Month: May 2018

Have You Heard About the ‘Cocky’ Cock-Up? Part 2

Now that you know what we’re talking about (because you read the earlier post below), here’s another (but not so very different) perspective:

TRADEMARK SHENANIGANS: WEIGHING IN ON #COCKYGATE
by Victoria Strauss

If you’re a writer, and you hang out on Twitter and Facebook, you’ve probably heard about #cockygate.

If you haven’t….An author named Faleena Hopkins has registered two separate trademarks for the word “cocky”, which is used in all the titles of her multi-book romance series. One of the trademarks is a design mark (the word “cocky” in a stylized font, as seen above); the other is a word mark (just the word “cocky”). Both refer to “a series of downloadable e-books in the field of romance” and “a series of books in the field of romance.” read article

Have You Heard About the ‘Cocky’ Cock-Up? Part 1

No? But it’s the biggest contretemps in the literary world right this very moment. Well, the literary legal world, for sure. Here’s one blogger’s way of looking at this strange but significant mess:

Cleaning Up the Cocky Cock-Up
by SB Sarah

I’ve noticed as I age (like a fine wine, of course) that I experience different kinds of upset. Sometimes I feel flash-rage explosive, and sometimes I experience a more slow burn of never-ending sneer.

Then there’s the upset that’s a full-body exhale of impending exhaustion. Ever walk into a room and discovered that a toddler has made a mess that includes syrup, ink, and olive oil on a white rug, then watched as they upended a quart of spoiled milk on top? You can see the problem, and beneath it, the hours and hours that will be required to clean it all up. read article

Big News from Bri Castellini & Undead Burrito Productions – @BrisOwnWorld

This just in from Bri Castellini and :

Sam And Pat Are Depressed  has been renewed!

In Ms. Castellini’s own words and a pic: read article

How to Cope with Grief Over Your Canceled Fave Show

Given all the recent and often unexpected series cancellations, we consider this article to be a true Public Service Announcement. Oh, and for you, erm, oldsters, this way of looking at things also works if you’re grieving about getting old:

by Laverne McKinnon

Let’s talk about grief. After all, it is the end of pilot season. I’m intimately familiar with the subject having worked at CBS and Epix and made countless pass phone calls. And as a producer, I’ll admit that I’ve been on the receiving end of more passes then I’ve given out. And if I’m really honest, there have been several times in my career where I’ve thought, “There must be something wrong with me because I can’t move on.” The grief got me stuck. read article

How Recent Pilot Scripts Managed to Make Hurtful Choices Empathetic

The EVERWOOD and 13 REASONS WHY pilots show how to make hurtful choices empathetic
by The Bitter Script Reader

The three best ways to learn more about writing for TV are to read more professional TV scripts, watch more successful TV show episodes, and last but definitely not least, write your own episodes. Here, via one of the most underappreciated writing blogs on the interwebs is an example of how this works:

I’ve been preparing to address the notes on my teen drama pilot and it brought to mind two pilots that were touchstones for me as I wrote: Everwood and 13 Reasons Why. And I hadn’t noticed before they not only share similar scenes, but they’re KEY similar scenes.

13 Reasons Why’s pilot has two moments that I think are essential to getting the audience invested in the story. The first is an interaction between Hannah and Clay at the basketball game. There’s a little bit of banter exchanged that halts when Clay realizes she’s there to check out one of the players. “Don’t be jealous, Clay” she teases. It’s clear on the page he’s pining for her, but the way the scene is played is essential. Hit just the wrong note, and her teasing seems mean-spirited. Instead, it’s a cute moment. read article