Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Blogger's Block

I've had a bit of blogger's block this week. Before I left for my weekend in Tahoe, I linked all y'all to my sister-in -law Michelle's blog. The things she writes about and the way she writes has blocked me a bit. I was so impressed by what she had done in a quarter of the time I've have had this blog, I was intimidated. Then I became blocked. Everything I wanted to write about seemed stupid and then I realized that I couldn't even remember the stupid things I wanted to write about.

On top of that, I went away this weekend with my friend who is also my agent. Like any good saleswoman, she pushes me to write something. In order to sell me, I need to give her something to sell. She wants a show about me being a step-mother. My problem is that I don't really feel like a stepmother. I feel like a really cool aunt. I'm not part of the kids' everyday life. Which is normal since they live in Brooklyn.

I've told Ivy I need her help with this and she is totally on board. She is acutely aware of all the teen angst around her and is always willing to offer it up. (Proper discretion is always practiced -- so I'm not putting you on blast, Dogger.) Problem is, I don't know what the story is if these kids aren't in your life everyday. I see them grow in tremendous increments because I don't seem them so often but it's the excruciating, day-to-day details of that heart ache that make a show great. (Think: My So Called Life.)

My point is: anyone who has any thoughts or ideas, please comment. Or tomorrow I'm gonna start posting my character breakdowns for my show based on my experience at Vito. (Think Cheers set in a cheesy Italian restaurant. Sells itself, right?)

3 comments:

Michelle said...

OK. One thing that happens with cool step-moms/aunt-types is they get told things they aren't supposed to know, stuff the parents don't and can't know. But would want to know, and maybe should know. Creates an instant ethical bind. I'm not saying it's happened to you, but it happens.

On the Vito front, my favorite post was the one where you showed up to work and the other woman working said, "So you're here to take my job, right?"

Anonymous said...

Ok so I definitely do tell you stuff that I don't tell either of my parents and some stuff I don't even tell my friends, so you can totally use that for your show. And if you want all the teen angst and heart ache or whatever than I can keep filling you in. I'm sort of becoming an expert on that because my friends don't seem to know how to just chill, and now they've gotten me all involved.

But a show about Vito's is cool too.

Anonymous said...

we have a new season of "lost" and not a peep? are you SURE you are a fan? let's pick the blog up a bit! are you still biking to the picket lines? your thoughts on the strike after the dga settled and the WGA still has not? how about some photos? do i have to do everything myself? ok on the cheers/vito show, but i want to be one of the original writers and co-creator credit with you (i've had the same discussion many times and that way i won't do a competing sitcom with the regulars behind me) - so we can sit back and get checks like JJ Abrahams does for not showing up. don't worry - you can have final cut. i miss you, pal. there are only 7 episodes of lost left. tick tick tick.