Hey Everyone!
So, I thought I’d try something different with this edition of the newsletter, something I might do a bit more of in the future if it turns out to be of interest, and that’s to provide a glimpse behind the curtain at my working process.
I thought I’d start with something easy, and describe a typical day in the life of an independent writer/director/producer. What they call, in the parlance of our times, a “content creator.”
This day would have been much different back when I was writing/directing/producing movies for a living. Things have changed a lot, and definitely for the better. I still love film and will be making more of them (along with TV whenever they let me), but I don’t miss spending 90% of my time looking for financing.
This is a complete “stream of consciousness” bit, so there will be errors and omissions. Please be kind. It’s a brain dump.
FIRST UP (7-8am)
Turn on the kettle for tea and polish a spec pilot (TV) while I wait. Today a coffee was required while I was waiting for tea to steep (the Nespresso is super fast).
TEA IS READY
Drink tea while checking emails (and answering as many as possible while opening the ones I don’t have time to answer in tabs for later.) Some emails involve getting stuff ready to mail out, setting calls for notes on projects in development and production, and setting up lawyer/manager/agent calls for later in the week.
MORE WRITING
Added some material to a couple of outlines for some upcoming podcast series in development. Nothing greenlit for production under that deal yet, but there should be some news on that front soon (although, I will have to write a pilot script first).
LUNCHTIME
Go down the street for lunch, bring it home and catch up with watching some TV shows (research is a huge part of this job, and that means watching absolutely everything I can that might be either informative or inspiring). Loving White Lotus, and just finished Loki.
POST PRODUCTION
Mixed an episode of the second season of the RABBITS podcast and loaded it into the app for release next week.
PRODUCTION
Recorded some stuff that was missing from the production of RABBITS season two. Tomorrow I’ll have to mix that in for the next episode.
POLISHING
I have a couple of new TV spec projects, and I want them to be in the best shape before I send them to managers and agents, etc…scripts are never finished, only abandoned.
WRITING OUTLINES (THE REAL WORK)
In order to turn a podcast into television, an entire season has to be realized in advance, and then, an entire pilot script. It would be so much easier to just write the script, but that’s normally not preferred by creative executives. I’m currently working on a few projects, and juggling entire seasons of podcasts, TV, and novels is a big challenge.
The hardest part of writing is outlining. Scripts are easy. Outlines are hard. In my experience, there has never been an exception to this. The characters will always surprise you in the script, do things, say things and act in ways you weren’t expecting, but the hardest part of everything is coming up with the story.
THE EXTRAS
Preparing corporate accounting stuff, gathering physical stuff that needs to get mailed out from our novel contest, making sure I have a bonus episode of Tanis ready for our brilliant Patreon supporters.
Updated a couple of things on a couple of our websites.
MORE RESEARCH
Watch some more stuff with a laptop open and send out the last emails of the day.
END OF THE DAY (9pm-midnight)
WHAT HAPPENED THAT’S MISSING FROM THIS BREAKDOWN: Played with Luna, walked the dog, cooked dinner, made some notes on the new novel.
WHAT’S UP FOR TOMORROW: A notes call on a new show, working on TANIS season six, reading a book I need to blurb, and more RABBITS mixing.
And…whatever else pops up in the mail or into my brain.
I’m extremely lucky to be able to do what I love to do for a living, and, even though it took decades of making absolutely no money at all and staying in to work while everybody I knew was going out to have fun, I still understand I’m fortunate and never take that for granted.
I’ve always been a writer first, even though I’ve directed and produced almost as many things as I’ve written. Writing is the center.
Thank you so much for listening to TANIS, RABBITS, The Last Movie, The Black Tapes, and FAERIE, thank you for buying the book and writing so many really nice reviews! Also, a special thanks to those of you who upvote reviews you agree with and downvote the ones you don’t. It makes a big difference!
And, of course, if you haven’t checked out the RABBITS novel…it’s available now!
About the Author
Terry Miles is an award-winning filmmaker; creator of the Public Radio Alliance and that network’s series of hit podcasts: Tanis, Rabbits, Faerie, and The Last Movie; and co-creator of The Black Tapes. He splits his time between the dark emerald gloom of the Pacific Northwest and sunny Los Angeles.
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