February 7, 2011: My 2011 looking decidedly busier!

Well, it looks like my fate for 2011 has more or less been decided.  A few formalities need to be addressed and then – well, the mad scramble begins.

A different scramble of sorts began days ago as we face our two script/one bible February 21st deadline.  It may seem daunting but, hell, I wrote a record three scripts in two weeks back in my SG-1 days (Morpheus, Memento Mori, and Counterstrike) so I know I'm more than up for the challenge.  Making matters somewhat easier is the fact that this is the type of show I love to write for: fast-paced, action-driven, and humorous.  Paul suggested we partner up to write the script just like the old days – in the same room, running dialogue back and forth between us – but I have a feeling that approach will just slow us down.  I started work on episode #2 and have already hit the 13 page mark. I'm thinking we should compromise and write the scripts in the much the same manner we co-wrote in the middle of our Stargate run – not together and not separately, but a little of both.  One of us leads with a first draft (and that would probably be me since I'm a faster writer and tend to fall into a nice, prolific rhythms) while the other one follows (and that would be him since he's a perfectionist; great at rethinking and tightening).  I'll pass off the first act to him once I'm done (which should be sometime tomorrow) and, while he's rewriting it, I'll forge ahead with Act II.  If we adopt this strategy, I feel confident we'll be able to hit that February 21st deadline AND get some feedback from our various interested parties before delivering to the network.  After that, if all goes as planned – and I don't see why it wouldn't – that's when the real anxiety will set in.

Heading into the office tomorrow to find out what's what, watch a couple of mixes, and start bringing my books back home – wherever home will be for the foreseeable future.

After months of playing email tag, I finally had a phone conversation with author Jeff Carlson (Plague Year, Plague War, Plague Zone, "The Frozen Sky").  Very nice guy.  Very nice ANd very busy.  We discussed a possible collaboration.  Hopefully, if I have time, we can make it happen.

2011 is looking less and less like the laid-back, easy-going year I was expecting it to be.