Writer Type Stuff

As Episode 7 nears completion (Part 1 will be up on Monday!) I thought I would turn my attention to the writer of the episode, Steven Rowley.

Steven is our first non-cast member to write a script for us and it has been a truly enjoyable experience.

As we are all extremely protective of our show, it can be hard on us to bring in "outsiders" to work with us. We haven't always been the easiest going people because of this, but we've tried to learn from past mistakes and use them to grow as producers. There's that learning curve thing again.

So that being said, we approached the idea of an "outsider" writing for us with a bit of hesitation. Would this person really understand us? Would they be able to write for our characters? Would we have a hard time giving him notes? Would he have a hard time taking notes? Are we ready to give up this much control?

We decided we had nothing to lose, Steven was a fan and a friend of Steve Lekowicz's (I know, there are a lot of Steve's hanging around here), plus, it was flattering to have someone approach us about writing for us.

Now's the part where my memory gets a bit fuzzy. I can't remember if the first time we met with him he already had ideas, or if that came after our first meeting. Either way, Steven came with several script ideas (at some point), we picked our favorite and off he went.

And then, of course, as per life, things got complicated. Steven sent us his first draft. We had a meeting to discuss our notes. But before we met could meet with Steven again, we had some internal changes to deal with as we lost Kathy as a producer.

So, poor Steven had to wait and wait for our notes while we figured out what end was up. When we finally got around to meeting with him, he was very gracious about all of the changes we were dealing with.

Turns out, Steven Rowly takes notes like a champion, which is very important when you're a writer (and actor and just generally in the entertainment industry, but you would be so surprised at how many people are not good at that).

So fast forward a little while later and we were ready to begin filming. Steven graciously offered to help out on set and we accepted, since we are not people to turn down free help.

And help he did. I will never forget the first time he heard us filming a scene and it was all he could do to not laugh out loud. There's nothing better than seeing a writer so pleased at how you've brought their script to life.

So, here we are, on the cusp of introducing the world to Episode 7. I can't wait to see what people think, it is definitely an episode that we are all proud of.

The best part of the whole thing? Steven is already working on his next script for us.

Oh yeah, and we've made a new friend. A new friend who makes some kick-ass cupcakes.

Those are definitely the best kind of friends to have.