posted
It's probably an easy prediction to make, that like TNG, DS9, and VOY, Series V will be open to fan-written scripts. Tin Man, one of the most acclaimed TNG eps, was co-written by two Trek fans (although they'd both published the novel Tin Woodsman), they weren't on Paramount's writing staff (and Dennis Bailey was considered for a spot on the staff, BTW).
I submitted a spec-script to Voyager when the show first started (a loooong time ago). I've got it buried around here somewhere, and yes, it was rejected. I got a very nice form letter. The show began with Chakotay leading an away team to a freighter giving off a distress call. On-board, they find the crew slaughtered -- and one of the dead men has a Klingon knife sticking out of his chest. Suffice to say, this eventually interwined with a "B" plot in which the Klingons and a few restless Maquis decided to settle on a war-torn planet and "fight for a worthy cause." (I was hoping they'd at least buy the story and then let someone else do some massive re-writting on the script, but alas...)
Anyways. My prediction is that I will finally sell a script to Series V. This is my goal, and with luck, I will have seven years to pitch scripts and hopefully have TPTB buy one or two of them. And, hell, even if they only fly me to California to pitch the script, at least I'll get a tour of the sets out of it ... right?
Wish me luck
------------------ Star Trek Gamma Quadrant Average Rated 7.64 out of 10 Smileys by Fabrux (with six eps posted) *** "Oh, yes, screw logic, let's go for a theory with no evidence!" -Omega 11:48am, Jan. 19th, 2001 **** And homeschooling also turns you into a socially well-adjusted person, capable of talking to people without them wanting to ram a f***ing chair down your throat! - PsyLiam, 3/11/01
Actually, from what I understand, a lot of those are weeded out quickly for a variety of different factors, ranging from the wrong formating ...
example
Picard: Set course, warp six! LaForge: Aye, sir!
We see the ship warp away
good example
PICARD Set course, warp six.
LA FORGE Aye, sir!
Ext. Optical - Enterprise - engaging warp drive
actually, the good example didn't turn out so well...the dialogue is supposed to be centered. Stupid UBB ... urgh
...or Mary Sue stories ... (wherin a new crewmember comes to the Enterprise and manages to save the entire crew and sleeps with Picard and Data and Riker at the same time and has dinner, too)
...or "epic-scope" stories, in which Lwaxanna, Q, the Borg, and Sonya Gomez all come about and it's three eps long and features lots of cool ships and ... the staff writes the epics, they're just looking for an easy one-parter from we fans
In other words, the majority of the submissions don't meet the writer's guidelines Paramount sends out. Or it's sent to the wrong place, or has the wrong contact info, or you've already submitted two scripts and this is your third submission (in which case you need an agent - or register with the writer's guild or something - and if you don't have one, into the circular file...)
Anyways. I'm fairly sure I can get past at least that stage
------------------ Star Trek Gamma Quadrant Average Rated 7.64 out of 10 Smileys by Fabrux (with six eps posted) *** "Oh, yes, screw logic, let's go for a theory with no evidence!" -Omega 11:48am, Jan. 19th, 2001 **** And homeschooling also turns you into a socially well-adjusted person, capable of talking to people without them wanting to ram a f***ing chair down your throat! - PsyLiam, 3/11/01
[This message has been edited by JeffKardde (edited March 18, 2001).]
posted
True. I just feel sorry for the interns who have to sift through all those spec-scripts ... ugh ...
(Confession: my first script was for TNG, I wrote it about 14 years ago. It was crap. It began with the Enterprise-D stumbling across ... the remains of the original Enterprise. That right there should tell you something. That and I didn't have a plot for it either... - no, I didn't submit it. I wrote two pages and it's in a dump somewhere)
------------------ Star Trek Gamma Quadrant Average Rated 7.64 out of 10 Smileys by Fabrux (with six eps posted) *** "Oh, yes, screw logic, let's go for a theory with no evidence!" -Omega 11:48am, Jan. 19th, 2001 **** And homeschooling also turns you into a socially well-adjusted person, capable of talking to people without them wanting to ram a f***ing chair down your throat! - PsyLiam, 3/11/01
So this'd be your second submission? You need an agent after three?
------------------ "Instructed by history and reflection, Julian was persuaded that, if the diseases of the body may sometimes be cured by salutary violence, neither steel nor fire can eradicate the erroneous opinions of the mind."
-Edward Gibbons, The Decline and Fall of The Roman Empire.
[This message has been edited by Ultra Magnus (edited March 18, 2001).]
posted
And I just noticed your tooting for Dennis Bailey, with whom, If I remember correctly, you have an acquaintence with.
------------------ "Instructed by history and reflection, Julian was persuaded that, if the diseases of the body may sometimes be cured by salutary violence, neither steel nor fire can eradicate the erroneous opinions of the mind."
-Edward Gibbons, The Decline and Fall of The Roman Empire.
posted
It's "bottle shows" they want, not big sweeping Ben Hur epics with ginormous space battles. Character based stories are good bets.
------------------ At that point, McDonald fired his gun three times in the air to emphasize his point. The crowd, estimated at 350,000, loudly cheered the new candidate.
"Let me make this clear: I am the law! I am your ruler! And you will have fries with that, motherf*cker!"
posted
Let us all, 500 or what ever of us write one. LOL!
Ext Op.
Ships - thousands upon thousands of Federation, Klingon, Romulan, Cardassian, Dominion, Ferengi, Yridian, Tholian, Klaestron, Tamarian, and Bajoran ships all sweep towards one lone, Kazon shuttlecraft
Int. Op.
Picard
Not in OUR quadrant you don't.
Lt. Daniels, fire please.
Credits
------------------ Homer: I'm gonna miss Springfield. This town's been awfully good to us. Bart: No, it hasn't, Dad. That's why we're leaving. Homer: Oh, yeah. [pokes his head out the window] So long, Stinktown!
posted
Yes, Dennis Bailey is in a way, one of my "mentors", just in that he is a published writer, and it's always good to get tips and hints from him -- plus, he's got a dammed realistic bridge mock up in his basement, and his son is my best friend, so ...
Yes, this will be my second submission, after which I'll need an agent (if I remember correctly). I plan of obtaining the new writer's submission info once they've got it up.
Bottle shows are always good for 'em -- that way, they get to spend money on another "epic" story they want.
------------------ Star Trek Gamma Quadrant Average Rated 7.64 out of 10 Smileys by Fabrux (with six eps posted) *** "Oh, yes, screw logic, let's go for a theory with no evidence!" -Omega 11:48am, Jan. 19th, 2001 **** And homeschooling also turns you into a socially well-adjusted person, capable of talking to people without them wanting to ram a f***ing chair down your throat! - PsyLiam, 3/11/01
posted
Sadly, the writer's strike will be over before I'd have a chance to submit my script ...
------------------ Star Trek Gamma Quadrant Average Rated 7.64 out of 10 Smileys by Fabrux (with six eps posted) *** "Oh, yes, screw logic, let's go for a theory with no evidence!" -Omega 11:48am, Jan. 19th, 2001 **** And homeschooling also turns you into a socially well-adjusted person, capable of talking to people without them wanting to ram a f***ing chair down your throat! - PsyLiam, 3/11/01
posted
"Sadly, the writer's strike will be over before I'd have a chance to submit my script ... "
What a pity Jeff. After watching the quality waver fro the last few decades (I cut my teeth on TOS), some genuinely NEW blood in the writing department would be a welcome change.
------------------ Faster than light - no left or right.
posted
Actually, it'd find it very unlikely that shows would get produced period if WGA was on strike. I imagine Braga and a good chunk of the rest of the producers are members of WGA, so it'd be ridiculuous to make the show go on even if they had actors but no writers. Besides, I'd doubt SAG would go out of its way to avoid a strike if WGA went on one already, considering there's no point in having a contract if you can't work thanks to actions of the other guys.
------------------ "Ring a bell, and I'll salivate... well how'd you like that? Dr. Landy, please tell me I'm not just a pedagogue..." -Brian Wilson, The Barenaked Ladies
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