I ain't lying, dudez. This strike has got a girl feeling down. I know it's hard on everyone, but do you know which group I feel the most for? Yep, the group I'm part of: the ones who haven't even made a footstep towards the sacred door of WGA admittance, despite the years of talent and hard work behind the journey.

This is NOT TO DISCOUNT the efforts and dedication of everyone out there, from the writers who just got their first jobs and now have to deal with this, or the wildly successful people who have ALREADY MADE IT and still haven't forgotten that truth and loyalty and fighting the fight are worth more than their millions...or at least thousands. This doesn't even discount the writers who DON'T support the strike, because of worry over taking care of themselves and their families. I understand everyone's point of view. It's a hell of a position to be in. The lovely Miss Kay Reindl recently did an entry on the pain that being a writer brings, always there with every success, and you should give it a read, here. And plus now I won't have to write an entry with that theme, since she said it so well.

Anyway, back to me, all about me. And all of you out there who are still trying to break in, and how these Dark Days make something almost impossible under the best of circumstances seem even further away. It's disheartening. But the one thing that perks me up is getting to meet you writers, all of you wonderful crazy people out there who I can only know on the Internet for now, since I'm nowhere near L.A. yet, and can't experience the balm of talking to you in the picket lines. I bet it helps a lot, those connections. But all I can do now is do what every writer ends up doing no matter what: returning to the keyboard and trying to make a connection.

And so, enough with the ruminating and on with the meme-ing. The first meme worked so well to bring so many writers together, that I want to continue that. And I DID promise 5 'Inspiration Memes' geared towards helping writing motivation and deepening the relationships between us lonely scribes, so continue we shall.

If you missed the first one (man was that fun) then please review this entry for the details on why it all started. And it's never too late to do the meme, if you think it will make you happy in any way.

And you may want to review this follow up entry on how the first meme went so well.

(By the way, since green is my main color scheme, I made my links that color. But do they blend in too much with the black text? Please let me know if they're hard to see and if I need to change the color or underline or something. Many thanks.)

Okay, seriously now, the meme. Inspiration Meme #2: Trailer Trash.

Have you ever seen a trailer for a movie and walked into a theater expecting something completely different than what you got? Or been completely misled by the blurb in TV Guide or the ads shown for your upcoming favorite TV show. (Gilmore Girls was notorious for that.) Or, has a trailer been so perfectly suited for a movie that it drew you in right away? Has a blurb/logline/episode summary/whateva you call it in your genre been RIGHT ON?

Well, here's the idea behind Trailer Trash.

1. Post 3 consecutive pages of any script you choose that you've written. It can be a completed project, something you're still working on, a movie, spec pilot, spec episode, whatever...as long as it's 3 consecutive pages. You must tell the title if it's an existing TV show. If it's a movie or spec pilot, revealing the title is up to you.

2. Tag 5 peeps to do the same.

3. Follow the meme around (it can be the people you tagged, the person who tagged you, someone's you stumbled upon) and after reading the pages, come up with a logline/episode summary you think fits and post it beneath the entry. Try to do this for at least 5 people.

4. After your own meme has gotten enough guesses, post the REAL summary/logline and see who got the closest.

This is a lot of fun. We get to experience each other's writing, maybe learn if we're going in a weird direction, and best of all, get new ideas. You'll be astounded at how helpful people's 'wrong guesses' are...they can break you out of a rut, solve a script problem you've been having, or give you a completely new idea you'll be all fired up to work on. It'll be fun. Really.

Oh, and no whining that this sounds complicated. There was a lot of that in the last meme, and everyone did a brilliant job, so save it, writers. You ain't fooling anyone with that dumb act. Now, go find those 3 pages...and then start the guessing game.

My 3 pages will be posted below this entry. (Don't blame me if Blogger screws up the format. Yup...format definitely screwed.) Have fun and I can't wait to read and guess!

(Oh yeah, I tag Patrick, Lisa, Kay, Julie, and MaryAn to start this one.)

3 pages from a spec episode of Ugly Betty, chosen at random:



SERENDIPITY
Eh, it was because he’s the drama teacher’s pet. Just like you're Miss Landry’s.

JUSTIN
(smiling) I’m not her pet.

SERENDIPITY
Whatever. It’s disgusting. She’d probably marry you if she wouldn’t be thrown in jail and have her life made into some crappy Lifetime movie.

JUSTIN
Lifetime movies are NOT crappy!

SERENDIPITY
Whatever. She looooves you.

JUSTIN
It’s exhausting, being your Henry Higgins.

SERENDIPITY
Someone has to do it. How’s the song going?

JUSTIN
Okay. I got in some practice time while you were eating dinner.

SERENDIPITY
I promised your mom I’d get a video of you. Too bad your dad can’t see it.

JUSTIN
Yeah.
(beat)
My dad only told me twice in my entire life that he was proud of me. Once when I stuck up for my mom and got into a fight at school, and once when he found out I’d be the lead in West Side Story.

SERENDIPITY
My mom’s never said she’s proud of me. Nobody’s ever said that to me. Oh well. If it took two decent parents to turn out okay, this world would be way more screwed up than it already is. I assume you don’t have a date for the dance?

JUSTIN
I don’t have time for romantic entanglements. My art is my life.

SERENDIPITY
Good. Then you can take me.


JUSTIN
That wasn’t part of the deal.

SERENDIPITY
I don’t care. You’re going to sing anyway, and there’s no way the Queen can come unescorted. And I’ll be with the best dressed man there. Besides, the queen gets first choice in picking her dancing partner after she’s crowned and you better be there for me.

JUSTIN
Fine. I’m too tired to fight.

SERENDIPITY
I like that in a man.

JUSTIN
So what does your room look like? Black paint and chains?

SERENDIPITY
If you laugh I’ll kill you.

JUSTIN
Too tired to laugh.

SERENDIPITY
Unicorns. It’s a unicorn theme. They’re everywhere.

JUSTIN
Now I’ve heard everything.

SERENDIPITY
The legends of unicorns are fascinating. Never has a more powerful or beautiful creature ever existed. Did you know it’s impossible for even the mightiest hunter to capture a unicorn? They can’t be taken by force. Only a beautiful maiden--that means virgin--can catch a unicorn. A beautiful maiden sits alone in a field, and a unicorn will come right up to her and lay its head in her lap. Isn’t that beautiful?

JUSTIN
Well, maybe you’ll catch a unicorn at the dance.

SERENDIPITY
(snickering) Jennifer couldn’t, if you know what I mean.

JUSTIN
What? (stunned out of his exhaustion) No way! Already?

SERENDIPITY
Yep. I think it’s sad. It’s always about sex now. In eighties movies, it’s almost always about the first kiss. That was the ultimate. Maybe that’s why I love those movies so much. I want my first kiss to be like that...with somebody sweet, in the moonlight. Perfect.

JUSTIN
Why Serendipity, you’re becoming almost human. Stop it. It’s making me uncomfortable.

SERENDIPITY
(laughs) Tell me a secret.

JUSTIN
Why?

SERENDIPITY
It seems like a good secret-telling moment.

JUSTIN
You go first.

SERENDIPITY
Okay. My biggest secret is...I’m afraid my mother really doesn’t love me.

JUSTIN
(beat)
I’m afraid nobody except my mother will ever really love me.

SERENDIPITY
Well, we make a fine pair, don’t we?

JUSTIN
Yeah, we totally suck.