This was the first day of the South Carolina Writer's Conference and I was kept pretty busy. I managed to sneak in a long walk on the beach before the rains came (which have lasted all day and into the night) and my three-hour "Breaking Into TV Writing" seminar. I had a great class of aspiring writers and don't have a single stupid question to share with you — though one guy did walk out when I told him I wasn't interested in reading his scripts or his novel-in-progress. I am constantly surprised by how many people read this blog — three people came up and chatted with me about posts they enjoyed or things that they've learned. One woman thanked me for steering her away from making a very expensive mistake with a vanity press. She was so anxious to get her novel published and the vanity press seemed like an attractive short cut to her — but then she realized it was her desperation talking and not her good sense. It made me feel really good to know I saved at least one person from those scammers.
The beach is pretty amazing but don’t mind the rain beacause it’s part of the experience and the atmosphere. When I was teaching ESL in Mexico City it rained every day for an hour, from between 5:30 PM and 7 PM, from June to December — and then the water completely evaporated and you’d never know it rained. Rain is different, I think, at each place and adds a lot to the spot’s character.
Well, if you have a course that runs for 3 hours (!) and people at conferences want to see it, why not produce a DVD of it (and really jazz it up! and have some great guests!) and sell it for $20 to $30 dollars? If so many persons are tuning into your blog, and getting something they need out of it, why not share the insights you have on the business side of TV?
(I’m sure you’ll have a great reason not to do a DVD, but this is what I thought of when you mentioned your course!)
Didn’t Mickey Spillane live in Myrtle Beach?