I had one of those writing days, where you do nothing but write. But in my case it was a re-writing day. Clay (the world's most awesome agent) had sent me his notes on my most recent pilot script, Dunswitch Academy. Shockingly enough, he loved it. He really loved it. So I did a quick turn around on the notes (I am in fact the fastest writer ever. I think Dunswitch is the very first first draft that took me over a week to write. If I can make the time and have a good idea 60-100 pages a week is not unheard of for me. Hence, why I believe I am destined to be a head writer/show runner in the land of TV.)
So now he hands it off to the owner of the agency and we get her input. I'm also waiting to hear back from my readers! (You know who you are!)
Now that I've written the pilot, I'll go through a round or two of notes and "tweekage," and then I end up where I am now, which is slowly starting to compose the show bible for the pitch. I just have to be careful to give them enough work that they can see my vision but not too much so they think I'm inflexible and a tool. Remember, in TV the NETWORK knows best. And after the Network it will be whatever show runner I can get to work on my show.
So I'm now in the process of coming up with episode ideas . . . hence why I need my readers to finish the pilot so I can start bouncing plots off of them. This is the tough part. The ideas have to be good enough to use, show thought and be creative . . . but I know that they will probably never be used.
Once you get a writing staff, actors, audience response, Network folks, directors, crew etc. The show will change. You'll love writing for some actors, hate others - love some characters, kill off some others - TV changes and rarely goes according to plan. Plus the first few episodes of any new show is basically a reboot of the pilot until the TEAM figures out how best to tell this particular story - this way.
I also had a ton of "Business" stuff to deal with yesterday. Stuff I can't talk about on here for fear it will jinx my best laid plans -plus it's just not cool. Let's just say Clay and I are putting our plans for a take over of the entertainment industry into motion . . .
Oh the agency did just place a script idea from another writer into my lap . . . I think they want me to do a re-write on it. I have to be careful about these things. I can't give away my best, most creative stuff without assurances. Since I've been burned this way before - I'm going to read it through, see how much work it needs - pull it apart and put it back together. But if the agency and this show creator want to see what I've done - I'm getting it in writing. No more favors etc for other writers unless I get a contract.
I am no longer anyone's butt-monkey!!!!
But it will be fun to change gears. Dunswitch is a teen/horror/suspense/smut type of thing . . . this new idea is . . . well it's gritty hyper reality. So it will be a fast and furious change of pace.
BUT- I digress. Due to writing all day yesterday I didn't workout. And yes I feel fat, depressed and toad-like. I had planned a day of legs and core work with weights and then hill work.
That didn't happen. I hadn't had a rest day in almost two weeks so I justified it that way. I still felt like crap for it.
On the upside it's Saturday so that means I get to Jiu Jitsu. It will be an over crowded class but we will get an hour or two of open mat. Open Mat is where we get to separate the children from the men. I love taking a guy (younger than me) who looks like he should be in great shape and who should be able to to physically hand me my fat ass on a silver platter - and then I make him quit.
Making someone turn to me and say, "No Mas."
In some ways its getting back at my brothers and all of those people who were better at sports than me in high school. I know it is ego driven and wrong . . . but I do take great satisfaction in it.
And no, I'm not all spazzy relying on brute force - those guys I love to shut down. It's that I'm crafty, I think outside the box (fighting in a gi helps that) and that despite my years of self abuse though chemicals and cigarettes - I have a bottomless gas tank on the mat. I am a cardio machine.
Also, at this point in my life -my heart - that weird thing that makes me want to fight in the first place - is bigger and stronger than the other guy's. I guess I feel like I have something to prove. Somewhere along the line I developed what guys who fight dogs call gameness. I never had it as a kid or all through my teenage years - but now, as an adult - somehow it developed. I guess I'm just a late bloomer.
I realize that I haven't posted a recipe yet. I will do so now. Although Mandy and I had slight words about this. Mandy feels that my recipes belong on her blog. They are my recipes. So I believe we may have a "blog war" on our hands over recipes . . . or she could just copy and paste from my blog.
Oven Baked Sweet Potato Fries (serves 4)
*pre-heat oven to 425
1 1/2-2 Lb. sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch strips.
1/4 of a cup of olive oil
1/2 Tb kosher salt
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp red pepper
dash of black pepper
Stick the 1/4 strips in a bowl or in a zip lock bag, add the wet and dry ingredients and mix generously coating everything.
Take a baking sheet, cover in aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.
Lay 1/4 in strips in a single layer across pan.
Reduce heat to 400 and bake for 15 minutes.
Turn the fries over so they bake and crisp up evenly.
Raise heat to 425 and bake for another 15 minutes-20 minutes.
Enjoy!
Here's an extra treat kids! My Low fat, Low cal home made MEAT LOAF recipe!!
HEALTHY MEAT LOAF
(250-350 cal per serving - 2 1/4 inch slices.)
1 Lb. 90% lean ground beef
1Lb Turkey Sausage without the casings.
1 cup onion diced
1 cup carrots, grated.
1 1/2 cup mushrooms diced
4 cloves of garlic
1 cup oats or oatmeal
2 egg whites
1 cup Ketchup.
Salt & Pepper - other spices to taste
Pre heat oven to 375.
Mix the meats in a bowl
Saute in olive oil the onion and carrots for 3-4 min. then add garlic, cook over med heat for another 3 min.
Mix all of your ingredients except the ketchup.
Your hands work best! Make sure they are clean!
Add 1/2 - 3/4 of a cup of ketchup.
Now, you can either cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil (and cooking spray) and shape the loaf there OR you can put it in a bread pan. The difference is that on the baking sheet -the extra oil, fat, etc can leave the loaf. In a bread pan it gets absorbed by the oats.
After shaping the loaf, take the remaining ketchup and cover the loaf. I used a basting brush and it worked perfectly.
Bake on 375 for 50-65 minutes. (I used 65 minutes and it was perfect - but that's my oven - beware -don't undercook turkey - it must reach an internal temp of 165.)
Let sit 5-10 minutes before serving.
Enjoy!
Until next time True Believers . . .
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