Pilot scripts for just about every TV show you can think of, all in one place.
An absolute gold mine. If you’re thinking about writing TV, clear your schedule and start reading. (Thanks to Jim Campolongo for the link.)
QandA
Twitchforks
Noted for future reference: I almost invented a word today on Twitter:
I say “almost,” because while I can’t find any earlier use on Twitter itself, the term shows up twice in Google results.
So close.
BTW, I’m using Twitter more. If you’re interested, you can follow me @johnaugust.
On accident, by accident
One of the random quirks of language that pops up. Fill in the blank:
JOHN
Who opened my mail?
MARY
Sorry. I did it __ accident. I just wasn’t paying attention.
If you said “on accident,” you’re very likely under 30 years old.
In fact, among Americans in that age group, it’s becoming more common than the traditional “by accident.” And linguists don’t know why:
Finally, why “on accident” arose is also unclear. Obviously, “on purpose” may have played a role in supplying an analogical form (I didn’t break the window on purpose; I broke it on accident). But “by accident” and “on purpose” have existed for hundreds of years without one causing the other to change prepositions, and we don’t hear “by purpose,” so why did the change happen when it did and why did the change have the direction it did rather than the other way round (in other words, to “by accident” & “by purpose”)?
My hunch? Start looking at popular kids’ TV shows and see when they started using it.
Referring to famous people
I’m writing a comedy where two main characters are discussing Michael Bay films. One hates the man and his work, the other is more neutral.
Is this okay and considered “fair”, to talk/discuss/rant about a person like Michael Bay (or Uwe Boll, or Nicholas Cage etc.)? Do you need permission from them?
— James
Feel free to have your characters discuss Michael Bay. Say good things; say bad things; say what you want. It’s pretty hard to cross into libel territory when you just have dialogue about somebody famous like Mr. Bay. Consider what South Park or Family Guy get away with every week.
Is it “fair?” I’d say that as long as it’s funny, you’re fine. When it stops being funny and is simply mean-spirited, you risk alienating your reader. Go and The Nines refer to some real people, not always in a flattering way, and I’ve gotten no objections.
Where you get into trouble is when you take potshots at someone who is not a public figure, like that weird girl in health class. Not only is it legally unwise to call out Millie Walker by name, it’s also unconscionably lame. So don’t do that.
Back to Mr. Bay for a sec: Keep in mind that there’s a difference between referring to a real person in a movie and making a movie about that person.
If you were writing a bio-pic of Michael Bay (Born in Slow Motion: The Michael Bay Story), you would need either his cooperation or significant legal reassurance that whatever protections you were counting on (public record, parody, whatever) could really hold up in court.