Being a staff writer can be tough. Being a freelance writer, on the other hand, can be much more than just tough. It can be physically grueling, mentally challenging, spiritually taxing experience. More often than not, the difficulties a freelancer encounters stem not from a lack of talent but from the simple fact that they…
April 14, 2010: Okay, this is the plan…
So the plan was simple enough: dedicate the day to completing the first act of my script. I'd already hit the twelve page mark and really only envisioned another two or three pages to go before landing on that Dum-Dum-Daaaaah moment that takes us to commercial. Two or three pages. And I had an entire…
April 13, 2010: Pooch pics! Updates! News of note!
My dog-sitter sent me the following snaps she took of the pooches while I was away in Montreal. Bubba Lulu Maximus Is it just me, or do all four seem a little melancholy, no doubt missing me terribly and reflecting back on happier times like our weekend walks, couch sprawls, and the last time they…
April 12, 2010: The Love We Share Without Knowing, by Christopher Barzak
Late in The Love We Share Without Knowing, we are told the tale of Gon, a mischievous fox, who stole an eel from a man named Hyoju. The eel was intended for the man’s sick mother and, when she died, a remorseful Gon sought to atone for his misdeed by gifting Hyoju items he had…
April 11, 2010: Dinner at Boneta Restaurant with Alan McCullough!
Hey, guess who I had dinner with last night? That's right. Writer-Co-Exec. Producer Alan McCullough! How the hell did you know - ? Oh, you read the title of this blog entry. Right. Anyway, guess where we went? Uh, right again. Yes, Boneta Restaurant in Gastown where we enjoyed a terrific meal, great conversation, and…
April 10, 2010: The Perils of Adoption!
Can you believe THIS? http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=125788721&ps=cprs A mother in Tennessee is being criticized for changing her mind and shipping her adoptive son back to a Russian orphanage. Apparently, the seven year old turned out to be a bit of a handful. More to the point, the lovable scamp displayed alarmingly violently tendencies and had threatened to…
April 9, 2010: That is one motherf***ing sinister-looking fridge! Ashleigh’s cookie caper! SGU’s Divided airs tonight! And a book of the month club reminder!
The other day, Paul was complaining about the new production office refrigerator. His problem? Not that it was too small or too deep or that the vegetable crisper was located all the way at the bottom, forcing him to bend down every time he wanted a carrot. Rather, my writing partner had taken issue with…
April 8, 2010: Smells like hippie! The joys of writing! Pics!
The first thing my writing partner Paul said when I walked by him this morning was: "Somebody's got a healthy vegan glow about him!". In fact, it wasn't a healthy vegan glow. It was much, much worse! As Ashleigh informed me, we hadn't eaten vegan after all. We'd actually gone to a raw food restaurant! …
April 7, 2010: Prep and Production Happenings! We go Vegan!
First thing I did when I got in this morning was pop my head into my writing partner's office and chime: "Who wants to go to a playback meeting?!" Paul sat back in his chair and looked skyward as if considering. A few seconds of not-so-serious contemplation and then: "No, I don't think so." "I…
April 6, 2010: SGU Production Update!
This was the first sight to greet me when I walked into the office this morning - Yes, that's Executive Producers' Assistant Ashleigh showing off the new jacket she bought with her winnings from the NCAA March Madness office pool. "Couldn't you find one with bigger buttons?"asked my writing partner Paul, dampening her moment of…
April 5, 2010: Au Pied de Cochon! One final round with the relatives! And yet another mailbag!
Last night, we hit Au Pied de Cochon, a restaurant that easily makes my Top Ten list for its rustic Cuisine Quebecoise covering everything from foie gras and tongue to pig's feet and bison ribs. Every visit is like going to a friend's cottage for dinner, if you're friend happens to be an outdoorsman with…
April 4, 2010: Elyse Levesque wants to hear from YOU! Dog Day Afternoon! Some mailbag!
Let's kick off today's entry with a BIG guest blogger announcement. Actress Elyse Levesque, Stargate: Universe's Chloe Armstrong, has kindly agreed to swing by and field your questions. So if you've go 'em, post 'em! "Okay. Shoot." Elyse is ready to field your questions. (Photo courtesy and copyright MGM Television) I'll be sending them her…
April 3, 2010: Space!
Well, I'm pleased to see that many of you enjoyed last night's episode of Stargate: Universe and I look forward to hearing from fans in other parts of the world after Space premieres in their neck of the woods. Thanks to everyone who weighed in with their thoughts. Also, thanks to everyone who worked extremely…
April 2, 2010: With Great Power…, Chocolate-Chocolate-Chocolate! And Ice Cream! Space Premieres Tonight!
As I touched down in Montreal, I received an email from Lou Anders, editor of the forthcoming With Great Power... superhero anthology (of which I am a contributor), informing me that we finally had the go-ahead to go public with the cover art. So, here it is... The artist, Trevor Hairsine, is a British comics…
April 1, 2010: Feel the Burn!
Well, darn it. Because April 1st has fallen on a production holiday, I find myself traveling to Montreal rather than being back at the office, pulling off some elaborate practical joke on Ashleigh, our Exec. Producer's Assisstant (see last year's hilarity: http://josephmallozzi.com/2009/04/01/april-1-2009-theodore-wilsons-last-ride/). Apparently, Ashleigh was equally disappointed as she informed me that she'd planned on "getting me" with an equally…