Never go by what one magazine’s style guide suggests–they are, after all, different for each magazine. The AP style guide is the only way to roll. You’re a j-school graduate, so I thought you’d know that. Plus, style guide aside, they’re both proper nouns. Simple as that.

“You’re being a dick. A tool, in fact. I approved your comment just to point out the extent of your needless needling.”

Honestly, I was pretty bummed when I read that.

You’re being a dick. A tool, in fact. I approved your comment just to point out the extent of your needless needling.

Re: Sunblock. Sure. You can get a sunburn on a cloudy day. But there’s a vast difference between spending four hours walking on a cloudless day and four hours on a day that looks like winter in London. I don’t think Londoners are fools for passing up the 50 spf on those days.

“Further/Farther” here tips towards farther (since there’s implied distance), but the preceding sentence was describing an ongoing process (thus, further). So while I would probably pick “farther” next time, it’s nowhere near as clear cut as you’re presenting.

In terms of “Internet,” Wired Magazine — who wrote about the internet before almost anyone else — stopped capitalizing the term in 2004. So please catch up, or shut up, because there is no correct usage. English is not Latin. It is also not German.

C’mon, John. Everyone–well, nearly everyone–knows that you can still get sunburned if it’s overcast. The UV easily penetrates the cloud coverage. So, I’m sorry to say, you must always wear your Irwin. (Actually, it’s advisable–this tidbit only being useful for pasty writers such as yourself–that you wear your Irwin indoors, too.)

“The obvious solution was to extend the picket line further down the sidewalk.”

Goddammit, it’s farther. Not further. Granted, you’re probably tired. But still. Please consider this a friendly heads up. Also, while I’m at it: It’s Web site, not website or Website. And Internet is capitalized.

-Allswell

what the heck? First of all, Mr. August got several studio writing assignments before GO ever got made. Check some of his older posts for the details. So don’t even go there about “luck.” Second — ALL of us came from “regular jobs.” We all worked our day jobs and then came home and wrote all night and gave up our weekends. We all know what it means to work our day jobs and we appreciate our ability to write for a living every day.

I stood with a writer outside of Warner Bros. the other day and I asked him how he got his start. He pointed to a corporate WB building across the street and said: “I used to work an assistant job right over there.”

We’re coming from all walks of life and all kinds of different experiences. But right now we are fighting for what we deserve and have EARNED. I leave you with this, a quote from Chris Kelly from the Huffington Post:

“A residual isn’t a handout or an allowance or Paris Hilton’s trust fund. It’s not a lottery payout, or alimony, or an annuity from a slip and fall accident at a casino.

A residual is a deferred payment against the lifetime value of a script.

It’s not a perk.

It’s okay if you didn’t know that. It’s in the best interests of a lot of fairly large corporations that you don’t.”

“….will get me in the *WGA.”

Damned alliteration.

They do have a real job — it’s called writing. Just because you have a passion for something doesn’t mean you should do it for free. I’m an actor and I’ve been in about 25 films. I absolutely love what I do. You know why I have an agent and a union card? Because people take advantage of people who love what they do. You know how much I made last year from my work? $23k — and about a third of that was from residuals. Doesn’t sound like a lot, does it? Would it surprise you to know that I’m in the third largest film market in the US and work more the 90% of my peers? Residuals put food on the table, help me pay bills, and allow me to reinvest in my work. Headshots, reels, and auditions are not free. Not to mention that, like you, I also write. I’ve invested quite a bit of time in my screenwriting over the years and haven’t received one cent for it. Next year there is a chance that one of my scripts might get made. Do I expect to be paid for all the years that led up to that script? No. But I do expect a portion of the profits made from it. And hopefully, the project will get me in the DGA.

By the way, I did write for a living at one point. I used to be in advertising. If you think just because you love something it’s all fun and games, you’re wrong. Writing can be one of the most stressful, hair-pulling jobs you’ve ever had. Just wait for someone to hire you: “You love writing? Great, you hired! Now, what you have here…this script…it’s not doing it for me. I can’t figure out why or what it needs, or even where it started sucking for me, but I need to have something I can shoot by Friday. Can you fix it by then, babe? Want me to have someone get you a coffee?”

And lastly, more power to you. I’m glad you have a passion for writing, I hope your pictures are made, and I also hope you get paid well for it — you deserve it. You’ve put a lot of years into reaching this point. Maybe once you get a few under your belt, you’ll realize the strides the WGA have made in your being properly compensated for all your hard work — strides that will benefit you even if you don;’t join. And maybe we’ll be sitting next to each other at a WGA meeting one day.

Do you recommend any comedy writers who are freelance? (I suppose the pool of freelancers is much larger now that the strike is going on…) I do a comedy ventriloquist show and am having trouble creating material for one of my characters (he’s a narcissistic monkey whose confidence far outweighs his talent). My e-mail is corporate.shows(at)gmail.com in case you know someone who might be able to help!

Thanks in advance!