Dime me up, dime me down

What are your characters doing just before they enter a scene? I find that my characters are usually doing something stereotypical - in my Grey's they'll be checking a chart, in my Bones, they're usually doing something kind of sciency. So basically, they're sitting around waiting for that other character to come and talk to them and move the story forward.

Bad.

What are your characters doing just before they enter a scene?

In House, the go-to actions for House are: watching TV; playing piano; bouncing his cane.

In Episode 23 of Season 3 of House ("The Jerk" written by Leonard Dick), this happens in one scene:

Cameron and Chase approach House at the nurse's station, all abluster with their news (they're all 'it's an infection!' or whatever). House is, inexplicably, on his knees behind the desk.

They start talking about the case, lots of doctory dialog. Then, a nurse reaches into frame and hands House a dime. He looks at her, says 'Thank you' and continues talking to Chase and Cameron.

A tiny look from Cameron shows that she's just figured out why House is on the floor. He was looking for a dime he dropped.

No one ever comments on it, nothing ever comes of it, it's just a lovely little character moment, so bleeding wonderful because it's totally believable that the miserly House, despite being crippled, would get down on the floor to look for a dime.

It's those moments that take an episode from great to grrrreat (to quote my favorite tiger).

Now I need to work on building a few more moments like that into my scripts.

Slacker excuses
Anybody who has been monitoring my progress through House Season 3 will have noticed I've watched at least three episodes a day for the last week. Only one more episode and I'll be all caught up. It's going to kinda be like running out of Vicodin. Man, will it hurt, but I'll be a lot more productive afterwards.

It's an honor just being nominated

Great news (for me)! My Ugly Betty spec made it to the finals in the 2007 Screenwriting Expo 6 Screenwriting Competition Television Category. Whew. That's a mouthful.

The list of all finalists and winners in all categories is here.

My script went Top 10, which means I get into the Expo for free. And, much more importantly, I get bragging rights. Now I just have to find the right people to brag to. To whom to brag? Oh, and I have to find my grammar skills.

I've also made the decision to make my specs available for public consumption. Click on the links right over there on the right hand side of this page to download them. Why don't more people do this? Is there some legal or moral issue I'm completely overlooking? I love reading other people's specs. Everyone should post them.

I've been thinking a lot about point of view lately (how's that for a subtle segue?). Yesterday I was watching a House somewhere in the middle of Season 3, and it jarred me to see Cuddy in a scene alone with a patient. I could be wrong, but I think that's the first time there's been a scene from Cuddy's point of view - sure, she's done lots of scenes without House, but Wilson, Cameron, Chase, or Foreman has always been there too. Not so coincidentally, Cuddy's first POV scene is in the episode where it's revealed that House might actually be in love with her. So now I know, big things for Cuddy are coming in the rest of Season 3. Of course, you've all seen it, so please don't tell me if I'm wrong!

I also watched an episode yesterday where Cameron recites a mnemonic for the bones of the wrist. Actually coincidentally, the title of my last post was a mnemonic for the bones of the wrist. Scaphoid, Lunate, Triquetrum, Pisiform, Trapezoid, Trapezium, Capitate, Hamate, since you asked. And yes, I had to look it up.

Sorry about all this House talk. I think I'm addicted. I blame Jane E. She started it.

Slacker Excuses will not be seen in this edition. Instead I bring you:

Things I have dropped from my TiVo-like-device

Dropped
Private Practice (OK, I never added this one to begin with)
Big Shots
Bionic Woman
Reaper (My dream is that Reaper will do badly enough that they'll have to bring back Veronica Mars mid-season. What? It could happen.)

Hanging on by a Thread
Chuck
Dirty Sexy Money
Gossip Girl
Grey's Anatomy

There to Stay
Pushing Daisies
House
Bones
Heroes (though it has not been very good so far this season!)
ANTM (I know I shouldn't, but I can't help it)
The Office
My Name Is Earl
Ugly Betty

Doesn't say much for the quality of the new shows this season, does it? The weird thing is, there are lots of great actors and there's lots of great writing in so many of these shows - it just doesn't seem to be translating into great TV for some reason. Maybe I'm jaded.

Like fine wine and cheddar cheese

I am so much better at character stuff than I am at mystery. It's just crazy. I love that I can be plowing through my first draft and all of a sudden a scene I'm writing makes me cry. Granted, I am feeling a bit fragile because of lack of sleep and too many Raspberry Lemon Drops last night. But still.

And then my final scene, the one where Bones and Booth are always just hanging out, bonding? Chills.

Still, I have a long way to go with weaving my story together. Right now, I think it's pretty obvious whodunnit from the start. But then, maybe that's because I already know. Totally tough to gauge. Guess that's what readers are for.

Anyway. Yay me! First draft is complete. It's a very rough first draft, but it's like, I've done the sketch, and now I'm free to sculpt. And I'm more Moore than Picasso, if you know what I mean.

The new season of Bones is so exciting. The premiere (written by Mr Hart Hanson himself) was such a great tease. There are big changes in store for the show with a case that arcs through the whole season, the potential for many more personal stories (and why not, with such fabulous characters?), and a whole thread where Bones and Booth go to couple's counseling, which has so much potential for hilarity, I can't wait.

Prediction. This is the season Bones will finally get the mass acclaim it so deserves.

The premiere of House was incredibly intriguing as well. Until Tuesday, I'd only seen about three quarters of the first season. I wasn't gripped by it to begin with, but it just gets better and better. And Jesus, are those really Hugh Laurie's actual eyes? That blue just can't be natural. Honestly, I don't remember him looking like that in Spice World. Some guys just get better with age.



Funny that of the two shows I'm most interested in this season, one stars Hugh Laurie and the other featured Stephen Fry last season. If you don't understand the connection, better learn something about British 80s and 90s TV. Ahh, Jeeves and Wooster, how you made me laugh.

Slacker excuses
Went to an AFI Fest volunteers' mixer last night. It's actually the husband that wants to volunteer, but I met the man who runs the AFI Fest newspaper and he's desperate for writers, so hey, might as well lend a hand. Tonight, I'll be seeing the wonderful Bodies of Water -- who hail from just down the street -- and Broken West -- who I saw open for Calexico once. They were pretty cool. Broken West, that is. Calexico were monumentally, incomparably wonderful.

My PVR is about to burst with all the TV I didn't watch yet this week. Maybe I'll watch ANTM at lunch. Dang, I'm supposed to be writing about some new digital camera right now. Gotta go.