From: jgacker@neptune.gsfc.nasa.gov (James G. Acker)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.tv.soaps
Subject: ALL:  Write your own soap?
Date: 27 Jan 93 15:49:41 GMT
Organization: Computer Science, Indiana University
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	Tired of complaining that the writers don't know what
they're doing?
	Tired of wondering if the writers lurk?
	Wondering if you could do a better job?
	Wondering what it might be like to write a soap opera?

	Me too.

	So here's a Bold & Beautiful idea:  let's write our own
soap.  It combines elements of Fantasy Baseball and Clue.  Sort of.

	Background:  A few years ago, I conceived a soap opera set
in the mythical Florida beach community of "Silver Beach".  I was in
graduate school in Florida at the time, and noted that beach
communities seem to combine nearly all of the elements that seem so
ludicrous in Middle America -- wealthy industrialists, bums,
entertainers, yacht owners, hospitals  -- the real-life community
of St. Petersburg Beach has all these elements (though the
wealthy industrialists are there on vacation -- yet Boca Raton is
similar, and it used to have a big company in town, IBM.  IBM got
smaller this year.)  Anyway,

	With the help of a friend, we put together a map, a cast
of characters, and an initial storyline setup for the opening of
"Silver Sands", the soap opera set in Silver Beach.  I tried to
novelize the idea, but for various reasons, it stalled rather
quickly.

	But I had a wild idea last week.  What if I gave the
setup to r.a.t.s., and formed a writing team?  We could
produce scripts and scenes that the rest of the group could read,
critique and follow, given the imperfect limitations of the written
word.  But... "as he slowly slipped the black fishnet stocking off
her ankle, Angela realized that Carder was a man she could trust with
her soul -- as well as her extraordinary body."...  there's a lot
that can be done with the written word.

	My initial goal would be to produce one "show" a week,
hopefully by Friday of each week.  There would be several assistant
head writers, as my upcoming schedule (including a wedding) would
keep me away from the writing desk on more than one occasion.

	And here's the next fun part:  In order to visualize the
cast better, we have unlimited casting control.  After I
describe the characters, we can cast ANYONE who is currently
an actor in the movies or television (primetime or daytime), in the
role.  Sort of like the last two years of _Santa Barbara_.  (This
is not a knock on SB -- at the end of the show, they had an all-star
lineup).  The assembled writing team would have to vote on the
final cast selections.

	Anybody interested in this idea?  Of course, being the
producer and head writer, aka Agnes Nixon/Gloria Monty/Doug Marland/
the Dobsons, I have the final say in the overall direction of the
show.  Each set of scripts for the show would be organized and
edited by a weekly "director", a rotating position.   We'll have
e-mail script conferences, just like the big boys and girls on the
networks.

	If you are interested, given the sad state of my newsreading
function, please E-mail me this week and next.  Lurkers are welcome (and
some lurkers would be great, as then we can surprise people with
a plot twist they won't be expecting.)

	Those who aren't writing can read along, and make comments
freely -- this time, you'll KNOW the writers are lurking!

	That's my idea.   If there's enough interest, I'll
start posting the character sketches and a description of Silver Beach
by the end of next week.

	Jim Acker


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|  James G. Acker                       Occasional Genius  |
|  jgacker@neptune.gsfc.nasa.gov        Regular Swimmer    |
|                                                          |
|  "A good time to get revenge on your enemy is when he    |
|   is having an orgasm -- at least if you are a stump-    |
|   tailed macaque."                                       |
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