Recovered

Whew, it took a month, but I think I'm now fully recovered from the physical and mental fatigue brought on by the intensity of 6 months in the PrimeTime Program. Lying on the beach helped, emptying my brain for a week helped, sorting through papers and catching up with friends helped, reading trash novels helped, and riding my bike through the spring air has helped a lot!

So I'm back at it. Busy editing my novel-turned-feature, getting writing samples out to agents, and eagerly studying Ugly Betty to prepare to spec it over the next few weeks. I had planned to spec The L Word, and developed through a scene-level outline, but season four has blown my plotlines to smithereens. I'm really enjoying Ugly Betty though -- after I've seen the full season, I'll post an analysis.

Yesterday, a few of us returned to the CFC to speak to potential applicants for this coming year's program. It was great to verbalize what I got out of my time there, including:

- a writing regimen
- a methodology for taking an idea from concept to script, more efficiently and calmly than ever before!
- the opportunity to work for 3 months with one of Canada's top producers in a setting approximating a story room
- a solid pilot for my original one-hour drama
- a table read of my pilot
- the chance to film a 3-minute scene from my pilot
- sincere and valuable feedback from a variety of professionals on several of my show ideas
- a 5 year business plan
- how to break down a show to spec it
- how to pitch and lots of practice doing it!
- meetings with many of the top Canadian agents
- meetings with almost every Canadian broadcaster
- meetings with dozens of Canadian production companies
- an opportunity to ask questions of working writers and producers
- invitations from almost every guest to set up a meeting as appropriate as I go forward
- a basic understanding of the current state of the Canadian television industry
- the chance to become colleagues with seven amazing co-writers, future show-runners and quality note-givers
- new ideas, encouragement, information, guidance...

Convinced you to apply? Here's the link for more info.