by Troy DeVolld
Even at 45, well into my career, I have my moments.
Between gigs, I still get pensive and crabby and wonder if every show will be my last, just like I did at 40, 35 and 30. I wonder, with all the ebbs and flows in the amount of reality television in production, if I will have enough when it’s all over to retire with more than just great stories. That said, I also have moments of wild, Pollyanna-like optimism when something even begins to look like it might go right. Those are the ones that keep me going.
Half a lifetime ago, I spent a lot of money on pitch festivals and books and all the things that would make me, I thought, a better writer/producer. Then reality television came along and my absurd output of spec screenplays and teleplays screeched to a halt as I ran down a new and exciting road that offered less resistance and more opportunity in the then-booming reality television alternative to traditional storytelling.