I've been immersing myself in my Laughing Stock entry.
I've just hit the finale, though my pages are running way too long - used to a feature or drama-length and I need to rein it in.
However, the thing that's surprising me most is this: I'm kinda funny.
I've never been a comedian (or comedienne, if you prefer). I'm the one making the bad puns and not getting the jokes for a good two minutes, filling in with the fake laughter. I showed my partner a sequence of dialogue from The Greenwich Project and his response was "oh, you're a lot funnier on paper than you are in person".
Charming.
I've been watching a number of British comedy pilots to refresh my memory and seek out my style. This week, I've watched Gavin and Stacey, Spaced, Black Books and Yes Minister. There's quite a range in there, from the dramatic to the surreal, the surreal to the dialogue-dastardly.
My style seems to run on...
I've previously waxed lyrical about Aaron Sorkin's dialogue and why I think it's the best thing since sliced bread.
Scott of 'Go Into The Story' quoted Mr Sorkin earlier:
“I’m really weak when it comes to plot," he says bluntly—a startling self-assessment from the creator of three television series. “With nothing to stop me, I’ll write pages and pages of snappy dialogue that don’t add up to anything. So I need big things to help my characters—a really strong intention and a really strong obstacle. Once I have those, I feel I can write.”
Oops?
I do love a good bit of dialogue. The overwhelming criticism on the early drafts of Steampunk Assassins was 'omgwtfbbq, why so much talking?!'. And that is my weakness - probably in part due to my love of the work of the aforementioned Aaron.
My director told me to cut out every second line of dialogue. And, amazingly, I found myself plucking out reams of pointless conversation, ditching conversations...
I'm spending my holiday time wisely by watching hours of television. Seeing as I'm writing a television pilot (draft three, with the editor), this seems like a smart move.
Having marathoned the lamentable Space Precinct 2040, I jumped forward in time and across the Pond to the laudable Sports Night.
I am a big fan of The West Wing. I had a blip where Rob Lowe quit and Channel 4 insisted on moving the timeslot around like a yo-yo, but last year, I watched all seven seasons in four months. It was brilliant. But it did suffer a dent when Aaron Sorkin was fired.
Sports Night is a proving ground for The West Wing. Big speechifying, The Walk and Talk, the adorable and nerdy Josh Malina - and a showcase of guest stars who seem pretty familiar. Also, some plots and scenes crop up: big poker night, the dad with the 27 (or was it 28...?) year affair, the insane love of trivia....