I dunno John. I see your point, I really do, but I also think that’s changing. (And God help us all as it does)

“As I’ve done more publicity, and talking-head interviews on various DVDs, I’ve found that random people are recognizing me and saying hello with increasing frequency.”

And my bet would be that you’d better get used to it. Stay on the job, keep doing that publicity, keep doing those talking-head interviews, and the commentary on all those DVD’s (Have you noticed how much more often writers are asked to do those commentaries? Used to be only directors and players had to do ‘em, but now?…), keep it up, and like it or not you’re going to wind up a “real” celeb. In fact one of these days you’re likely to see a pic of you and Drew B. where SHE’S the one labeled “unidentified companion.”

And I’m not just engaging in hyperbole here either. Screenwriters and television writers are getting a lot more interest from the general public than ever before. It’s just starting now, but I don’t see it slowing down.

You can see it best at the moment in television.

Take Ron Moore. By luck, talent, the hand of fate, hard work, or maybe a lot of prayers to St. Elvis, Ron’s managed to grow a very real fan base all his own and, seriously, I’m not kiddin’, it’s nuthin’ to sneeze at. At a guess, a wild assed pull it outta my butt guess, I’d peg the number at anywhere between 2 to 8 million people. Trekkies, trekkers, whatever ya wanna call ‘em, sure as hell knew the name RON MOORE every bit as well as names like Pat Stewart, and probably better than the names of many the other cast members of the various Trek shows he wrote for. Now he’s running BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, and believe me when I tell ya, BSG fans, again, sure as hell know the name RON MOORE. So what does that get him? Not only do his fans know that name, so do the people likely to hire him in the future, and those potential employers are also VERY much aware that there’s a built in fan base behind anything with his name attached to it.

Ditto, to an extent, with his other half of the moment DAVID EICK.

Then there’s Joss “Firefly” Whedon, known not only to fans of that show, but quite a few hardcore “Buffettes”. And again, many of the fans of those shows know the name Joss Whedon every bit as well as the names of the cast playing their favorite characters.

Now there’s J.J. Abrams, whose name, yet again, is becoming every bit as well known to the many fans of LOST as those of the cast.

Now I’ll agree with you that in every one of those examples I’ve sighted, we’re talking about “hyphenates”, writer-producer, writer-director-producer, etc., but it’s the writer part of the hyphenates in those titles people notice and think about.

Ask anybody who knows the name Ron Moore, Joss Whedon, or J.J. Abrams, what they like about their work, and the very first thing out of their mouth is going to be – “I love his writing”, not “I love his shot choices and sense of composition”, or “Oooo. He’s soooo good with getting the most out of his cast on screen”, let alone his shrewd business acumen or ability to get the most bang for the buck out of a budget.

It’s the writing.

Writers are becoming “cool” these days. Studying writing at a film school is VERY “cool”. Hell, these days a claim of “majoring in screenwriting” can even get you laid, (OUTSIDE Hollywood of course, where people have little or no idea what screenwriters do, but I’m not kidding, these days aspiring “screenwriters” get laid nearly as much as musicians).

9 out of 10 people have no idea what a writer does, but they have a picture in their head of what writers do, and that picture is a hell of a lot more romantic than the reality. Which is basically the basis of celebrity in general. How many people do you think really realize how deadly boring being an actor on a set is during “roundy round”, or while the grips are frantically running around trying to figure out where the noise in the lines is coming from that’s screwing up the motion control on the camera mount?

Acting looks a lot more sexy to the general public than it is, and the same is true of writing.

People are beginning to notice who’s name is under the ‘ol written by, and Tinsel Town, against its better judgment, is beginning to realize that ‘there’s gold in them thar hills’.

Check out the p.r. for M.I. III

“From the creators of LOST!” “Having Lost creator JJ Abrams at the helm and Phil Hoffman as villain…” “JJ Abrams reveals details about Mission Impossible 3!” “Abrams on Alias, Lost, and Mission: Impossible 3!”

There WERE no famous writers, in the past, but the way things are going these days… I dunno. I think that’s changing. I really do.

I saw “My Date with Drew” about three weeks ago and when I saw you on the interview I felt like a circle coming to a close. So that’s the face of that guy that I’ve been reading so much! Now when I read your posts, I can see you telling them to me, rather than imagining this old professor (that’s how I pictured you before).

Oh and very entertaining and interesting post, John, as always.

Wouldn’t this be better proof that we are descended from monkeys?

Perhaps silence is the better answer.

Well I liked it, but only half were as good as yours and the other one’s were either 1) self-indulgent, 2) Angry or 3) Had no focus or point.

Anyway… thanks for the head’s up on the book, glad I bought it.

Naaa, not really. Good writing, John.