Action!: Sitcom writing team.

Last week an associate contacted me and asked if I would be interested in being part of a sitcom writing team with the hopes of pitching the series to network executives. Am I interested??? YES! A dream come true!

Maybe watching The Dick Van Dyke Show planted that dream when I was young.  I loved watching the team of television writers (Dick Van Dyke, Rose Marie, Morey Amsterdam) making wisecracks and brainstorming ideas.

Over the years, while watching sitcoms, I often thought, "What a blast to be with comedic minds and hammer out that script."

While studying screenwriting, sometimes students brought in their hopeful scripts for television comedies. After reading the pages, we sat around the table and discussed ideas to make it even stronger, often howling with laughter. Those were my favorite times in class.

Last Friday we had our first team meeting and discussed ideas about the premise, characters, background, and funny situations for the series. Our level of laughter increased when certain ideas gelled. So much fun and synergy, just as I imagined. I felt excited and grateful for the tremendous opportunity.

After the meeting, however, reality and fear set in.

Reality...

• I have never written anyone else's ideas or stories.
• I have never written a television script (it has different formatting, timing, and beats).
• I have never written a comedy.

Fear...

• What if I tank?
• What if I disappoint the others on the team?
• What if I'm not funny?

Of course, the inner negative critic had a heyday over that.  

• Who do you think you are?
• Who are you kidding?

But I don't care about all that. I want to do this and have to give it my best shot!  Thanks to Amazon and the public library, I found some books about writing for television, and writing comedy. I'll be cramming before our next meeting.

Opportunity knocked and I yanked it through the door.  Now I need to work hard to make sure it is tied securely to a chair and not escaping!