Just because Peyton Manning is taking his game to a new team, I pledge that it will not stop me from occasionally making a few posts mentioning “his greatness” just to increase my blog traffic.

Let’s face it.  Just like Peyton Manning lifted the Colts as well as the NFL to greater heights, he can do the same for web traffic.  A mere mention of his name on Twitter with a link it to my latest blog post will increase my traffic exponentially.  And I’m not complaining.

I definitely will  miss Peyton for his football heroics.  I have a feeling some upcoming Colts games will be pretty difficult to watch.  Indianapolis will always be indebted for the positive attention he brought to the city which led to a new stadium and the opportunity to host the Super Bowl.  But I won’t have to miss his ability to attract a crowd on the Internet because he will always be able to play for my blogging team. Best of all, I don’t have to worry about the salary cap or future injuries.  In fact he’ll always be able to play hurt for my team.

So, thanks Peyton for everything you’ve done here in Indy including increasing my blog traffic. With a little Luck, maybe it will keep going up.

Image by Sigurd Decroos

But there is such a thing as semantics.  Words mean things.  But we try and attribute new meaning to words so they don’t sound so bad, or we try and frame them in a more positive manner.  The word failure is one of these words.

I just wrote a post about allowing ourselves to fail and how failure is required to truly reach success as a creative being.  Of course, I don’t think we should go around calling ourselves failures and we shouldn’t revel in our failure.  Instead, we need to understand that failure or whatever is the opposite of not succeeding is what takes us one step closer to success if we let it.

In our culture today we are taught to be afraid of failing and shown how to avoid failure.  I believe this only prevents us from reaching our highest potential.

So whether you call it failure or something with a more positive spin, we all know that what we are talking about is something that makes us stronger and better prepared for reaching our ultimate goal – SUCCESS.

Photo by Dagney Scott

Our schools have forgotten to teach kids how to fail.

They are too busy scaring our kids into getting A’s and keeping a 4.0 GPA that our kids aren’t willing to meet failure face to face.

I was a mediocre student in elementary school.  In junior high I figured out the system and started getting A’s.  By the time I was in high school, I could get by in class with hardly cracking a book.  And the classes that looked like they might be too challenging, I avoided.  What I found was that I didn’t really need to learn in order to get good grades and graduate.  All I had to do was be ready for the test and as long as I knew those answers, the rest was fluff.  What had happened was that I was conditioned to perform for a letter grade instead of performing for excellence.

The result of teaching our children to perform for a grade is a diminished quality of work over the long term.  Our kids come out of school with a sense of how to get by at work and not excel.  We teach our kids to be afraid of failure because if they get a bad grade, it will be reflected on their report card and those grades will stay with them the rest of their lives. They learn that risk taking is considered a bad thing because it may lead to failure.

I remember being told in 7th grade that all my grades would be in my academic record for  the rest of my life.  I was scared.  I was scared of failing. Yet to this day, I’m not aware of anyone examining my junior high transcript.

Sometimes the only way to find success is through failure.  Thomas Edison conceived of over 3000 lighting systems.  Lincoln lost bids for Vice President, U.S. Senate, and U.S. House before  becoming President.

How do we teach our children to be willing to fail?  It comes back to really allowing our children to be creative.  Our schools are stealing our children’s creativity when instead our schools need to be encouraging creativity and modeling a way of integrating art/creativity within all academic disciplines.  Math, Science, and English do not exist in a vacuum in the real world.  They are deeply connected with creative thoughts and practices.  So why are we rarely practicing this in our schools?

So again, how do we teach our children to be willing to fail?  We let them know that as humans we are creators and to fully excel at creating we have to be willing to fail.  And then we allow them to fail so they can see the reward in failing.  What is that reward?  Another step closer to success.  In fact, for anyone who wants  success, failure is the only option.

As I read through The War of Art by Steven Pressfield, I’m occasionally compelled to share some of his wisdom.  The latest entry I read was titled “Resistance and Fear.”  I’ve written about fear a few times (20 Seconds & Not and Option & Lizard Brain) on this blog, so it’s nice to know I’m in good company about how fear affects artists/writers/creators.  As a little side track, I believe we are all artists.  Every single human on this planet.  The problem is that we’ve let a select group define what “true art” is and what a “true artist” is.

I like how Seth Godin defines art:

1. Art is made by a human being.
2. Art is created to have an impact, to change someone else.
3. Art is a gift. You can sell the souvenir, the canvas, the recording… but the idea itself is free, and the generosity is a critical part of making art.

With that being said, the aspect of fear in your life can be used for both good and evil in whatever “art” it is you are called to create.  Steven Pressfield writes, “Fear tells us what we have to do… The more scared we are of a work or calling, the more sure we can be that we have to do it.”

What are you afraid of?  Is fear holding you back from your work or calling?  If you’re afraid, it’s probably because that is what you are being called to do.

The War of Art by Steven Pressfield

Self-doubt can be an ally.  This is because it serves as an indicator of aspiration. It reflects love, love of something we dream of doing, and desire, and desire to do it.  If you find yourself asking yourself (and your friends), “Am I really a writer?  Am I really an artist?” chances are you are. 

The counterfeit innovator is wildly self-confident.  The real one is scared to death.

Steven Pressfield from  The War of Art

Photo by Alexandre Duret-Lutz (Creative Commons license)

At least one time everyday, I hear that question.  “What time is it?”  In the past, I would generally look at my watch or the clock on the microwave and call out the answer.  Seems pretty logical right?

Lately though, whenever that question is asked, my four year old will holler, “Adventure Time!”

Our ten-year-old son is a big fan of Adventure Time on Cartoon Network.  I can’t say that I share his fondness for the show considering that it’s very strange, occasionally crude, and mildly disturbing.  Needless to say, we don’t let our four year-old watch the show.  And even though he doesn’t watch Adventure Time, I love his enthusiastic spirit when asked about the time.

The more I’ve thought about it, the more I love his exuberant spirit and response when asked, “what time is it?”  This is how I want to live.  In many ways I have, but I want to do it more.  Life should be an adventure.  I want every minute of my life to be deeply connected to and in the process of the adventure.  Whenever asked, I want to be able to respond to, “What time is it?” with a resounding, “ADVENTURE TIME!”

How’s your adventure going?

Page from Malcom in the Middle spec script

Writing a sitcom looks pretty easy, doesn’t it?  Twenty-five minutes of families or hipster friends sharing witty banter amidst getting themselves into sticky situations that faintly mirror real life.  How can that be hard?  In fact it is very hard, and may be arguably the hardest writing around.  Why?  Because not only do you have to write a good story, but you have to be funny, work within specific constraints of commercial breaks, and do it in a limited number of pages.

On top of that, if you want to break-in as a sitcom writer, you need to be able to write episodes for existing shows.  It only makes sense considering most sitcom writers work for shows they did not create.  So put away your pilot sitcom script and follow these six steps to writing a sitcom spec.

1. Watch the show. if you want to write a spec script for a current show, you need to watch it over and over. DVR all the episodes so you can go back and note all the catch phrases, how often they’re used, and who says them. You’ll also want to know where all the doors lead and what set pieces are where.

2. Get a list of all the episodes. You don’t want to write a story that has already been done.  Do this early on because it is that much harder to start from scratch when you’re halfway done with your script.

3. Brainstorm. I like to go to the library and pull a stack of magazines off the shelves. Avoid the entertainment related mags and pick some that maybe the characters from your show would read. What I do is look through the pages at the articles and advertisements and see what ideas come to mind. Many of the images tell stories that are perfect launching pads for your sitcom plot. The goal as with any brainstorming is to come up with a ton of ideas so that you have enough options. With every script there are at least two and often more story lines so you want a lot to choose from.

4. Pitch your story ideas to a friend. A trustworthy second opinion will greatly benefit your writing and hopefully help you avoid writing a script with no appealing “A” story.

5. Create an outline. Before you start scripting, you need to know your ending and your act breaks. If you are writing a two act sitcom, you need to have a big turn, preferably with a big joke at the end of your first act. This is called “the blow”. If you outline your story before scripting, you’ll save yourself a lot of headaches later in the scripting process. You won’t have everything mapped out in your outline, but you’ll at least know where you’re going.

6. Write. Creativity in general and writing specifically are like muscles. You have to work them out. Put all your effort into writing your first script and be ready to rewrite once you’ve passed it by some of your honest friends for feedback. (When we write, we ask our friends to read our work and give us feedback.  Of course what our hearts want is praise, but what we really need is true constructive criticism.  Ditch any attitude and really be willing to listen to and contemplate the advice.)  But once you’ve done that, it will probably be time to move on to your next script. The more you write, the better you will get, which is obvious, but the more you write on different projects the better critic you will become of your own work. One of the best things you can do with your work is set it down for a while and then come back to it. You’ll see the flaws more clearly and be ready to make the script better.

All writing is about rewriting.  A good script is not completed in one pass.  It’s intense work.  It takes serious brainstorming and research and then the discipline to actually sit down and write.  Make yourself a schedule and then follow it because if your a true writer, you’ll probably find a hundred other things to do to instead of write.  That’s just the way it is.

Thomas Mann once said, “A writer is a person for whom writing is more difficult than for other people.” Keep this in mind as you write your sitcom spec or any other work.  If you’re in the middle of your piece and you say, “this is easy,” then you’re probably writing crap.  A true writer will struggle with the material and labor over it.  The same can be said for writing sitcoms.  What ends up as laughter inducing fun on the page and maybe screen must first start with severe labor pains.

As you go forward in this pursuit, pour your heart into it because comedy writing is a serious craft.

Photo by Oliver Hammond

While many of the sitcoms you’ve seen look like they could have been written by a monkey with a typewriter, it goes to show that sitcom writing may actually be the most difficult writing style in existence. Why? Well, not only do you have to know how to write a script which means you need to understand plot, but you need to be funny, concise, and do it all with a sense for where the commercial breaks come.

So before you start cranking out your masterpiece, here are a few basic rules to keep in mind.

1. Follow proper formatting. A sitcom script is formatted differently than a screenplay or stage play and even an hour long television drama. The formatting also depends on whether you plan for you sitcom to be shot single camera or multi-camera (and yes it matters). A sure sign that you don’t know what you’re doing is to use improper formatting. Find your favorite show, get a copy of that script, and follow the formatting. It’s just that easy.

2. Never have a misspelled word or major grammatical error on your first page. You want to make a good first impression. Rarely will you find a script with no misspellings. Everybody makes mistakes, but to do it on your first page tells the reader that you didn’t pay attention to detail and they can expect several errors on the following pages… even if it isn’t true. So read, reread, and re-reread that first page. Then do that for the rest of your script.

3. Puns are not funny. Try to avoid them at all costs.

4. Sitcoms are about characters. These characters have a way of getting into situations that allow the comedy to come out. That’s why they are called “situation comedies”.

5. Sitcoms are about story. So once you have believably flawed characters, you need to develop a storyline that has all the essential elements of good storytelling. Sitcoms are not just sketches or gags. They are real stories that are infused with comedy.

6. Don’t try too hard to be funny. The funny will come if you’ve created excellent characters and put them in compelling situations.

7. Be willing to cut your funniest joke. Usually, you’ve written that one for yourself. Enjoy it. Laugh at it. Then cut it.

8. Learn to accept criticism. Writing is a torturous business. Writing is meant to be read (at least initially with scripts). So once we’ve written something, we usually ask someone we respect to read it and share their opinion. Of course, what we really want is for someone to say how great it is and tell us we’ve created the next “Friends” or “Cheers”, but if someone tells you that, they’re a liar. The person that says that just doesn’t want to hurt your feelings. Instead you need to get a thick skin, find a person who will tell you the hard truth and then take the advice and begin rewriting.

9. Rewrite. Any kind of writing is about rewriting. Don’t fall in love with your first draft. The first draft is just the tip of the iceberg. There is always room for improvement.

10. Know how long a sitcom script should be. If you are writing a multi-camera script it will be longer than a single camera script. A multi-camera script will be around 45 pages long. Think two pages per minute of screen time. Sitcoms (especially multi-camera) are dialogue intensive so the pages can turn fast. A single camera script will be closer to 30 pages. Both scripts have the same amount of words. They are just formatted differently. The best thing to do is get a sample script of the type of show you are writing. This way you will see why one type of script is longer than another.

BONUS TIP!

11. Only use two brass brads. When binding your script, use three hole punched paper, but put brads only in the top and bottom holes. Why? First, that’s what they do in Hollywood. Second, it saves you money. Third, it’s good for the environment and people in Hollywood love to look like they support that cause. In Hollywood, appearance is half the battle, so even your script needs to look the part.

While rules were  made to be broken, as a new sitcom writer trying to break in, you’re better off following them for the time being.  Once you’re running your own show then you can risk the fate of your show by breaking the rules.

"Dark" by Jack Lugar

Go ahead.  Take it.  Use it however you want.  I give you permission to put on your eye patch, peg leg, and parrot and pirate away.

I’m not afraid of my work being stolen.  Why?  Not because it won’t happen, but because it will and there’s not much anyone can do about it.  Sure we can sue, but who’s really going to benefit from that?  You’re right… the lawyers.  And what group most often benefits from new legislation?  You’re right again. The lawyers.  And that’s what SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) and PIPA (Protect IP Act) would open the door to -  lawyers benefiting from more nebulous, poorly written legislation.

I worked in the entertainment industry for over 15 years and spent 12 of those in Los Angeles.  On several occasions, I knew or was pretty sure my work had been stolen.  However, I didn’t really have good proof, so I just moved on to my next project.

Even today, despite the fact that I no longer live in L.A., I still learn about new instances of my intellectual property being stolen.  Recently, I was talking to a friend about a pitch I’d made for Curb Your Enthusiasm, which dealt with Cheryl being diagnosed with kidney disease and Larry being a perfect match.  If you know the show, Larry would not be a person willing to give his kidney to anyone… even his wife.  I was relating the story recently because we were talking about the show I felt it was a great idea.  After I told my friend, she responded, “Oh, they did something like that with Richard Lewis’s character needing a kidney.”

I was floored.  I did a little research and discovered that the series of shows aired about a year after I pitched the idea.  I have other examples like this, but this one was the most blatant.  Maybe it was an innocent mistake.  They read the idea, passed and then later thought they came up with it on their own.  It happens.  However, I do know they read it because they requested the pitch through my agent at Gersh and then rejected it.

The irony is that big studios “take” creative work all the time, yet cry all the time about others taking their work.  Obviously we want to stop or at least minimize piracy, but when legislation like SOPA and PIPA appear, we need to put on the brakes and rethink the purpose.  Those in support, claim that piracy can cause the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs.  On the other hand, giving courts the ability to shut down legitimate online businesses without as much as a trial would be even more devastating.  That’s the denial of liberty.

So go ahead and steal this post.  Use it however you want.  I’m good with it.  I’d rather take that risk than the risk of more our freedom being taken by our government.

The only thing more appropriate for the online protest by many of the major internet companies would have been for the internet to go dark in protest over SOPA and PIPA on Speak like a Pirate Day.  Then we all could have said a few “Arrghs” and “Avast ye mateys” as we let Congress know our thoughts about their potential, over-reaching legislation.

Photo by Jason Antony

I wanted more traffic to my site, so I wrote this post about sports.  That’s what it takes.  Nobody really cares about my musings on pickles or art, but I drop the name Peyton Manning or something sports related and people start clicking.  I’m pretty sure anything NFL related get the highest traffic.

I have to admit, I’m a sucker for a story about Purdue basketball, the Colts, the Pacers, or the Cincinnati Reds.  And I’m not really sure why I care.  I really wish I didn’t.  I know that sports are great for a community’s healthy interaction and vital economic engines that create jobs through merchandise sales, restaurant sales, and tourism to name a few.  Indianapolis is one city that has done very well in profiting off the sports market by hosting multiple major events such as the NCAA Final Four, the Big Ten basketball tournament, the inaugural Big Ten football playoff game, and now the Super Bowl.

In Indiana, we’re a bit sports crazy.  My wife insists it’s at a different level compared to other places.  I’m not sure I agree considering we’ve never experienced first hand the insanity of Green Bay, Cleveland, or Pittsburgh.  She bases this comment on the intensity of the youth sports programs here, but we didn’t have kids who were sports playing age before moving to Indiana, so her theory has lots of holes.  I think, as a whole, we have all just become a little more sports centric.  Culture demands it because so many businesses are dependent on sports.  Without a strong sports culture, the bar scene would probably be cut by a third.

Sports have become a vital part of our culture.  If a business doesn’t actually trade in sports, sports is at least used as a social object, a conversation piece, or something to rally around over business meetings, lunches, and coffee breaks.  Maybe if sports never existed we’d spend more time talking about the theater and the arts, but probably not.  Instead we’d probably just invent sports.