Two days ago, while I was in NYC, I got a call from one of my closest girlfriends. She is an accomplished and well-respected line producer. She had been offered a job but also had to come up with the entire concept for the show. It is for a cable network with a 18-34 male target. Since she is a new-agey graduate of philosophy who listens to NPR and watches PBS and has never read Maxim or Stuff, she came to me. It's understandable even though I am ten years past the demo. Pop culturally I live and breathe this group as I have programmed for them for many years.

Within two hours, I had a great brandable title, a really well-developed pitch and more segment and casting ideas than necessary. Because of the politics of this situation, I did not register the idea with the WGA. I trust her. I am certain she will not fuck me over. But the Byzantine backstory of this job makes me wonder if I have not given over a really good idea with great potential.

I just heard from her the network went apeshit for the idea and they are bringing her back in for further development. She will then come to me with all of their notes and I will, no doubt, give her the solutions she needs. So far, no one knows I am the one who wrote it. Again, I understand why. It just makes me nervous. But I also believe if I only have one good idea in my head, I might be in the wrong business.

"You're swirling and twirling." That's what Billy would say to me. Or he would say, "You think too much." Because Billy saw things in a clean, sincere and linear framework, he couldn't understand sometimes why I mucked up stuff with my constant need to over-analyze everything. It annoyed me at times when he wouldn't sign up for my mental gymnastics. Now I miss his balance and perspective, and I hang on to his words in my head for dear life.

Current Mood: confused
Current Music: Robert Blake trial - Court TV