Development Meeting

So.

I had my first Development Meeting.

I have to say that because it was the first -- something to be remembered. From what I've heard, getting a meeting can sometimes be hard. That the meeting was to discuss my ideas for an original TV show? Kind of awesome.

Anyway -- the meeting.

First off, it was over the phone. This was useful, considering people were in several cities, including both LA and Toronto. It was also hard, because I couldn't see the people I was talking to. I couldn't read the visual cues they might have been sending.

Mind you, my friends would argue that I'd have missed them in any event, so not a big loss.

In general, the meeting was basically a long, open discussion. Everyone on the call had different ideas and different thoughts. I had been warned about this in Austin -- but being on the receiving end of it was odd. It was like a weird form of deja vu -- being in a situation I had heard about, but never expected to be in.

One thing I was surprised by -- they kind of deferred to me when it came to the concepts. People asked questions, gave comments, said what they liked, offered open ended questions about where things could go -- but they made a point of saying I would have a lot to think about, and should use what I thought was most right for the story.

In other words, they treated me like a real TV writer, with all the confidence that entails.

Now, I just need to prove that their faith is well-deserved.

So -- next steps. I need to write an extended pitch, similar to the first one I wrote back in the fall. This will be a bit more complex, because of the type of show -- but will follow the same basic premise.

Then, we'll likely have another call. After that -- who knows. I guess we'll see.

Delay!

The call is now tomorrow morning.

Thank goodness --- a bit more time to prepare!

Yikes

So apparently, the next step in the process is a call with the development company to discuss my concepts...

Like, in an hour from now. Nothing like advance notice.

Yikes.

Development Update

I finished my three new television show concept sketches right in the nick of time.

What amazed me was that I had initial comments the very next day (the first time around it was months before I heard). Comments were quite positive. Mind you, they're apparently having a meeting next week to discuss this in more detail -- so I am sure the hard comments are still to come.

It's interesting -- because I'm treating this like a fun, kind of awesome project. And yet, the experience (even more than the first) is following the traditional early development path, which I learned when I went to the Austin Film Festival last year.

And that makes me smile. I love that I am getting the chance to see the process from the inside -- getting a chance to be a part of it. It makes it more real, more doable.

I'll let you know what happens next.

Where did the month go?

I don't actually remember most of January.

You can blame that on some wacky cough medication. Now, I am on several inhalers, and -- while still sick -- feel I may have finally hit the bottom of the slope and can now start the long journey back up to to full speed.

It better not take another six weeks. Seriously.

On the good side, the TV pitch (formerly known as the secret project) is still under consideration for development. Things were slow moving in January but it seems they may hold interviews with potential writers in the coming weeks. In other words, it isn't a "we gave up" yet. So that's a good thing.

In the interim, I was asked if I'd be interested in throwing out some concepts for another type of show. Similar to the first request, this one seems to have originated from a "broadcasters are interested in [fill in blank] shows.

Did I mention my brain hasn't worked properly in six weeks?

I said I'd see what I could come up with. It just might take a while. After all, I need a chance to recover first.

In the meantime, I probably have the brainpower to watch a bunch of procedural dramas.

After all, it would be research.

Blog Title

Considering my three month journey is officially over, it seems appropriate to change my blog title. After all, I've decided to keep this blog up.

Yes, I will admit it -- I haven't found this exercise nearly as bad as I expected.

In truth, it's been kind of fun and I've learned a lot doing it. OK, mostly I've learned that keeping this blog is more for me than anything. It's a way to capture my thoughts, so that one day I can look back and see the whole journey. If other people come along for the ride...well, I don't mind a bit.

So, back to blog titles. I figure in keeping with the theme of being illustrative, I'll dub it The Year of Discovery.

This, of course, means I will likely be changing the name of the blog every year. I figure that's okay.

Change is good after all.

Dawning of the Year of Discovery

This is the fifth anniversary of a spur of the moment toast on New Year's Eve that has since evolved into a major undertaking. That initial toast -- and every one thereafter -- has become an agent of change in my life. Who knew a single word could act as such a motivator and catalyst for the year to come?

But it does. Every year, the "Named Year" leads my choices, my dreams, and my ability to forge ahead into the unknown. I go places, I try new things, I focus on certain projects -- all because it is "the Year of..." The word gives me courage when I may falter, or question my own decisions.

There is no time to regret because every year I want to live "The Year" to the fullest.

So far, I believe I have.

In the Year of Change, I found a new job. A job tailor made for me. I love the work, I love my boss, I enjoy solving people's problems. Even four years out, I am not bored at all with what I do. Every day brings new challenges and new projects. I also helped run an election campaign that year. I may have worked for politicians throughout school and for two years afterwards (and attended policy conferences and AGMs) -- but there was nothing like working in an election campaign headquarters. It was insane -- and yet great fun at the same time.

In the Year of Opportunity, I visited both of my host families from previous student exchanges. In May of that year, I went to Japan (where I spent 2000-2001 on an exchange at Konan University) -- while in August, I went to Barraba, Australia (where I spent 1996-1997 on a Rotary High School Student Exchange). In December, I went to the Pirates in Paradise Festival in Key West -- where I saw the Green Flash (something I thought fictitious), and learned how cannon are fired. I got to dress up as a pirate, shoot a blunderbuss, and attack a fort -- I learned a lot which will eventually make it into my writing. I crossed the Pacific Ocean twice that year. I saw four (four!) oceans.

In the Year of Transformation, I changed my lifestyle. After realising that an office job did nothing for motivating healthy living, I decided it was better to change now than to try and change in twenty years. I taught myself to eat healthy, to figure out proper portion sizes, and to either pack a lunch or find healthy places to buy foods (because I hate cooking). For months I counted every calorie that went into my mouth, and every minute of exercise. I lost 30 pounds in three months -- showing people if I could do it, anyone can. I learned that it is possible to have a sustainable lifestyle. More important to me, I inspired people at work to transform their own lives. Compared to travel, this was a low-key year -- but it will also be the year I remember as shifting the course of my future health.

In the Year of Possibility, I received a grant to support my writing efforts -- my first grant ever. I took three months off work to write -- time off my company fully supported. I went to Hawaii twice, once with my Dad on a trip of a lifetime. I took a helicopter ride over an active volcano. I wrote a second (better!) novel. I wrote most of a second screenplay. I wrote a TV show pitch. I attended my first screenwriting convention. I even participated in my first CityChase (which was awesome!).

So what does this coming year have in store? I've known for months that this would not be a simple year. I did so much during the Year of Possibility that I have a hard act to follow. What I do know is that having opened up so many possibilities -- the next year could well be one for discovering where these possibilities will lead. Discovering. Discover. Discovery.

The Year of Discovery.

It resonates, doesn't it? It is filled with positive energy -- with the aura of untapped potential. Moreover, it is an action oriented word with millions of interpretations -- from new priorities to to new projects, to new people. Who knows what else? The possibilities are endless.

So here is to 2010 -- The Year of Discovery.

I can't wait.