The other day somebody called me a “grumpy old man.” (And no, this wasn’t the first time I’ve heard that. Not by a longshot.) I think it was supposed to be a pejorative, but I found both concepts – being “grumpy” and being “old” exhilarating.
To me, it meant that I’m self-aware enough to refuse to take any crap and that I have enough years on me to have actually grown up a bit.
My joy was complete when I discovered this image:
FWIW, to me, this is what everything’s all about. Doing your best at what you believe in. Risking everything. Taking a flyer. Plunging in.
Maybe you’ll fly. Maybe you’ll crash and burn. But while it’s happening…well, my generation had an overused saying, but I believe it applies here: “Wotta rush!”
Today’s question comes from Andy, who wants to know:
“I saw your post on the Kickstarter Film Festival and was wondering, what are your thoughts on creatives using Kickstarter, Indigo and the like, especially with regard to TV? Is it good, bad, the future of the industry? Are crowd funded Web series a good launching pad for TV writing careers?
“Are those who go this route blazing a trail or trying to push a bolder up a hill only to watch it roll all the way down at the end?”
Talking specifically about back when I was doing THE SILVER SURFER. At the same time, Michael Steven Gregory and I came up with another concept called TWO DUDES.
THE SILVER SURFER was cancelled after only one season on FoxKids because of a financial dispute between Fox and Marvel. TWO DUDES got a lot of action as a screenplay and even had a short life on the web as an animated gif series. (Told you this was “back when.”) The other day, though, I saw the cartoon above. Now I’m a subscriber.
Been awhile since I’ve done the question-answer thing. But the other day Kate sent in what I think is a good one:
“People say you have to be tough as nails to make it out in LA in the television industry. I believe them. But many writers are, as I’m sure you’re aware, sensitive by nature. I know I am. It’s a part of me that I like – it lets me see things from different angles, empathize with others, and I think it helps inform my writing by allowing me to feel deeply. It must be possible to have a tough outer shell and a soft interior. Is that what most television writers are like? If so, how do they do it? If not, what can I do?”
This question made me think long and hard. Even do a little soul searching. Here’s how it came out: