I have been busy. I’ve distributed the first draft of my new novel and am collecting notes for the revision. I have been writing a poem about trying to grow tomatoes and am working on something called a Pitch Book for a Television show that Ray Troll has talked me into.
A pitch book is a document that uses words and images which tries to convince someone to invest in an idea for a television show (or a movie) but in this case Ray Troll wants to make a TV show about Ketchikan. A pitch book is rather like a poem in that it captures the mood and atmosphere of a story and tries to demonstrate its rich visual energy . You don’t write the entire script but you try and convince someone that you have a good idea and promises to be a popular product. I’ve never done one before but I’m trying with the help of my son who knows more about this than I do.
A person once got a hundred thousand dollars for showing a producer a poster with a photo of Richard Gere and the words, “American Gigolo” at the top. That is a haiku of a pitch book. Ours needs more. But how much more? Like a poem every word and image has to count. Investors are notoriously impatient and boor easily with text.
In doing all these things I feel like I’m channeling my animal spirit helper: Wile E. Coyote.
He is my totem animal and I’d argue the totem animal for any person who wants to live a creative life, for to create something new you have to be willing to humiliate yourself… just as Wile E. must understand he actually has a chance when he starts again after that smug bastard, the Roadrunner. Wile E. must believe in himself no matter what the evidence. He is the totem animal of the artist with the slender resume.
John Straley and Ray Troll. Beep Beep.
I have no illusions that I will ever see this tv show in my lifetime. But I just like the idea of writing in a new form. I’m sorry I can’t tell you anything more about this prospective TV show because it’s super ECRET-SAY.
Images of Ketchikan trying to get across Rays vision.
Here is an old poem of mine called Wile E. Coyote Considers The Obvious.
