Monthly Archives: October 2008

Dirty Dancing (Patrick Swayze + Jennifer Grey, circa 1987) Trust me. I was a big fan but I still wouldn’t call this movie a classic… and no way does it have cult status… and yet, twice this last week I heard the line “Nobody Puts Baby in the Corner” on two highly-rated, prime-time, network episodes: Grey’s Anatomy and the new sitcom Kath & Kim. I also recently read a YA novel which used used this line. YA? Please! Dirty Dancing was made in 1987… two years before my 19 year old son was born. I wonder how many 21 year … Continue reading

On Writing
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Cutting a document to size is the bane of every writer’s existence. Admit it… we’re in love with our words. But extra words cost money… more scenes in a movie increase shooting costs. TV has a rigidly defined length and commercial break format that requires a very precise page count. Books are no exception… more words = more paper and increased shipping weight. Cutting a manuscript to size is something we all will experience at one time or another. So how to determine what to cut or where? Beginning… end… middle? Where should you start? Twenty years in television has … Continue reading

On Writing
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