While our finalizing and closing our deal has been a long, complicated, and laborious process, this script has been just the opposite. I got another nice little run going again today and hit the 41 page mark. Some fun exchanges, a couple of surprises, and two novel action sequences later, and I’m looking at putting Act III to bed before bed. Major respect for Alex who – over the course of his own long, complicated, and laborious process – came up with some terrific relationships I’m having a hell of a lot of fun exploring, specifically those involving our hero and “his business associate”, our hero and “his buddy on the home front”, and our hero and his “unexpected new friend”. At this rate, I’ll be finished tomorrow and have the entire weekend to tighten and polish. And, oh yeah, get to work on that bible.
Paul, meanwhile, is apparently making good progress on his script as well.
Today, between scripting clever dialogue and spectacular stunts, I also found the time to start the dogs on their new diet and exercise regimen. My porky pug Maximus needs to work on his cardiovascular endurance. Once around the block and he was hacking and wheezing like a pack a day smoker taking the stairs. Bubba and Lulu are decidedly more athletic, conquering their afternoon run and still having enough leftover energy to wrestle each other and harass Max who simply lay down and surrendered. Jelly did more sniffing and standing around than walking but that’s okay because she’s excused. At her current weight of five pounds under the weight limit, she can afford to take it easy.
As for me – I’m back to two-a-days: weights in the morning and cardio at night. As for my diet…well…it’s not exactly Spartan. Unless, of course, the Spartans ate ox-tail braised in a reduction of Cabernet Sauvignon, orange, soy sauce, brown sugar, cipollini onions, and star anise served with a sweet potato mash and hosin-five spice broccoli.
Saturday, I’ll be using a Catena Malbec to slow-cook some veal cheeks I plan on serving with roasted parsnips and balsamic grilled asparagus. I’m admittedly not much of a wine connoisseur, but I do know what makes for a good braising liquid!
A quickie reminder to all you Book of the Month Club participants. Next week, we begin discussion on our February BOTMC pick –
Finish up and start prepping your questions for author (and fellow Canuck) Karl Schroeder!
Hello Joe.
Best of luck to you as you finish the script, and to the dogs as they start the new diets!
Best Wishes,
Bryan
so curious about that new project youre working on! and still hoping for some kind of news on SGU:D you’ve got to be a little annoyed with people always asking for news about that 😀
well hope youre having a blast with that script!
hugs
Wanda
Hey Joe,
I think you forgot to mention that SGU resumes march 7 on Syfy!
Hey Joe,
It is fun to read your process on this script. Wow…bibles rule..that will be fun to read about too. Can’t wait…as always.
Love hearing about the pups. Didn’t need a video of that…the pictures kept running around in my head anyway.
I am so happy for you.
Best to you Joe,
Always,
Cheryl 🙂
Haven’t read any of his books but I’ll join the question time thing.
Anyway, my questions for author Karl Schroeder.
1. What inspired you to become an author?
2. When writing your stories, what gives you inspiration?
3. What do you when you reach a roadblock when writing?
4. As an author, where do you see yourself in 10 years?
5. How would you feel if one of your books was turned into a TV show, or a movie?
6. What book did you most enjoy writing and why?
7. What are some of your favorite authors and which books specifically by them do you enjoy reading?
8. Imagine you could work with your favorite author on a book, who would you work with and why? And what kind of story would it have?
9. What are some of your favorite foods?
10. Are you a fan of Science fiction shows such as Stargate? If so which of the three Stargate shows do you enjoy the most?(Stargate SG1, Stargate Atlantis, Stargate Universe).
Noticed Syfy mentioned on their twitter for SGU to get a Season 3, it would need 2.5/3 times the current audience. Though I’m guessing anything closer to 2 million would likely do it.
http://twitter.com/Syfy/status/35867642485014528
Anyone have a magic lamp or a genie from Aladdin lying around? Lol.
Either way I guess people need to get promoting on the show front to get the word out for it to get a rescue of execution from the network.
McIntyre = the new Spartacus:
http://thevoiceoftv.com/blog/liam-mcintyre-is-the-new-spartacus/28291
First rule: respect the man’s [domain]
Respectful nod.
Rule number two: greet the man
Hi Joe.
Rule number three: ask your question
I was watching Stargate SG-1 Season 8 Episode 9 (the one in which Rya’c gets married) and was wondering “how does a pregnant Jaffa woman carry a child to term?” It seems that a growing baby would make for cramped living conditions for her symbiote, not to mention the kicking.
Last night, while watching Community, I got a flash that the show you’re working on is a TV version of “The Transporter”. it just came out of the blue, I didn’t even realize I was thinking about it.
So, am I right?
Good luck in any regards Joe, I hate what syfy did to Stargate.
@randomness: Very curious to see if SGU’s new day will bring a bump in the ratings. I’ve already started promoting.
Thanks for sharing about the script process, Joe. Looking forward to when you can tell us about your new gig.
Have a great day!!
I gave up on SGU, if joe said no 3rd season then nothing we can do will get it back. It can never get more audiences no matter the quality so logically syfy wont get it back, by the time Brad gets some movie deal, half if not all the actors will be busy doing other things then. 15 seasons and we cant get one 2 hour movie, that is just odd. Maybe its a good time to ask if Cooper really had creative differences with Brad and thats why he left early right? I mean it was such an unexpected move and can only be made when there are creative differences.
Transporter if its like burn notice ill like it, but i dont know what to expect from it, how about a stargate reference if its possible 🙂
Joe, I am just wondering how things work in show biz with the deals and negotiations and stuff. Do writers let their agents handle almost everything to do with the contract, or do you guys get personally involved with all the finances and detail? Do producers and directors have agents to take care of that kind of thing?
I too feel the same way about Andy Whitfield. But I’ll remain open minded and give the new guy a chance.
BTW, I take it back, you’re obviously not working on Charlie’s Angels. Could it possibly be Jason Bourne tv based show?
@Lisa R
Me too, if anything Syfy have basically said if the show becomes a 2 million odd viewer show like it was in the front half of Season 1 they would take another look, and maybe bring it back.
Though I think there isn’t much chance of that happening it’s encouraging that they haven’t given up on SGU completely like some people think.
Anyway If you look at the ratings for Season 1 you’d see that Life pretty much took a quarter of the audience away. While it wasn’t my favorite episode it makes no sense to me why so many people got offended over it lol
Craig who runs Syfys twitter also mentioned that the channel was contracted for 2 seasons. So regardless of how well or bad Season 1 did, they were obligated to give a new season. Too bad it wasn’t 3 lol
@Randomness
I wonder why it was only a two season deal. Uncertainty in today’s market?? Well, I guess we can always hope things turn around.
Did anyone else see this?
http://twitter.com/Syfy/status/36112527372845056
Basically Syfy saying if they had the choice, Stargate Universe wouldn’t be a Stargate show.
@Randomness
I just saw it. Interesting. Wonder why they ended up making it a Stargate show??
@Randomness. That’s not how I read that. Without access to the original question, I can’t be sure but it reads to me as if SyFy is saying if it had done something David von Brakel wondered/asked about, then the show wouldn’t have been Stargate not that that was their preference.
Anne Teldy
@Lisa R
I don’t have the right to answer. I personally think it’s a good take on the Stargate name.
However as haters pretty much post everywhere saying SGU isn’t Stargate. Having the network say if they had the choice they wouldn’t of had it with the Stargate name is a poor choice of words in my opinion, it just adds fuel to the fire of haters.
@Randomness
Don’t get me wrong. I do agree with you. I was just musing out loud. And I think that the majority of the people who read this blog think that ScyFy has made a lot of poor decisions as of late. So, Engler saying this out loud, if that is what he meant, would not be a big surprise.
I got cable (now satelite) many years ago specifically because I saw SiFi and thought that was the coolest channel EVER! So what happened to my cool channel? Who screwed it up? It’s not nothing like it use to be. Shame.
Will Akemi be joining you in Toronto?
Uh, Joe, I don’t think you need to be under 22 lb. 🙂
Broccolli looks tasty. Oxtail looked a little scary but the seasonings sound delicious. Poor Maximus, he looks so sweet, like he should be on a “Miss you much” greeting card. I hope he can make his weight without having to starve down “Vision Quest” style.
Maybe all the pugs need is an 80’s movie workout montage to get them in shape, set to Loverboy or Night Ranger. Jelly would look cute in a terry cloth headband and leg warmers.
Hey Joe
Ok, turn the page. We’ll have the script read in, what, 54 days?
Elminster
I think weight loss for dogs is more difficult than weight loss for humans. Good luck with the efforts. If the walking doesn’t work out well, maybe someone will hook them up with Crossfit?