You know what I hate? More than being late? More than driving around, looking for parking? Even more than the New England Patriots? Rewrites. I was a notorious rewrite-hater back in the Stargate days, so much so that years after Paul and I had stopped co-writing, we still shared script credits because, while I was writing most of the originals, he was doing ALL of the rewrites and it was only fair.
Despite what executives will tell you, there is no such as a “small rewrite” because, if you’ve done your job properly, you will have crafted every scene, each dialogue run, in a smooth progression, inexorably building toward a conclusive payoff. Remove or change one piece, and the entire structure risks collapsing like a Jenga structure. There are no small rewrites. Only rewrites. And even bigger rewrites.
[Interesting fact. If you do a google image search for “hate rewrites”, roughly 30 of those first 110 results will link back to this blog.]Having said all that, I’m about halfway through the rewrite on Episode 301 and it’s actually coming along quite nicely. EP Jay Firestone’s notes were pretty good and I was able to address all of his issues and implement most of his suggestions. Hopefully, I’ll finish up tomorrow after which it’ll be smoooth sailing…until the next rewrite.
Thanks to everyone who weighed in with their opinions on what they did NOT want to see in Dark Matter’s third season. 80+ comments so far and counting!
Hey, remember when you were in elementary school and you had a falling out with a classmate? And they’d do something petty like not invite you to their birthday party BUT invite your best friend in an attempt to curry favor with them? Well, this kinda happened to me. TODAY! I shit you not. My response was stunned bemusement. Seriously? Are we suddenly eight year olds again?
Well, tomorrow’s the day! For Bubba, it’ll be blood work, an ultrasound, and an anti-cancer vaccine. For Lulu, it’s a chest x-ray, an MRI, a catscan, and an uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (say THAT three times fast!). Wish ’em luck!
Good luck Bubba & Lulu! We’re all anxiously awaiting the results!
Booo on the party.
Pug pups! Awww hope Bubba is ok. Some one didn’t invite you to their party? Who doesn’t invite Joe Mallozzi to their party?? What the he##? You and Akemi would be first on my list. Yah that’s gotta sting,hang in there Joe.
I have a theory (okay, maybe it’s not just mine) that everyone is basically a kid at heart. Whether that is a good thing or a bad thing is determined by how people use their higher level of maturity and experience to work that into their “adult” personality. Sounds like someone is having difficulty successfully doing that.
Best wishes for those two impossibly cute little pups there! Give them both a big hug for me. I’m sure things will go fine – and they couldn’t have any more caring pet parents than you and Akemi.
Short and sweet. For the record, I hate rewrites, too. Post the dogs’ progress step by step for me, please?
Wait, did you say, ‘anti-cancer vaccine’? Is that a thing?
And yes, amazing how people can revert back to schoolyard tactics…
Many hugs and prayers for your puppies. And please share the results. adoptive parents want to know.
Kinda agree with gforce – some people are not basically a kid at heart they are children/brats and the variety ranges from bully to selfish.
The real kids are more innocent without some self serving bottom line.
And worser…how dare anyone insult you and Akemi?
Sending good canine vibes for Bubba and Lulu. It is always stressful when your 4-legged “kids” are having issues.
Keep the pencils sharpened or the “keyboard” fingers limber for all those rewrites. It’s Go Time for S3!!
As I get older, I find I have zero tolerance for grade school playground antics. I just shake my head and am silently thankful that most of my friends and family don’t pull this crap and the % that do, get the “bless their little hearts” with a head shake and I go on my merry way.
Lulu and Bubba are wearing the pink ribbons and bows very well! Cute, cute, cute! Prayers up and hugs for the pups! Good luck!
@maggiemayday & @pbmom: hope you are feeling better
Keep us posted!
Good luck Bubba and Lulu!! Nothing else matters, including two-faced so called “friends”.
As to what I would like to see less of in season 3…the Android’s dream world.
Good luck with your buds.
the best of luck to the dogs.
good luck bubba and lulu!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hugs n speedy healing to Bubba n Lulu. Hope all goes well today.
Speaking of birthdays, debating what I want to do for mine coming up on the 6th. Like Gforce it looks like I’m going to be on my own this year. By the way @gforce in case i got so busy i forgot to send happy wishes your way Giant Hugs and then some! Hope it was a fun day even though you didnt get to try Mission. ❤
Good job on rising above the petty! 👍🏻
{{{Hugs}}} to all of you during the procedures today! 🍀🙏🏻
Sending good thoughts for the pups.
Shame on the party giver. Shame. (ding) Shame (ding) (get it?)
Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty? I hurt myself trying to say it even once.
First, I can now assume, the annoying email you got while in Japan was related to your scripts. Okay. Rewrites are difficult, but less so if the suggestions are good quality. I face similar issues at my job. I write & develop eLearning modules to train others. Each one has to be reviewed form mechanics to content and feedback is always a chore, but is appreciated if it makes the product better. I think you probably feel the same.
As to what I don’t want to have in DM S3, 4, 5… echoes what other’s have said, no serious romance (friendship building is fine), no killing off main characters.
What I enjoy are the twists and turns, hidden meanings with Easter eggs — the more complicated the better, technology of the future (if it can be imagined, use it) and guest appearances by wonderful actors. Wouldn’t mind seeing more aliens, alien landscapes and nifty gadgets either. And of course the amazing writing, directing and acting of this high-quality show! 😉
I will be sending good thoughts for Lulu and Bubba’s procedures. Please do keep us aunts & uncles here informed of their progress. My Basil and Stash hear about your pups so often they think they’re related!
Take good care all,
2cats
The biggest favour I ever did for myself is learn not to care if someone slighted me. Honestly, whatever their problem is, it’s “their” problem. Most often, the people who act like they are 8 years old, are not worth your time.
I’m with @MaggieL80. As I get older I can’t tolerate game-playing anymore. I choose not to engage in that for the duration of time I have left on this planet. Life is too short. I usually react in two ways depending on the level of infraction– 1) shake my head and laugh at the silliness of it all and hold my head high and move forward or 2) distance this person from my life if it was something that really offended me.
Just as an addition, I hate drama. I have stopped talking to family members because the level of the drama they brought into my life was too much. Of course that is after a lot of hope that they will change things in their life. Or in the case of my sister, I told her that if she made a certain choice that she did, I didn’t want to hear anymore about it ever again. She agreed to that. And our conversations were about everything but anything in that particular area of her life.
Last Thanksgiving she decided to dip her toe back into the drama pool. I let her talk for 10 minutes about it (after having been warned by my other sister she had just had an hour-long conversation about the issue). I told her, “And why does this behavior surprise you since nothing has changed in XXX?” I reminded her that when she made the decision she did, she agreed that it would be a topic off limits forever until things changed. Oh boy! She FLIPPED OUT. She went 3-4 months without a text and without a call. I think she and I have only talked on the phone once in the past year and our relationship has been affected. I can’t worry about that. I can only pray she makes better personal decisions.
It’s Tuesday, so Bubba and Lulu are in my prayers. I hope the surgery for Lulu goes well and that you can get to the bottom of the potential neurological issues. I hope the ultrasound and blood work for Bubba turns out okay and that these lumps are just fatty in nature with zero cancer cells and zero “inconclusive” results.
Be well Lulu and Bubba, hope they both have quick recoveries and will be playing at the park soon.
Seems an auspicious start to your birthday month, aka Joetober which some pagan groups still celebrate with swordplay, bonfires, feasting and parades.
Best wishes for your puppers, sending a lot of love.
People are idiots. Some adult better than others. Best to just move along, bake your own cake, and buy presents for yourself. I recommend a silly hat and a goofy party dance to lift your mood.
Reg viewer “don’ts” for season 3 – Please don’t kill any more of the original 6 humans. Please make it more difficult to turn off or short out the android. That happens too often.
Doggies – Awww, poor babies. And you and Akemi must be worried sick. I hope they come out of all their tests and procedures very well. Hugs to you all.
Been unable to be a frequent visitor lately and therefore I feel as if I’ve been away for eons. I’ve got SO much blog-reading to catch up on! 👀
Life’s too short to care about trivial things such as what someone unimportant may think of you.
I think Maggie and everyone else who spoke about this made a great point.
@ceresis64 Been there FREQUENTLY!! I’m now the “binge blogger.” I’m hoping to regain my “regular blogger” status sometime in the next few years. LOL.
Rewrites? Arghh … sounds painful already.
All the best to Lulu and Bubba.
For season 3 … would also love to see Android not getting shut off and perhaps Three doesn’t get beaten up all the time? LOL.
I hope all goes well with the pups tomorrow. And good luck with the rewrites.
Also, thanks for asking our opinions on the show, but I trust you to tell us a good story. You knew where the characters were headed you wrote those comics (which I have and love) and I want to see where you are going to take them. And us.
So go for it.
Good luck for the dogies, hope everything went well and you can come to my birthday party anytime!
@PBMom I agree, ‘regular blogger’ status sometime soon…ish would be great lol