly hurt feelings/misunderstandings can start. Also, I work in a bit of a shall we say public job... so, I don't want this blog coming up if someone should google my name.

I don't think keeping my anonymity will be a problem. I'll gladly post my e-mail on my profile page, and if anyone should ever want to chat, they can feel free to e-mail me. I'll gladly tell you more about myself once I'm sure you're not the person who signs my pay cheques! Also, most people won't know me from a whole in the ground, so knowing my name... not really important. But, once again, if anyone ever wants to know my name, all they have to do is e-mail me.

So... back to the topic at hand. I want to write. Plain and simple. It's taken me a long time to let myself admit that. I mean, I've always written, but I've never let myself think about it as a career option. I'm at a point in my life where happyness is a lot more important than practicality, and so, I want to write.

My interests are mostly in TV/Film. My education is in broadcasting. I hope the two will pair well.

I'm currently at a bit of a crossroads. Until very recently, I thought that I would have to go back to school before making a career change. Then, several people slapped me upside the head and reminded me that most TV writers don't have an education specifically in screen writing and that my broadcasting background gives me more than enough education.

Some have suggested a few extension courses if I feel that I need a bit more instruction. Some of suggested simply reading some books. I, however, am not sure what exactly I should be doing. Part of me wants to finish my degree just so I can say that I did it. But, if it's not useful, it's just a waste of time, isn't it? That's hard for me to grasp because I've always thought that any education is good education.

I'm at a point where school is taking up too much of my time to do any of the writing I want to do. Sure, I write a lot. I write papers on various topics... fictional archeological digs... personality... blah, blah, blah... but none of it is getting me any closer to my ultimate goals. So, if these courses aren't necessary, why am I taking them?

I'm not quite ready to drop out of school. That's such a huge step! So, here's my plan: I've taken the summer off. Usually, I go to University year round to maximize my time, but this year, the summer will be empty of useless courses. This summer, I'm going to write and see where it gets me. Don't get me wrong, I don't think that one summer will make me successful, but I think it's reasonable to gauge my progress at the end of August and make a decision on whether I should drop out of school. Mostly, I feel that I will learn more by doing instead of studying. Is that true? I guess I'll find out.

So, what am I writing? Well, that's a good question. When choosing a spec, I was told that I should choose something I know well and feel comfortable with. I chose a show that isn't getting much buzz simply because I had watched a whole season of it during the writer's strike because it was pretty much the only thing on. Not smart on a few levels. Smart in some ways. See, I knew that I would probably never show this spec to anyone. It was just to get back into the groove again. The problem is that I've enjoyed writing in that universe so much that I wrote three specs of it. The first was horrible. The second was readable. The third was okay.

I also have a spec pilot and screenplay both in the works. I'm having trouble writing outside of someone else's universe. I know it's because it's not all layed out for me... I need to do the leg work so that I feel that I know the characters better. But, that doesn't make the whole thing any easier. But I'm working on it. The pilot is a look at Canadian culture. I wouldn't say it's Corner Gas-esque. Not at all. More like... Desperate Housewives if anything.

The screenplay is a bit... different. It's a romantic comedy. I found that I was having troubles writing female characters (and I also found out that many other writers have this problem). So, I took the easy way out and eliminated my female lead. You figure the rest out. A romantic comedy without a female lead. Getting the picture? I'm still having problems though. It's so silly... I'm having problems deciding whether I should have one of the characters hit a milestone and go from there... ie visiting what happens BECAUSE of that moment (what changes... how other goals are achieved, etc)... OR should I have the screenplay tell the story of him working towards and eventually HITTING that milestone. As you can tell, I have some work to do.

Also, I'd like to spec some animation and see how that goes. I've also bought a ton of books... reading great writing should give me some inspiration.

So, I have my work cut out for me!

My goal is to make a decision about which direction my path will go in life. I'm at a fork and I need to decide which way to go. Hopefully, this blog will plod me along towards making those decisions.