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JMS on "bad days" in tv land

hypatia

Regular
JMS on \"bad days\" in tv land

I thought some of you would find this interesting, especially those of you who might eventually want to write for television. This comes from the moderated group:

</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
>Do you ever get frustrated or discouraged over the seemingly never ending
>hurdles of putting out a quality TV series with a memory and which builds
>upon
>itself? How do you deal with it?

I don't. Some days I just throw up my hands (or my lunch) and walk out of the
building and swear I'm getting out of TeeVee once and for all. On one hand
it's a terrific business to be in...on the other hand, it's soul-killing if you
want to do anything other than walk the middle of the road. More than once,
I've had to just go right to the wall, to say it's either this way or I
walk...and on many occasions, I've ended up doing just that, walking, because I
have only a few rules when I work, and the first one is "I never bluff. Ever."

There are days -- lots of them -- when it's just a heartbreaker of a
profession. But at the same time I have to keep it in perspective: I'm not
likely to get caught in a mine shaft collapse, or get hit by a falling house
frame, or endure the many hardships that people every day in far more important
jobs -- teaching, carpenting, construction -- the jobs that keep this country
moving ahead, have to endure. It's all subcutaneous, neural, emotional,
creative, professional...but in ways that are designed to nibble away your
humanity and your compassion, to lead you to excess and arrogance and
indulgence.

There are days it drives me totally batshit.

But I tell stories, it's what I do, and television provides the biggest canvas
in human history, and I have no intention surrendering the field to the
visigoths.

jms


(all message content (c) 2002 by synthetic worlds, ltd.,
permission to reprint specifically denied to SFX Magazine
and don't send me story ideas)


[/quote]
 
Re: JMS on \"bad days\" in tv land

/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif
sounds like jms alright!
 
Re: JMS on \"bad days\" in tv land

Oooh, he's got it right.

Honestly, in any profession where your wares are words, you're gonna have the same sort of problems. The only people who aren't driven batshit sometimes are those who write completely for fun and ONLY for fun up in their garrets with no intention of ever telling stories for other people besides themselves...
 
Re: JMS on \"bad days\" in tv land

yeah ok its a hard profession yadda , yadda , yadda .
but do you keep having to go on about it ?
 
Re: JMS on \"bad days\" in tv land

"yeah ok its a hard profession yadda , yadda , yadda .
but do you keep having to go on about it ?"

Ummmmm, just a guess but...perhaps because he was ASKED about it? LOL
 
Re: JMS on \"bad days\" in tv land

I think about Orson Welles (Wells?) when it comes to the whole B5 financial thing. In an interview when he was looking back on his career, he was saying how movie making was mostly fighting to get funding.

Sound familiar? /forums/images/icons/rolleyes.gif
 
Re: JMS on \"bad days\" in tv land

I meant how channe kept going on about "how hard a writer`s existense is " .. The absolute bottom line here is that things are hard . Now why i put that paticular post was because nearly every post channe commented on , she mostly refered to being a writer or some sort of hardship involved . Now maybe she sick of making no money as a writer (i am told its just like being an actor or a musician -99% fail) i don`t know ?? channe what is the problem ? i do go on about my job , but not on here i leave the folks here knowing what they know best - Babylon 5
and as mr.morden said What do you Want ?
 
Re: JMS on \"bad days\" in tv land

When I comment about being a writer, it's always in Redux, or in threads like this, or in other threads where somebody mentions it. It's always within context. JMS talking about creating and writing Babylon 5, and me confirming what he said from a different perspective, is certainly contextual.

Nobody rags on hypatia in this way when she talks about being a college professor, I've noticed. I really like listening to her experiences, actually. And would you like to rag on Savant for bringing her considerable experience in television's business side to the discussion? Hell, I like to hear anybody's stories, but that's just because I'm a journalist and a sucker for 'em.

I'm a professional writer. Like JMS, Anna Quindlen, Joss Whedon, Fareed Zakaria, and Molly Ivins, I get a paycheck every week for my mojo with words. I'm pretty far from failing, IMHO. /forums/images/icons/wink.gif

I don't have a "problem," as you so succinctly put it. People have a tendency to think that writing is a beautiful, easy profession.

You're the first person I've ever met whom I've offended in this way. I don't get what you're saying about "what do you want," other than to answer "right now? a cup of coffee and to finish my Umberto Eco novel."

So, I'm sorry, I can apologize for offending you, but not for wanting to continue commenting about writing on this board. It's not against the rules and you seem to be the only one (who has told me, at least) that you dislike it.
 
Re: JMS on \"bad days\" in tv land

sure n p .
its just something that you have heard so many times before and people keep repeating it ... it starts to gnaw at your mind and you get to think "my god (excuse the pun /forums/images/icons/laugh.gif )can`t they talk about something else ?
" you are a professional writer ? well good for you . I don`t know what else to say but we all do different things on this board , and they are probably hard , difficult things to do ... life isn`t easy , but we get on with it because we dont want to be homeless tramps lol . I am not qualified , I come from a run-down area of Manchester , UK .There is only two choices i was given that is stay on dhss (social security , as you Americans call it) and be a layabout or work all the hours i can . Thankfully i chose the second .Why i don`t like religion is mainly because of my family .On one side is catholic and the other side is protestant .I do not like Religion and i do not want to hear about God or whatever ..
 
Re: JMS on \"bad days\" in tv land

Hey Hyp, I am tired of your damn math problems and college professor crap. /forums/images/icons/tongue.gif

No, really ... I am one of those weirdos who -liked- math in school. /forums/images/icons/grin.gif

I really don't get what DS is all worked up about since it seems to me they are being overly sensitive to the religion and writing sides of Channe. I just don't see it. *shrug* Hey, just be thankful she isn't talking about Luke Perry! /forums/images/icons/devil.gif

*runs and hides from Channe*

I could talk about the hardships of working in the tech industry and web development but that would bore everyone to tears since it has nothing to do with most discussions on the board. What Channe says is almost always relevant and interesting to me. So, if you don't like it, don't read it?

*tries to understand the problem here but fails miserably*
 
Re: JMS on \"bad days\" in tv land

You know, d-mixed capitals-star, there's a very easy remedy for that.

Don't read the posts that talk about religion or writing.

That way you can untwist your knickers before you get a very uncomfortable blister.

Channe has every right to talk about writing or her religion, if she cares to. While I don't want to diminish whatever angst your issues cause you, your baggage is your responsibility.

Ro
 
Re: JMS on \"bad days\" in tv land

I like talking about religion, and I like talking about writing. Since you seem to like neither of these things, I suggest you skip my posts.

After all, as we here in the States say, "it's a free country."
 
Re: JMS on \"bad days\" in tv land

</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
Nobody rags on hypatia in this way when she talks about being a college professor, I've noticed. I really like listening to her experiences, actually.

[/quote]

Yea, no one hollers at me when I get to "mathy" as Sassy put it. /forums/images/icons/laugh.gif

I dabbled in writing, too, BTW Channe. But I don't have the capacity to be a pro author, I think. Burn out is just so easy in your field.

But keep on truckin' /forums/images/icons/wink.gif

We need a future JMS, you know. /forums/images/icons/tongue.gif And when I wait for an author to get famous, I expect results. /forums/images/icons/grin.gif /forums/images/icons/wink.gif
 
Re: JMS on \"bad days\" in tv land

</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
No, really ... I am one of those weirdos who -liked- math in school.

[/quote]
*GASP* /forums/images/icons/shocked.gif

Someone out there actually LIKES math other than myself and maybe a handfull of my Calculus students? /forums/images/icons/laugh.gif

Well, this is my lucky day. /forums/images/icons/grin.gif
 
Re: JMS on \"bad days\" in tv land

I'm not sure I'll ever be famous.

But I like what I do - a lot.

And that's really what matters.

/forums/images/icons/smile.gif
 
Re: JMS on \"bad days\" in tv land

Eating and paying rent while you are doing it are pretty nice, too. /forums/images/icons/grin.gif

Congratulations on making it all work. /forums/images/icons/cool.gif It's a precious gift. And any job you are passionate about will bring its fair share of complaining. /forums/images/icons/devil.gif /forums/images/icons/laugh.gif

Go get 'em! I need good books to read after I finish re-reading Asimov. /forums/images/icons/grin.gif

I'm WAITING ..... *tapping foot impatiently* /forums/images/icons/wink.gif /forums/images/icons/tongue.gif
 
Re: JMS on \"bad days\" in tv land

LOL, hyp! You crack me up. It's actually working (barely...)

I'll write a novel soon enough. Right now, I want to concentrate on being a good journalist.

Gee, that sounds snotty! /forums/images/icons/wink.gif
 
Re: JMS on \"bad days\" in tv land

</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
I'll write a novel soon enough. Right now, I want to concentrate on being a good journalist.

[/quote]
Why would that sound snotty to anyone? Someone who does a half-a**ed job becaue they feel they "should be doing something else" should be solidly kicked in the head. /forums/images/icons/mad.gif

Having a job these days is a gift. And one that should not be taken lightly. Having a good job that you dont' actually hate is a precious gift. /forums/images/icons/grin.gif

I have not read any of your work (I just don't get into fan fiction, sorry /forums/images/icons/frown.gif ). What kind of journalism do you do? Do you report on just anything you want to? Or do you work in a "department"?

Could we ever see a sample of your journalism? Or is that a no-no?
 

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