UM...I HAVEN'T BEEN WRITING, REALLY. SURE, SURE, WE KNOW... WINK-WINK.

Now that we're at the table talking with AMPTP again, the fear and loathing has lifted a bit and I've gotten some interesting calls from producers I've been working with. More than one has intimated that they know that "I've not been sitting around idle these last few months." (I have a reputation for cranking out work pretty fast). I realized these guys are under the assumption that I've been working full time on their projects during the strike. Um... I got news for you kids... they're ain't no stinking pages. I owe 3 scripts to FX as part of this pilot deal -- haven't written a single word. I owe WIP this "Enter the Dragon" remake -- I wrote ten pages before the strike. I currently have ten pages written. I owe Paramount a draft of "Fix" -- nada. I owe Warner's a draft of "The Unforgettable" -- zilch. So, for the record, all those people expecting that two days after the strike settles, they're gonna get drafts... it ain't happening. Sorry. I spent this strike producing this pilot and more importantly, getting to know my one-year old daughter.

Il Principe

Niccolò Machiavelli, in his most famous treatise, Il Principe (The Prince), said, "A wise prince should establish himself on that which is his own control and not in that of others; he must endeavor to avoid hatred... It is best to be both feared and loved; however, if one cannot be both it is better to be feared than loved." As I move forward on this pilot, I realize the value of that 500 year-old advice. -- A good leader must know how to delegate and be willing to ask for help, especially in ares that are not of his or her expertise. -- One can only be judged on actions, not words. We are what we do, not what we say we do. -- Be collaborative and allow others to be heard. But never let that collaboration be misconstrued as authority. There comes a point in the creative process where too many voices begins to ruin the harmony. At that time, the plug has to be pulled on the chatter. -- A show can only have one creative leader, one absolute voice. Anything else, compromises the entire project. Even if it means being a dick, pissing people off and jeopardizing relationships. It must be done to preserve the greater good. -- In essence, a good leader must be strong enough to protect "concerned parties" from themselves.