My Perspective

My New Battle: A Battle for My Life

2011-03-27T16:39:00.000-07:00

California's Governor Jerry Brown signed his budget a few days ago. It included a 10% Medi-Cal cut. That cut could potentially force me and tens of thousands of people like me who require caregivers so they can live independently at home, into nursing homes. If I was in a nursing home, I would not only be exposed on a daily basis to MRSA, I would almost certainly get a bedsore. Either one could potentially kill me, but I would probably die first because of losing my independence. It would almost certainly be a similar fate for all the others with disabilities who are now living comfortably at home because of help from Medi-Cal caregivers.

In response, I produced a video that is now up on YouTube, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LF1_3HfIBks

It was picked up by Fox 11 News who did a story on me and presented my YouTube video to the governor for a response. http://www.myfoxla.com/dpp/news/politics/browns-office-defends-budget-cuts-after-youtube-video-20110325

I cannot believe that Governor Brown had the audacity to say they were sorry and asked me to encourage the Republicans to raise taxes. I realized that the best chance for me right now is to put a face on the issue. I will be producing a second YouTube video in response to the Governor's response. My goal is to have Governor Brown tell me face to face that he realizes that I may be forced into a nursing home because of the budget he just signed, and there's nothing else he could do.

The craziest thing about this is that this "cut" is exactly the opposite. It was proven 30 years ago that it is far cheaper to allow me and others who require assistance from Medi-Cal workers to live at home. Institutionalizing us costs an exorbitant amount of money, not to mention the fact that it takes us out of our communities where many of us are contributing members, and robs us of our individuality, our independence, and our souls.

Please contact your local legislators about this and tell them how outraged you are and encourage them to do what they can to reverse it. Future blogs will offer numerous things you can do as individuals that can save the future of thousands of our disabled citizens.

I'm BackFrom Beyond the Grave

2010-12-23T12:58:00.000-08:00

Yes, it's true! I was in the hospital on my way up a tunnel of my memories and that was swirling around me heading toward a light where I could see my dad and my dog who are both deceased. I was actually heading there very happily. Even though I'm quadriplegic, I have had a very blessed life. I've gotten to do more than most able-bodied people do and I have a family and friends who love me. What more could I possibly want out of life?

I was in the hospital for having a blood vessel burst in my brain. Fortunately, there has been very little residual effect, and I was told by my neurologist that the chance of that happening again is about as likely as it happening to anyone else. If you have any personal stories where that is shown to be untrue, please keep them to yourself so I can stay in my blissful ignorance.

Obviously, I didn't cross over though I'm certain I died three times. Every time I was awakened by one of my friend's smiling faces. The final time, I opened my eyes to see Geri Jewell, star of Facts of Life and Deadwood, a longtime best friend. Normally, that would be a wonderful way to wake up, but when you're expecting to see God, it's just not the same. To top it off, she was wearing a Barack Obama hat. Not being a big fan of his, you can imagine how I felt about seeing God, who looks like Geri Jewell, wearing a Barack hat. We both enjoy a good laugh over it, but I was disappointed.

Since then, I have been recovering at home and this is the second day that I am back writing on my computer. I've spent most of the time since I last entered anything in my blog in recovery. Mostly watching Netflix and Hulu.com.

Anyway, now that I am back among the living and working on projects I have something positive to talk about. I'm waiting to hear back on several projects that I submitted to various writing contests that, if I win, (when I win), would greatly enhance my career.

I am also working on a project called Inside the G-String, which is a reality series about strippers and what makes them do what they do. I interview several of them and we find out that there are many, many misconceptions.. It has been very interesting so far and I've found out a ton of stuff I never knew. I would share it with you here but I'm saving all the good stuff for my pitches to Hollywood powers that be.

I thought I would include this sample. It is of a stripper named Tiffani I told her to imagine how she feels about what she does rather than putting on her usual smile that makes her lots of money. I would like to get some feedback about how you think she did. She is a sweetheart with a very interesting story that both of us are looking forward to sharing with the world.

I Spent the Weekend at a Cool Seminar with BattleStar Galactica Director Michael Nankin

2010-07-20T14:02:00.000-07:00

Weekend before last, about 25 lucky attendees and I enjoyed a two-day seminar with famed TV director Michael Nankin. My favorite shows he's directed are multiple episodes of BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, and CAPRICA, he has also directed CSI, HEROES, FLASH FORWARD, TRAUMA, and numerous others. Michael was also a showrunner (executive producer) and his credits as a writer-producer-director include CHICAGO HOPE, PICKET FENCES, LIFE GOES ON, and tons of network pilots.

Though I have directed, most recently "The Hollywood Quad," and a short play presented at ABC in front of a group of producers, I don't consider myself a director. It is a unique talent that I don't yet possess. However, as an actor and writer I found his seminar invaluable. I learned volumes about what directors are looking for both in the casting process and during filming. It is nearly impossible for me to put what I learned into words because it is mainly experiential. You have to be there and experience it.

For example, he showed dailies (all the film shot and printed on a particular day) and showed the edited final product that went on the air. One of the sets of dailies was from BattleStar Galactica, the other was from Caprica. The dailies from BattleStar Galactica included Edward James Almos as Admiral Adama, and Mary McDonnell as Laura Roslin. It was a scene that favored Mary McDonnell and he showed three versions of it, all of which were amazing. (She is one of my favorite actresses). He talked about why he chose which pieces of which scenes to piece together into what we saw on television. Very informative.

The second set of dailies were from Caprica and included three actors, Esai Morales as Joseph Adama, Teryl Rothery as Evelyn Adama, and 11-year-old Sina Najafi as Young William Adama. Michael showed us with this set of dailies how he used camera angles to continue the "uncovering things that are hidden" aspect, which is such a big part of the series. Very interesting.

It was also very cool that Esai Morales was there and answered several questions about choices he made and choices Michael made.

I also got to enjoy dinner with Michael and others in the group where we got to know each other a little better and was an extreme pleasure.

The seminar was produced by Marc and Elaine Zicree as part of their SuperM en tors series of classes and seminars. I have attended several and highly recommend you take part in one or more of them if you are at all interested in furthering your career in the entertainment business.

Here is a shot of Marc with Michael.

HowTo Make It in Hollywood as a Quadriplegic Actor/Writer/Producer

2010-07-20T10:46:00.000-07:00

As the only quadriplegic actor/writer/producer in Hollywood, the only successful one at any rate, (by successful, I mean has made money doing this and is a member of at least two of the three unions SAG and WGA, I haven't yet made it into the PGA) I consider myself an expert. Over my many years of doing this I've come up with Jim's rules of how to make it in Hollywood if you're quadriplegic.
1. Forget you're quadriplegic. Nobody cares. Everybody will expect you to do an able-bodied person's amount of work plus 10% because you're quadriplegic.
2. Remember you're quadriplegic. It is both the aspect about you that will open doors and close them. It will make people remember you as well as scare them away from you. It is your biggest asset as well as your biggest detriment. However, if you don't make it, don't you dare blame it on the fact that you're quadriplegic. Too many people have worked much too hard getting performers with disabilities opportunities in the media for you to blame your lack of success on your disability.
3. You had better be talented. Not just talented, have multiple talents. So many damn talents that they can't afford not to hire you. I'm talking a three ring circus of talents. If you don't have them, develop them. I'm not saying that a young, good-looking quadriplegic guy could never make it here with no other talent than acting. I did it. The reason I didn't go any farther for many years was because I was a one trick pony. I thought acting would do it for me. I started writing projects for myself. Told producers a zillion ideas for projects that would include me as the lead. It wasn't until I started writing projects with out me that I started getting notice. I started becoming known as a writer, I stressed the actor part of me less and less.
4. If you are quadriplegic, think twice before you bring that up on the phone. Quadriplegic can be a very scary word. Show them your talent and get them to love you before you drop the Q bomb.
5. Wherever you live, try to make a name for yourself as an actor or writer or whatever it is you aspire to be. If you are an actor, do as much community theater as possible. If you're a writer, write plays, get them produced. If you're a director, direct plays. That way when you get to town here, you will have a track record. It will help you get an agent.
6. This is the most important rule if you are a quadriplegic with dreams of making it in Hollywood. Do not become direct competition for me. I will kill you. It will look like an accident; after all, I am a writer. You may laugh and think I am teasing... There is a reason I am the only quadriplegic actor/writer/producer in town.
7. This is the other most important rule. Don't forget you're quadriplegic and try to do everything. In other words, look after your health. At times in my career, I neglected mine to get ahead, and though I did edge ahead slightly, I paid for it. Get a good doctor, and stay healthy.
8. Forget all of these rules and make your own way. Because the truth is, there are no rules in Hollywood... except of course, rule number 6.

Please click one or more of the links below so I can promote this blog. Also, please add your self as a follower over on the right. Thanks!

Okay, So Being the Only Successful Quadriplegic Actor/Writer/Producer in Hollywood Does Occasionally Have Some Pretty Cool Perks!

2010-06-28T15:28:00.000-07:00

The hot blonde on my left is Nicole Hiltz from the popular USA crime drama "In Plain Sight." Though I was introduced to them, I don't quite remember who the other ladies were because the event we were at was sponsored by Gray Goose Vodka, and had an open bar where the booze flowed like blood from a fresh vampire bite. We were also treated to wonderful food and outrageous desserts.

As a voting member of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, the group who presents The Emmy Awards, I'm invited to a lot of meet and greets of the actors, writers and producers of television shows. Not only is it way cool, I am generally the only guy in a wheelchair, certainly the only quadriplegic guy at most of these functions. When I contact people I've met there, if they don't remember my name they certainly remember the "guy in a wheelchair." More importantly, my wheelchair makes my presence obvious and producers and writers are reminded that people with disabilities exist in all facets of society. It is a topic I bring up often to them, not only to promote myself, but to promote the idea in general. It's getting a little better, but there are still very few examples of accurate portrayals of us on television or in the movies. They could almost be counted on one hand.

As a member of the WGA, the Writers Guild of America, specifically the Writers with Disabilities Committee, former national chair of the Performers with Disabilities Committee in AFTRA, the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, and a former member of the SAG, Screen Actors Guild Performers with Disabilities Committee, and it is important to me to constantly remind the movers and shakers in the entertainment industry about the importance of including disabled characters on television shows and in the movies.

When I was first injured, there were no people like me on television. No quadriplegics and barely any paraplegics, no one who looked like they were in the same boat I was. Occasionally, there would be a "sickness of the week" TV Movie about a quadriplegic, but generally they were pathetic characters who were victims. Yes, there are quadriplegics who are victims of crimes or whatever, but the dialogue wasn't realistic and the roles were not true to life, they were written by able-bodied people based on stereotypes.

To tell the truth, there were no quadriplegics on television until I appeared on Highway to Heaven. Not that I'm looking for a pat on the back, I was just happy to work and just happened to be the first. I first got on television in 1984, 26 years ago. I was sure that by now there would be plenty of us on television. I was positive that roles played by disabled performers or at least about disabled characters would be prevalent.

Oh well, I guess I will have to attend a lot more Hollywood parties and be surrounded by gorgeous women to promote positive images of people with disabilities in the media. If it must be done, it must be done...

Pre-Advance Publicity

2010-05-20T15:49:00.000-07:00

Hopefully about this time next year you will be picking up a copy of my autobiography,"Don't Make Me Get Out Of This Chair." As you might expect, it is about my life!

It is not my first autobiography. I finished the first one in about 1986 or 1987. It was a straightout timeline of my life from my accident in 1971, to getting on television in 1984 and ended with my divorce in 1987. It was written in the style of; this happened, then this happened, then this happened. There were plenty of long conversations that took up many pages, some timid sex scenes, and a blow-by-blow (so to speak) of my life and loves at Rancho Los Amigos Rehabilitation Center in Downey, California where I lived for almost a year after my accident. (note: details about my accident, the one that left me paralyzed, exists somewhere on this blog. I will probably repeat it the whole gruesome story in a future blog).

That epic volume of my memoirs also included an epilogue, yes, an epilogue that somehow drew a correlation between the steps I took to become a success, and a ladder of success the reader could take to improve their lives. It bore the ungodly title, Dare to Dream.

You've never heard of it?! It wasn't on the New York Times best-seller list, you say? You never even tripped over it at the $.99 store? Probably because it was never published. Excuse me while I give a silent "thank God" that all of the publishers I sent it to turned it down. I would hate to have it out in the world as a sample of my writing. Schlock and dribble would be a compliment although my mother liked it. But then again, she was excited over my first poop. There is an analogy there somewhere.

Anyway, "Don't Make Me Get Out Of This Chair" will, I promise, make for much better reading. It contains my guts. It contains the real me. As you may have gathered reading this blog, I have a well developed sense of humor (read warped). I honed that sense of humor in the hospital It was my defense in the face of a cornucopia of horror (sounds like a Roger Corman film). In addition to learning at 14 that I would never walk, or do any of the things I enjoyed ever again, I watched friends die and grown men plead for death.

It will make you laugh. It will make you cry. it will make you re-examine everything you've ever thought to be true in your life. Liberals will become conservatives, Republicans will become Democrats, dogs will become cats, and the entire makeup of this planet will become disassembled and reassembled in a manner none of us could have ever conceived. (I swear to you there is absolutely no hyperbole in that paragraph)

I promise you will enjoy it though. When it comes out, please buy enough copies that I can leave a generous inheritance to my grandchildren who have yet to be born.

Jim

Explosions vs. Emotions

2010-05-11T15:42:00.000-07:00

A lot of my gripe with Hollywood is that there are way more explosions than there are emotions up on the screen. I can only wonder how many times that sentence, or one similar to that has been written in a blog.

I can tell you from personal experience it is because it's way easier for the writer. Knocking out explosions scripts spew out about as fast as you can type. Knocking out emotion scripts is gut-wrenchingly difficult. I am working on a script right now, a twist on the classic story of Faust, about a guy who sells his soul to the devil to further his career. My story could very easily include a lot of explosions and CGI. It might even be fodder for a summer blockbuster. A summer blockbuster that would leave you cold. You would not leave the theater having learned anything about yourself or the human condition, nor would you care if the main character won or lost whatever his goal was.

Although it is tempting to make your audiences hearts flutter while the main character defuses a bomb, it is far more gratifying for the writer and the audience, if you make their hearts flutter over some emotional obstacle the main character has to overcome. The hard part is opening up my soul and filling a hundred pages with my joys and sorrows. The real ones, the emotions we never admit to anyone, sometimes not even ourselves.

So, a few years from now when you are in the theater laughing and crying over the roller coaster ride that will become that year's best movie, and will garner me a multimillion dollar, multi-picture deal, and make my name a household word, remember this blog, and the angst that spilled out of Jim Troesh's blather.

Live long and help me prosper,
Jim

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Troesh

2010-04-24T14:02:00.000-07:00

I often feel like there two completely different sides of me. So different are these two sides they are almost at war. One side is the public side; the Jim Troesh you see on TV, the me that schmoozes at Hollywood parties, meets with executives, hangs with famous people like Jack Black, promotes Jim Troesh, and performs on stage. The me that goes to the store, talks on the phone, pays the bills, writes the screenplays, magazines and other things like this blog.

Then there is the quadriplegic Jim Troesh. (I was 15 in this picture) That is the part no one knows too well. The part of me that deals with muscle spasms, manages caregivers and their multitude of personalities, deals with nursing registries, doctors, medications, and intense regime of morning and nighttime care, as well as depression, anger, jealousy, envy, and everything else that goes along with being paralyzed from the shoulders down. The part of me that tries to connect with a body that I cannot feel. The part of me that thinks I should have dealt with all of this years ago.

Occasionally, these two opposing forces meet on the pages of my screenplays, and I'm able to spew out my feelings. That is when I am writing at the top of my game, writing stories that someone without my disability couldn't possibly write because I have a unique perspective. When I'm in that zone I feel that it's all been worth while. Maybe like war veterans turn screen writers must feel.

On any given day, one or the other Jim Troesh may be in charge. Most of the time, quadriplegic Jim rides in the back seat and public Jim takes care of business. Occasionally though, quadriplegic Jim takes over because things like bladder infections, muscle spasms or a unique gift God saved for quadriplegics called autonomic dysreflexia force themselves into the forefront. On days like that, I wonder about my ability to make it in this business at all.

I guess that is why I'm here. Mine is the unique blessing of having the gifts to share this feeling, these thoughts with the world. As hard as it is to say, I guess I am thankful for all the adversities I'm given, because I've also been given many blessings. It is those qualities that I share with readers of this blog, and any and all who have ever read or seen my work.

Website Building, my regular job.

2010-04-16T11:39:00.000-07:00

My "regular job," one of the beasts that drag me away from writing is building websites, and designing ads and posters. Here's a few samples. jggraffix.com. I've mentioned many times before that the hardest thing for me about writing is clearing everything else out of the way so I can work. Number one on that list is doing things to make money. I can't wait until I can earn my living with my writing, but until then I do what I have to do Sometimes I get pulled away so long I lose my motivation. Especially after all the hours of quadriplegic bullshit. It takes three hours for my caregiver to get me up in the morning and two to four to go to bed. Between that and all the drama that everyone has, I get burned out.

It seems though that just when I'm at my lowest, something comes along and remotivates me. It might be seeing a movie like "Shutter Island" that is still under my skin, (how does a writer do that?), watching a well written show like "Modern Family," or I sometimes have the pleasure to meet writers whose work I genuinely admire. One of those is Vince Gilligan, the executive producer on "Breaking Bad." I am a huge fan of the show, partly because it stars Bryan Cranston, who was kind enough to guest star in my TV sitcom pilot "The Hollywood Quad," but mainly because of the incredible stories he's written. I hope some of his talent rubs off on me.

I ran into Vince Gilligan at several functions this last year and found him to be a very nice man. I've heard the same thing from a lot of people who've worked with him. By the way, I've been lucky to meet several top people in the entertainment business, most of them with names you'd recognize and was very happy to discover how nice they were. I know that goes against everything written in the tabloids, but it's still true.

I've digressed. Vince Gilligan has inspired me not only with his writing, but with his personality. He has always taken time to answer my questions, as does his assistant Kate Powers. Previous to "Breaking Bad" he was exec producer on "X Files."God, I would love to write on a show with him. He has a way of making his audiences feel exactly what his main characters feel. Amazing stuff.

Please tell your friends to visit m blog. I will update at least once a week. My hope with this blog is to inspire new writers, especially those with disabilities, and to share with you the entertainment business from my point of view.

Motivation Smotivation! Writing's A Pain Sometimes!

2010-04-01T12:10:00.000-07:00

You can't really talk about writing or a career as a writer without discussing motivation. There's nothing like the fire that burns inside me when I launch into a brand new script or article. But, there are days, today for example when sparking up that kindling is next to impossible. In my head I always know I'll need to edit it, send it out for notes, rewrite it a few more times, send it out again, and start work on my next project long before I can see any money.

Perhaps that's why this edition of "My Perspective" has been so long in coming. Sometimes, I must clear everything else off my plate before I can start. It is very easy to think you're having an active career by writing something, submitting it, then waiting for the bucks to roll in. I have found myself guilty of that many times.

Especially as a quadriplegic writer. It takes me two to three hours to get up in the morning, so after breakfast I often go in my office and reward myself for the hours of repetitive bullshit I've just gone through by diving into HULU.com and watching all the latest TV shows. I tell myself I'm keeping current on all the latest productions. After all, I've got to watch for trends and stay current. I don't want to be sending out specs of shows no longer on the air. That argument is especially powerful when I've spent all morning training a new caregiver. I have to push past my overpowering urge to procrastinate and start committing words to digital screens. I'll be honest, some days are better than others.

I post pictures of people I've met and others I've worked with, and often forget how important it is to stay in touch with them. Sure, I post a picture of Elton John, or gloat about successes, but do I jump back into writing the next day, or spend several days basking in the afterglow?

I've been an afterglow basker for years, which is why I'm signing off until next time. I need to write some new stuff.

What's Been Happening?

2010-03-23T14:36:00.001-07:00

A bizarre medical complication happened last May and put a serious crimp in my career, but that's water under the bridge, I prefer to stay focused on the present.

NBC recently held a showcase to promote the talents of actors and writers from diverse backgrounds. I submitted a 5 minute comedy called The GIMP and the GILF, about a guy in a wheelchair who hires a prostitute in her seventies because history turns him on. NBC diversity exec Karen Horne loved it and put in the showcase where it was performed in a huge room of TV and movie execs by an actor in a wheelchair and an African-American actress in her 70's.

The result was two high-placed execs who emailed me, interested in reading other things I've written. Who knows what wondrous things can spring from that?

I've learned during my nearly thirty years in show business that there is no one way to success. It is a process of keeping yourself out there all the time. I recently spoke with Peter Farrelley, (left) producer of "Something About Mary", "Me, Myself, and Irene" and tons of other highly successful movies. He said that right now, the best way to be discovered is to produce projects that highlight whatever it is you do best. It is so inexpensive to produce projects these days, if you're not creating something you're falling behind.

I agree whole-heartedly! That's why, in addition to writing a horror script, I'm in the process of producing a web-based reality show, and a short film starring me and possibly a famous actress.

I am truly blessed. I sometimes feel like the luckiest man alive. Not always though. Sometimes I feel like that unidentifiable stuff you scrape off the bottom of your rain boots.

Drop be here often. I'll have tips for success as well as a chronicle of my journey toward success in Tinseltown.

Long Time No Blog

2010-03-14T12:04:00.000-07:00

Not unlike a bear in hibernation, I've spent the last few years asleep in a cave.

Isn't that a wonderful excuse? A shame it has no bearing on the truth. Actually, I've spent the last two years producing my own sitcom pilot, "The Hollywood Quad" guest starring two time Emmy award winner Bryan Cranston, meeting multiple stars like Elton John, and highly placed entertainment executives like Peter Farrelley, working on screenplays, and writing my biography, "Don't Make Me Get Out of This Chair."

I'm back in the blogosphere and over the near future will be updating my blog at least weekly writing about all the cool and not so cool stuff going on with my life.

Since I have the picture here to refer to, meeting Elton was awesome! I was at the back of the Leonard H. Goldenson Theater at the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in North Hollywood where Elton was talking about Speckle, a TV series he is producing starring Elvis Costello. After it was over he heard I wanted to meet him but couldn't get down the stairs where was, he hurried up the stairs to meet me. We spoke for a few minutes, during which he listened to me pitch my new sitcom and directed me to follow up with his associate.

When it came time for the picture, my friend Linda couldn't get my camera to work. I was freaking until Elton said "guys" to one of the entourage he came up with and the guy took my camera, fixed it, and took this picture. I was shaking the whole way home.

My beard and long hair are gone BTW. I'm back to my normal look.

Come back soon for more blogs about my exploits in my journey toward success in show biz!

Hollywood Quad - Sex and the Single Quad (Episode 6)

2007-03-12T20:33:00.000-07:00

Click to Play

Episode 6 - Sex and the Single Quad - Actor/Writer/Producer, Jim Troesh tells all about quadriplegics and sex. You'll learn everything you always wanted to know, but were afraid to ask. Adult oriented.

The Hollywood Quad - Promo

2007-03-12T20:18:00.000-07:00

Click to Play

The upbeat, fast-moving promo for "The Hollywood Quad"

Hollywood Quad - Perception is Reality (Episode 5)

2007-02-02T18:35:00.000-08:00

Click to Play

Episode 5 - Perception is Reality - Actor/writer/producer Jim Troesh takes a funny look at perception and how big a part it plays in casting performers with disabilities and in reality.

Hollywood Quad - Color of the Cross (episode 4)

2007-01-17T16:57:00.000-08:00

Click to Play

Episode 4 - Color of the Cross is a very funny look inside the writing of the most recent movie Jim Troesh has written, "Color of the Cross" recently released on video.

Hollywood Quad - Landon Tribute (episode 3)

2006-12-31T14:36:00.000-08:00

Click to Play

Episode 3 - Michael Landon Tribute - Jim Troesh, who acted for three years as the quadriplegic attorney on Highway to Heaven, talks candidly about TV icon Michael Landon.

PODCASTING

2006-12-27T13:48:00.000-08:00

Last weekend I released Episode 2 "The Hollywood Quad - The Q Word." (just click to check it out) It's about navigating in Hollywood as a quadriplegic guy and how executive producers react to me. This weekend I will release the third webisode "The Hollywood Quad - Michael Landon Tribute." I'm sure you can guess what it's about, but it's a side to him I'm sure you never heard about. I haven't done any publicity on the series yet but so far I have gotten close to two thousand downloads. I'll be doing a big publicity push right after the first of the year when I have about four episodes floating around out there on the Internet highway.

I really enjoy doing these and I get a terrific reaction from my industry friends who have seen them, but it takes two days and sometimes three to get them produced and distributed throughout the Internet. I am getting the speed down, but I wish I had more time to work on my screenplays. Oh well, the best I can do is the best I can to.

My Christmas Day was uneventful. I spent the day with my family back on December 9th. We do Christmas early. That way we avoid the Christmas rush. If you are interested, check back to this blog in a couple weeks and there should be a Link to a video I'm editing that I will mail out to my family who couldn't make it.

Its always rough around holidays for me because my caregivers want to spend time with their families. We do the best we can to work through the holidays but I am usually stuck with people I don't know well a lot at this time of year. I hesitate to complain because there are a lot of people out there with no care givers. I'm not really complaining anyway, I thank God for these people. If it wasn't for them and people who gone before them, there would be no "The Hollywood Quad", or career for me.

Future podcasts will focus on my struggle to move from playing hospital patients to playing doctors. I will also talk about how being quadriplegic helps me to overcome certain obstacles that able-bodied people struggle with. and, yes, there will even be a podcast about my sex life. I've heard for years it's something everybody wants to know, but no one wants to ask.

Sorry it's such a short blog this week, I'm really backed up with work (it's a good thing). Until next time ... thanks for checking in!

"The Hollywood Quad"

2006-12-08T15:36:00.000-08:00

That's right, I am "The Hollywood Quad." I went to a seminar about the future of television at the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences a few weeks ago. Among other things, I learned all about podcasts, how to create them and how to distribute them on the Internet.

I came up with the title and the concept of the show pretty quickly. The pilot is a little over seven minutes, but future episodes will probably be three to four minutes. Each one will have some insight into me or my journey toward success in the entertainment business. There may also be interviews with celebrities. The difference between my interviews and the interviews you can see everywhere else is that on the "The Hollywood Quad" the celebrities will be interviewing me.

I really love doing the show because I get to be the producer, director, writer, performer, editor, and distributor. I control all the content and it comes out exactly the way I want it to. I look forward to hearing what you think of my vision.

I did it mainly to promote Jim Troesh, but during the process of the pilot episode I realized it was an excellent way of addressing the elephant in the room. The biggest obstacle I face is the attitude, and the preconceived notions that are in the minds of the people who hire me. If I can put my persona out there in a place where they can see what I'm about without actually having to meet me, I am one step ahead. It's almost as if they get to know me before they meet me.

I purposely shot it so you see all the moving parts of me and none of the things I can't move. That way, they focused on me and not my disability. I don't try to hide it, there are several shots of me in my wheelchair, but it's not a focal point in most of the episode. I also joke around and deliver my message with humor so hopefully people are enlightened rather than be co-head with an idea.

I released it last week and it has had about 1500 Hits at the time of this writing. In about two weeks when I have more episodes I'm going to put it up on iTunes where people can subscribe to it for free and it will automatically go on to your computer every time you open iTunes.

I encourage you to take a look at and share it with as many of your friends says would be interested and when it gets on iTunes or one of the other places you can subscribe to it, please do. The more downloads it gets the higher it moves on YouTube and thereby generates even more downloads.

Other than that, I've just been writing. Thanks for reading this ...

Movie Premiere/Star Trek/Other Stuff

2006-10-30T14:11:00.000-08:00

It has been an exciting week, I was excited to be on the set of the newest Star Trek episode, and the movie I wrote "Color of the Cross" premiered Saturday night at the WGA Theater in Beverly Hills.

If you haven't heard, there are new episodes of the original Star Trek series, with Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock and all the characters you love available online as free downloads from the Star Trek New Voyages website at www.newvoyages.com. These are brand new, skillfully produced episodes with great music and outstanding graphics, some of them starring members of the original Star Star Trek cast! The most recent is still in production and stars George Takei, the original Mr. Sulu. It is directed and co-written by my friend and mentor Marc Zicree.

On the left, I'm on the actual Star Trek set with one of the production crew actress/writer/producer Cali Ross. In the photo above you can see the huge "green screen" where, during the post-production they can insert the landscape of some strange new world. A crowd of special effects people, hairdressers, make-up artists, costume designers and others swarm around the set. In the photo on the right, director Marc Zicree discusses an upcoming scene with some of the crew.

This is me outside the WGA Theater taking a photo with my first feature film credit! Lots of well-dressed men and very attractive women packed the theater. My problem was that I thought it was a screening, and dressed like I was just going to a movie rather than dressing for a premier which is why I'm dressed the way I am in the picture. Other than that, it was very exciting although I was waiting in the lobby to talk to the producer and missed the beginning of the movie so I didn't get to see my credit as co-writer on the screen!

It was pretty cool to watch people on the big screen saying words I had written. I have a different take on why Judas betrayed Jesus and I created a relationship between Mary and Mary Magdalene that I hope you find interesting when you see it when it is released across the country on November 10th.

Other than that, I have been busy rewriting my script Area 52 after getting some terrific notes on it from two excellent script consultants. Writing is rewriting and it's never finished until you're watching it at home on TV.

Things are about to start heating up for me again. Periodically, I take a super mentor class with Marc and Elaine Zicree that super motivates me into getting the most out of every day. Marc And Elaine are former show runners (executive producers) and have written over a hundred scripts for television. Their list of credits is astounding. In addition, they are well-connected within the industry and point me in the direction of the right people and give terrific career advice. Every time I take a class with them my career kicks into hyper drive.

I just finished building a website for my good friend, actress/comedienne Geri Jewell. Deadwood fans know her as Jewell, the disabled girl who works in the whore house, and millions know her as Cousin Geri on the classic 80's sitcom "Facts of Life". You might want to check out her website at gerijewell.com.

That's about it for now, thanks for reading

The Upside of Writing Entertainment Magazine Articles

2006-10-09T15:07:00.000-07:00

Not long ago, I pitched Emmy Magazine, an entertainment industry trade magazine, on the idea of writing a story about three TV actors and their moves into other areas such as writing, directing, or producing. The actors I chose were Laura Innes, Dr. Kerry Weaver from ER, Bryan Cranston, the dad from Malcolm in the Middle, and Michael Chiklis, Detective Vic Mackey from The Shield. All three of them are very nice people.

The upside of interviewing them, in addition to getting to meet them, is that I get to ask things I want to know because I'm transitioning from acting to writing myself. I also get access to them that I can't get by going through their agents or managers. For example, I talked with Bryan Cranston about the mockumentary I'm writing about the first quadriplegic mime. He thought it was a very funny concept and offered to read it when I finish writing it in December. (I'm really hoping he likes it because there is an excellent part for him in it.) The other upside is that I get to write for a prestigious trade magazine and get a blurb about myself in it, and of course, they pay me.

All I seem to do lately is write, it's a good thing I love doing it. I met twice with a terrific script consultant, Julie Marsh Nelson about "Hip-Hop Zombies". The writing is coming along very well and I hope to have the first draft done before the end of October. I want to write an excellent script that will draw big-name talent. I could probably make a cheesy version of it to release on DVD, but I wouldn't be happy with what I had created. I always strive to make everything I write the best it can possibly be.

I'm currently having my dramady pilot "Area 52" read by top script consultants, Marc and Elaine Zicree, and I will probably rewrite based on their input and start shopping it around production companies within ABC/Disney. (Because I wrote "Area 52" while in the ABC/Disney Scholarship Program, ABC/Disney has an option on it for a year so I can only show it to production companies who have a deal with ABC/Disney. I learned a lot in that program and its totally worth it.)

Having a successful writing career looks easy from the outside, but it's a very tough business. It's tough to get the job, tough doing the job, and tough to keep the job. But, it's my dream and I intend to persevere. In truth, the fact that it's tough motivates me to work that much harder.

The pilot for Comedy Central that I appeared in and creative consulted on "Special Unit" is still in play according to Bryan Cranston who directed it, but that's about as much as I know.

My acting career is also moving along fairly well. I'm going to a callback (a second audition) on Thursday for a part in a very exciting project that I will talk more about when I land the role. (notice I said when and not if).

Don't forget to mark your calendars for October 27th! Color of the Cross the feature film I co-wrote is coming to theaters. (if you look real close at this poster you'll see my name on the bottom line as co-writer ... BOOYAH!) It is the story of Jesus' last forty-eight hours and Jesus, Mary, Joseph, and several of the disciples will be played by African Americans. Please check out the trailer at colorothecross.com

Thanks for reading, that's all until next time

A Blast From the Past

2006-09-14T11:49:00.000-07:00

My mom had her 80th birthday celebration a few weeks back. My entire family was up at her home in Reno, all except me, because, for various reasons I was unable to attend.

Anyway, one of the projects my family was doing while they were there was to separate the pictures. I thought this one was particularly poignant. I was home from hospital that day on a visit to see if my family would be able to take of me. The girl to my right is Ida, my first girlfriend. There is a long story there (which will be a chapter in my autobiography) about how having her as a girlfriend while I was in hospital kept me from having a mental block about my wheelchair being a wall between me and the opposite sex. The girl in a miniskirt is Debbie, a neighbor from across the street. That was 1972. Although I'm smiling in that picture I was in a very, very bad place. My hands had been taken away from me and all I had aspired to do for most of my life was to work in electronics. I loved building stuff.

The reason I include that picture today, is because it's a hell of a lot easier to look back after thirty-five years, than it was looking forward from that skinny fifteen-year-old perspective I had. Believe me, I never thought in a million years I'd be where I am today. So, to all of those people out there reading this who are newly quadriplegic, or know someone who is, or even those who are trapped in a position that they don't want to be in, I hope that this picture will give you some hope. There is life after a spinal cord injury, there is life after tragedy. Wow, I don't usually get into that part of my past, it's not a good place for me for the most part. I much prefer living in the present and future.

Speaking of the present, I graduated from the Disney scholarship two weeks back and pitched my "Outsiders" script, which is now called "Area 52" and it was well received but no one as yet has asked to read it. That's pretty much how Hollywood works. Lots of smiles, encouragement, compliments, and other glad handling, but no sales. If they're interested in buying your work, you'll know it because they won't glad hand you most of the time. As with everything though, there are exceptions. Michael Landon told me how terrific my audition was then hired me three hours later. Larry David went on and on about how terrific my audition was, but have you ever seen me on "Curb Your Enthusiasm?"

I am mostly occupied with writing, it's about all I do. I got feedback from a script consultant on my zombie script last week which was very helpful. Most people write in a vacuum and if you don't have input from informed outside sources your script has a strong possibility of being jam packed with holes, two dimensional characters, and an ending that comes out of nowhere. I'm sure you've seen movies that are examples of all of those and more.

So, that's enough for me for today. Thank you all for reading and following my career. As for all of the other projects I have, other scripts, my autobiography, and others, they are all coming along well. Until next time ...

Things Are Picking Up

2006-08-17T09:50:00.000-07:00

I haven't added anything new here in a while because I've been so busy writing. The good news is, I have a veritable cornucopia of new projects I'm anxious to talk about.

Before I tell you about all my new projects, I've got to tell you about a performance of "Jesus Christ Superstar" I saw a few nights back at the Ricardo Montalban Theater. It starred Ted Neely and many other stars from the original movie. It also starred Ben Vareen, and, in a very cool bit of casting, Jack Black as King Herod. I would say he stole the show except the other performances were so extraordinary that everyone stole the show. I ran into Jack Black out front, we spoke for a moment and he was nice enough to pose with me for this picture. (double-click the picture to view a larger version)

First, an update regarding "The Outsiders," my TV pilot about an alien from outer space who comes to earth and becomes immediately famous only to lose it all to a second Antonio Banderas of aliens who turns him into yesterday's news. It is all but done. I'm very happy with it, and I will be pitching it to ABC and promoting myself to them as a writer during the last week of August. If they turn it down, I will take it to the other networks including FX.

"Hip-Hop Zombies" has its own website now (hip-hopzombies.com, see the link on the right) and soon there will be a trailer for it up there as well as a promotional poster. It's moving along quite well when it's done I think it will be a movie that several types of people will enjoy. In addition to zombies, it is laugh out loud funny and has strong characters and strong relationships.

Keep an eye out for the movie I wrote, "Color Of The Cross," it's coming out in theaters October 13th. "Color Of The Cross" (see link on the right) is the story of Holy Thursday, the day before Jesus was crucified. He knew he was going to die the next day so it was important to him to say goodbye to his friends and his mother. The real twist in this story is that Jesus, Mary, and several of the disciples will be played by African American actors and the story is written to include the prejudice that was prevalent in those days and rarely talked about.

I have also embarked on three new projects I'm anxious to talk about. I'm resurrecting a script I wrote years ago called "In Their Own World," a futuristic story about a team of Space explorers who land on a planet inhabited only by people with Down syndrome. It's a touching, romantic tale, that if all goes right will be part of a trilogy of science fiction short films called "Strange Matter" that will be available on DVD. There will definitely be lots of notice here when that comes out.

I'm in the process of writing my memoirs titled, "Don't Make Me Get Out Of This Chair". Like me, my memoirs will be jam packed with irony, touching moments, and above all biting wit. Some of the chapter titles include; "A Husband and His Money are Soon Parted," "Oops! Or Was It Destiny?" and "God Bless Quadriphiles."

My third new project is an untitled half-hour comedy/drama written by and starring me about my life. I've been fortunate to have an adventurous life and I will be dramatizing, or should I say comedy-tizing various moments of my life with the goal of making people laugh so hard milk squirts out their nose.

Writing by the Light of My Fireplace

2006-07-12T09:02:00.000-07:00

Well, not really. Especially since my apartment doesn't have a fireplace and the temperature will be in the hundreds today. But it's a nice image anyway.

But, that's about all I've been doing is writing. Industry-wise anyway. I have been doing a few normal things like shopping for clothes, getting new glasses, and getting my teeth fixed, but nobody wants to read about how many cavities I have or the new bifocals I am trying to get used to.

I have been meeting with my new mentor at ABC/Disney, Fernando A. Torres who is helping me get my script "The Outsiders" in shape to pitch to the ABC development executives at the end of August. Development executives are the people who make decisions about what new pilots to buy with the goal of turning them into a series. The best of all worlds would be that "The Outsiders" is picked up as a TV series. The more likely outcome is that it will be a terrific writing sample I can use to get a staff writing job on a show.

When I'm not working on "The Outsiders," I am writing my feature film, "Hip-Hop Zombies," a very tongue-in-cheek horror flick that is a cross between Napoleon Dynamite, Michael Jackson's Thriller, and Airplane. I'm hoping to have it completed in the next few months and my involvement with it will probably be as a writer/producer.

Also, during the last few weeks I have been busy with the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. They're the people who give out the Emmy Awards. I have been a member of the TV Academy for nine years and have voted in the Emmys every year. It is a great honor that I don't take lightly. I especially enjoy judging on the Blue Ribbon panel that narrows the top vote-getters to the final five who receive the nomination. It is a terrific feeling sitting with other industry professionals to judge our fellow performers' work and its measure of excellence which is the standard of the Academy of Television Arts and Science. In the next few weeks I'll be viewing performances in two categories by the five nominees to vote for the ones I'd consider Emmy worthy.

Thought you might be interested to see a picture of me a few years back with my horse Teardrop. Actually she was not my horse, but my dad made deal with her owner who kept her on our property, that if I fed her and cleaned up after her, I could ride her and treat her like she was my own. And since the owner rarely came to see her, I was the only owner she ever knew. (trivia: I named an episode of "Without A Trace" I wrote as a spec script after her). I was just reminiscing with my sister last night about how we were blessed with terrific childhoods that I think back on often.

Ups and Downs

2006-05-26T14:28:00.000-07:00

Boy, talk about the ups and downs of life for a disabled guy in the entertainment business. Last night, I was at the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, talking to Shawn Ryan, the executive producer of "The Shield", one of the stars of this season, Forest Whitaker, and I set up an interview with the star of the show Michael Chiklis (doing a hard-ass Vic Mackey face) that I'll be writing for Emmy Magazine. There were a lot of Hollywood celebrities around and the food was terrific. When I went to bed last night, I was looking forward to spending Memorial Day with my family at a reunion in Bakersfield. This morning, when I went to pick up the rental van that I would be using to get up there, I found out they no longer provide insurance.

It's up to the Insurance Company of whoever drives me. My friend who was going to drive me has insurance that doesn't cover a rental van if it's set up with a wheelchair ramp and other necessary adaptive devices. I called around to other insurance companies, to other van rental companies and everyone else I could think of. The fact that it's a holiday weekend makes finding an answer impossible. The bottom line is I'm out of luck. Rather than let it irritate me to the point of not being able to function, which it could have easily done, I've been focusing on working that much harder to finish scripts and make vital industry connections that will result with me working on a show and able to afford my own van.

I have an opening day now for "Color of the Cross;" October 13th, in four or five hundred theaters nationwide. If all goes well, I will be embarking on a publicity campaign for it in the next few weeks. In the meantime, I meet next week with ABC/Disney to decide the next step with my pilot script for "The Outsiders," and I am planning to attend the Fangoria convention, a horror convention next weekend to promote my script "Hip-Hop Zombies".

My advice to anyone thinking about getting into the entertainment business is, "Don't do it!" It is a suffering profession. I have been warned by several longtime entertainers that success comes at a very, very high price. If you're not willing to pay that price, to put aside everything else, often including a family, you may not ever make it. And, even if you do sacrifice all those things, chances are you still won't make it. But, if your belief in yourself is incredibly strong, and you will give up anything, within reason of course, then by all means do it. At least try it. The last thing you ever want is to look back ffrom the end of your life and wonder what if ...

It's weird. Here I am whining about how my plans for my weekend were dashed by an insurance company's policy when there are people out there, people with exactly the same disability I have, who are stuck in nursing homes, stuck inside homes with abusive relatives, or trapped in some similar situation. I understand what they are going through because at various times in my life I have been in exactly that same position. I had a physically and emotionally abusive wife, I spent a year and half in a rehabilitation hospital with nearly every aspect of my care out of my control. I lived with people who took advantage of me and stole from me on a daily basis. I can honestly say I have lived through a lot in my almost fifty years. I can only hope that what I have gone through floats around out there and maybe encourages somebody else to get themselves into a better situation. Believe me, when I was fifteen years old and the therapist told me that I would never walk again or be able to use my arms or hands again, I never in a million years thought I would be in the position I'm in today. A position where my biggest complaint is that I'm not going to be able to attend my family reunion. I thank God I'm in this position. It's funny how the sudden onset of a disability can completely change your perspective on life.

My ultimate goal is to dramatize some of the situations I've been in, and that others people are currently in. I want to let the world know the daily plight of a large number of our population. It is my hope that people with disabilities will become increasingly empowered in the very near future. We have lived at the whim of others for far too many years.

It Ain't Gonna Happen

2006-05-16T18:09:00.000-07:00

That's Hollywood! As terrific an idea that "Special Unit" is, it is not going to be picked up. Unfortunately, a TV pilot is all it will ever be. The whys and wherefores don't really matter, the bottom line is, one of the coolest things that could have ever happened to bolster the image of people with disabilities isn't going to be. It has nothing to do with the fact that it's a show about people with disabilities. I just spoke with Christopher Titus and he is greatly disappointed, as am I. Suffice it to say, he did everything he could possibly do to make it happen. My hat's off to him for coming up with the concept and taking it as far as he did.

I could easily go into a tirade about a it, but, as Avery Schreiber once told me, the best four-letter word I can use in this situation is NEXT!

Writing. Writing. Writing.

2006-05-09T09:12:00.000-07:00

That pretty aptly describes my life this past week. I finished "The Outsiders" and am now in the middle of writing "Hip-Hop Zombies". I will be shopping my skills around Hollywood this week and next using "The Outsiders" and an episode of WITHOUT A TRACE I wrote last year as my writing samples. It's a long process with the goal of getting a staff writing job on a TV series. I swear, this business beats the hell out of you sometimes. It demands a lot; discipline, salesmanship, networking, wit, charm, the ability to communicate well verbally, assertiveness, and, as I was reminded by a friend the other day, being bold. Many of these assets I've had to learn through trial and error. Up until about fifteen years ago, I was a devout wallflower. If I went to parties or any kind of a large social gathering I tended to stay on the side and hope that somebody would come over and talk to me. If I hadn't changed that behavior I wouldn't be anywhere near as successful.

For example, last night I was at a function at the TV Academy for the FX show "Rescue Me", starring Dennis Leery (left), written and produced by he and Peter Tolan (right). In the old days, the only way I would have talked to either of them would have been if they came up talk to me or if they had specifically wanted to meet me. Now, I have no problem going up and complimenting them on their show and then promoting myself in some way. Last night, I spoke with Dennis about interviewing him for Emmy Magazine, and he was very interested. My conversation with Peter was mostly about getting him to feel comfortable around me so that if and when I meet him or work with him in the future he will feel more at ease.

Speaking of interviews: I was interviewed last week for Backstage West Magazine, the text of which can be read by clicking the link in the right called interviews. It was one of the first interviews in a very long time where the writer actually quoted me correctly.

By the way, I am still waiting to hear if there is any news about "Special Unit", I am still hoping that no news is good news. When it goes to series though, you will definitely hear about it here as soon as I can put it up.

I was thinking again last night and this morning how blessed I am to be in this position. Believe me, a lot of God thanking goes on around here! I'm not only thankful him, I thank the thousands of people who have pointed me in this direction either directly or indirectly. Because I surely could not have made it by myself.

That's Hollywood (Revisited)

2006-05-01T09:14:00.000-07:00

I guess that's something Hollywood and the military have in common, hurry up and wait. I told you last week that I would be finding out last Tuesday or Wednesday about "Special Unit". I have long since learned to stop losing hair waiting for something to happen that I have no control over. "Special Unit" is one of those things. I haven't heard a thing. I'm hoping that no news is good news. The other situation is that the head of the talent development program at ABC/Disney, Carmen Smith, the woman who I have been working with this whole session, and someone I have known for years, has moved onto another section of Disney. That leaves those of us in the program scrambling. I'm always one to look at a situation for the positive that can come out of it, so I concentrate on the new people I'll be working with, and the fact that they might be in a better position to put me into the staff writing job I'm looking for.

I tell you, if you're going to make it in Hollywood, you'd better have a thick skin because you will face a lot more rejection than in almost any other business. And you better believe wholeheartedly in yourself, and in your abilities. And you better be your own best cheerleader. In addition, if you're not in for the long-haul, forget it because success comes easily for only a chosen few. It is, in every sense of the word, a lottery. There are well over one hundred thousand actors in the Screen Actors Guild. At any one time, only about four thousand are working. And as for those who thinks that Hollywood actors make loads of money, the average actor makes five thousand a year or less, and in order to get benefits through the union you must learn close to twenty thousand.

I've been wanting to include this picture for while, but couldn't find it. This is me and one of my favorite actors, Joe Montagna. He was nice enough to take a picture with me at a function I was at about a year ago. That's one thing I have noticed, something that tabloids probably wouldn't have you believe. The majority of the big celebrities that I have met over the years, people like Michael Landon, Arnold Schwarzenegger, George Lucas, even politicians like Senator Robert Dole, have been very nice people. I know you will be able to cite instances when each of these people and others have been horrible, but imagine if you were in their position. Because I have been there on a somewhat smaller scale. I might be having a bad day when you come up to get an autograph and I might not be as cordial to you as you might like. From that point on, you tell everyone you know that Jim Troesh is an asshole. I remember being stopped by fans in the lobby of the hospital when I was on my way up to see my mother who just had a heart attack. These people insisted that I pose for pictures with them. I did, and I'm smiling in the picture, and my mother was OK, thank God, but imagine what you would do in that same situation. Then multiply that times a thousand if you are a big celebrity.

Thank-You to all of you who send me e-mails in support of what I'm doing. I may not have a chance to get back to all of you, but I assure you that your support means a great deal to me. Believe me, when something big pops for me, you will hear about it first right here!

Color of the Cross

2006-04-24T11:37:00.000-07:00

A movie I wrote, you may remember me talking about it a few months back, "Color of the Cross" that depicted Jesus as a black Jew, will be coming to theaters in September or October. There is now a trailer for it that you can view by clicking the link on the right. I haven't seen the entire film yet, it's still in post-production, but the trailer looks terrific! I think it is something I will be very proud of. It is sure to be extremely controversial.

Say a prayer, we're down to crunch time with "Special Unit". Comedy Central is making their final decision in the next day or two. If it gets on the air, it will advance the disability movement significantly, and, bottom line, it's going to make a lot of people laugh. If I wasn't unable to laugh, I probably wouldn't still be alive. I really really hope and pray that my next blog will contain of lots of juicy info the show!

A Lonely Profession

2006-04-21T19:20:00.000-07:00

Yes, writing can be a very lonely profession. Hour after hour by myself in front of my computer. Not that I never get out of the apartment as you have seen if you have been reading my blog for a while. But, as nice as it would be if they did, scripts just don't write themselves while they're sitting inside a computer! I made the decision about a week ago that I will focus all of my time on my career. Not that I didn't work hard previously, but I farted around a lot, surfed the Net, played videogames, and generally loafed around much more than I should. Then, I remembered the Number One rule of a disabled person trying to make it in the world. You have to work harder, be more reliable, have a stronger work ethic, have more experience, and have better social skills than your able-bodied competitors or you don't have a chance. I forget that rule every once and awhile, and then wonder why my career is stagnant.

This handsome guy, well, the one that's not sitting in a wheelchair is Yancy Arias, a guest star in the "Special Unit" pilot, and a regular on the new FX Series "Thief." This picture was taken late on the last night of the shoot which ran way into the early morning hours.

I previewed the pilot of the new Christopher Titus series for Comedy Central, "Special Unit" for several leaders of disability groups a few days back here in my apartment, and they found it hysterical. The project is still alive by the way, so say your prayers. I know I have been. The show getting on the air would not only mean a great deal to me and to the several people with disabilities involved in the show, but it will have a huge effect on how people with disabilities are perceived in general! It is everything that I've been pushing for years to see portrayed on television. Realistic portrayals of people with disabilities as we really are with all of our foibles, and humor which I think is vital to create a comfort zone for able-bodied people who are still a bit hinky about being around us.

Networking

2006-03-19T20:41:00.000-08:00

I went to an Academy of Television Arts and Sciences function last night honoring women in television. It was a panel of lead actresses of television shows, women executive producers, and Angela Lansbury. (A classier woman you will never meet!) They talked about the positive changes that have come about in the last two decades. They highlighted the increased number of women in the industry both in front of the camera and behind it. For example, during all the years of Murder She Wrote, Angela Lansbury's writers were all men. She tried very hard to get women into her writing staff, but the general feeling at the time was that women couldn't write about a woman detective as well as a man could. Things have changed a lot. Several of the executive producers had staffs of writers that were composed 50/50 of men and women. They also said the age of their writers is from thirty-four to fifty and up. Great news for me.

I also secured two women to write magazine articles about; Diane Burroughs, Executive Producer of "Still Standing, and Laura Innes, Dr. Kerry Weaver, from "ER," who is also a writer and director. I will be talking more about upcoming articles as soon as I secure them. Hint, I am setting up an interview with one of TV and movie's top male stars. I'll let you know his name as well as the names if the magazines as soon as I confirm everything.

I took pictures with a couple of my favorite actresses; CCH Pounder, currently starring on "The Shield", and Holland Taylor, currently starring on "Two and a Half Men." Both of them terrific, and they have done groundbreaking work during the course of their careers.

My demo reels are finally online where you can look at them. You can view them at jimtroesh.net/media.htm.

I have no news yet about "Special Unit," or any of my other projects. I have met with ABC again about my TV pilot "The Outsiders". Basically, it needs a great deal of rewriting before it is Network ready. I am fast discovering in my rewriting that it is vastly improved over its previous version. "I guess these network folks actually know what they're doing!" Sometimes it's hard to believe if you base your viewpoint on what you see on television.

Until Next time. By the way, I'll soon be making updates weekly, so be sure to check back often.

Skydive!

2006-03-04T17:52:00.000-08:00

Yes, it's me. Sitting in the wide-open door of a twin-engine plane at twelve thousand five hundred feet seconds away from plummeting toward earth at one hundred eighty miles an hour! What was I thinking?! Actually it was very cool! Skydiving was one of the highlights of my life. I did it back in 1989 and as far as I know, I am the first quadriplegic skydiver. We jumped out at California city which is in the middle of the Mojave Desert. I do have a video of it which I recently edited and soon will be putting up on my website jimtroesh.net.

I was completely fearless. I thought I would either live and have a terrific story, or die a terrific death. It never occurred to me that I might end up more injured. If I had thought of it I'm not sure if would have done it or not. Thank God I had the presence of mind to have it videotaped.

That's Hollywood

2006-02-27T16:22:00.000-08:00

Its all part of the HOLLYWOOD machine. On the one hand there is the capacity to make you a huge mega star, on the other hand there's always a chance that you'll end up on the cutting room floor. Such is the way of my recent work on BOSTON LEGAL. I received word from my manager on Friday that the final editing on the show left its a few minutes too long so my scene was cut.

It's happened to me plenty before, but it was always on shows where I had plenty of other scenes, so if a seene or two of mine were cut for time I was still in plenty of the show to be seen. Not so this time. That is upsetting a couple of levels. First call of all, I told everybody I know that my episode would be on March 7th, now have to go back and tell them again ethanol not on. Intellectually I know my scene was cut for time and not because I did a crappy job and I will probably be called back for more workers playing another character, but I was looking forward to it! Finally, when the show reruns in a few months since my face won't be honest I won't get any residual checks.

As for "Special Unit," we are still waiting to hear from Comedy Central as to whether or not we will be a TV series. Christopher Titus told me recently that they were in the middle of last minute editing, and I should have a copy to look at in a week or so.

Special Unit

2006-02-09T09:41:00.000-08:00

A pic from the new Comedy Central laugh-out-loud comedy, "Special Unit". Two bad-asses. Christopher Titus as Detective Garrett Fowler, me as Mick, a former "Dark Ops Special Forces" guy who doesn't care that he's severely disabled, he still thinks he's a commando. Titas plays a detective who pissed off everybody in the department and was put in charge of four disabled people who sued through the ACLU to get on the force. My part is a small in the pilot, but if Comedy Central makes it a series they will bring me in as a writer.

Say a prayer that Comedy Central decides to make it a series. It will be a terrific thing for the disabled community and will enlighten a lot of ablebodied people who fail to see the ability in the disabled community. It would help a lot if you send a letter of support to Comedy Central saying you heard about it and think it would be a great show. In fact, the more ablebodied people who write the better because CC is concerned about selling advertising time on a controversial show and they need to know it will appeal to a wide-spectrum of viewers

Comedy Central
1775 Broadway, 10th Fl.
New York, NYÂ 10019

BOSTON LEGAL appearance

2006-01-30T10:29:00.000-08:00

What a difference a week makes! Last Friday afternoon I was excited about the upcoming Christopher Titus pilot I'll be appearing in and technical advising and the next thing you know I get a call from my manager of saying that I've been booked on a BOSTON LEGAL. Hooyah!

The three people in the picture besides myself, are William Shatner, Currie Graham, (Desperate Housewives, NYPD Blue) and Julie Bowen who has appeared in several other series.

Despite what you might read in the tabloids, William Shatner is a very nice man. We chatted quite a bit throughout my day of shooting and he was more than happy to pose in this picture. Another example of schlock that gets published in those rags. Years ago was quoted in National Enquirer and I never said the words they said I did. My publicist told me that as long as it wasn't harmful or slanderous then I should just let it go. When you get to his level I'm sure you need to develop a very thick skin to keep from being hurt by the things that they say.

I play a prospective juror and appeared toward the end of the episode which will air on Tuesday March 7th on ABC at 10:00 p.m.

If you are of a mind to write to them, please do, there's a good possibility that if they get letters regarding my performance the show might bring me back in a larger role. They told me on the set that they do that all the time.

What Defines My Success?

2006-01-14T20:39:00.000-08:00

What is success for me? Above everything, when I feel I'm a success I will have a sufficient amount of F U money. What is F U money? For the last twenty years or more I have had to jump through hoop after hoop to keep myself in home health care providers and medical insurance so that I could survive and pursue a career. In details I will go into on this blog eventually I will explain the depths of despair I've been in at various times in my life when I was about to end up in a nursing home. To me, living in a nursing home would be a death sentence. Which brings me back to the F U money. I will feel successful when I have a sufficient amount of money that when I'm told to jump through certain hoops that I no longer want to jump through I can tell them F U.

In addition to the F U money, I will have a van that not only runs well, looks nice. The only other van I ever had I bought when I was in high school and drove up until about five years ago. My goal includes not only getting to a certain financial level, I also want to be pursuing my love of acting and writing.

If it sounds like I'm only out for money, it is because of the 24-hour nursing coverage I require. It's not like I'm going to drop dead any moment if someone isn't constantly at my side but as you probably know, I have a very limited amount of mobility. I can't eat, drink, get out of bed, go to bed, or " take care of nature " without somebody's help. As a lot of you who are in my boat know very well, nursing care is extremely expensive. I not only have to make enough to live in the outrageously expensive city of Los Angeles where I pursue my craft, I also have to pay for nursing care, and medical coverage.

By the way, I just got some more good news a few days ago. Christopher Titus contacted me and offered me the role of a prospective detective in his series pilot "Special Unit". It will be my first acting job in nearly twelve years. Hooyah!

Again I really appreciate the responses that I'm getting from readers of this blog. I hope people get more from this than the ravings of a self absorbed actor/writer. I actually have other goals that go along with achieving success for me, but they are more altruistic goals and if I talk about them I'll sound like a braggart. (yes, even more than I already do. )

There is some other cool stuff in the works that I will talk about in the near future. Thanks for reading ...

Happy New Year!

2006-01-02T12:09:00.000-08:00

The new year has been a happy one for me so far. Warning Films, the production company that hired me to write Harlem and the African American Jesus movie now called Color Of The Cross, called me early morning on New Year's Day. They asked me to write the book version of Color Of The Cross. Hoorah! It will be a novel based on the screen play I wrote a few months back. It will be controversial both because of the fact that Jesus will be dark skinned, and because of some interesting choices that I made in the screen play concerning Mary Magdalene, Judas, and Mary. I'm envisioning that it will take two or three months to write and there will be an early announcement about it here on my blog as well as where it can be obtained. It will be my first novel and I am very much looking forward to writing it.

I've completed my pilot for a TV series, The Outsiders, and turned it into ABC. My mentor, Adam Myman, a vice president of current programming at ABC was happy with what I had done with it and now it is with Carmen J. Smith, the head of new talent development to decide what will happen with it now. I'll find out more when she comes back from vacation at the end of the week.

In the meantime, they asked me to come up with three pitches for the NBC comedy, My name is Earl. I developed three that I'm pretty happy with and I'll pitch them to Carmen and Adam. Whichever one they choose I'll write into a comedy spec.

As a writer in search of a staff writing job on a television series, one needs a portfolio of several types of scripts. I have a police drama (Without A Trace) referred to as a procedural, a TV pilot (The Outsiders), and with My Name Is Earl, I'll have a comedy. The three scripts span the three networks ABC, NBC, and CBS.

I'm putting all this information here both for my own reference in the future and for people to see what writers have to go through to get a job on television. (I know what your thinking ... if TV writers have to go through all this, why is there such crap on television?) My answer is, there really isn't a lot of crap on television anymore. There used to be. But now, there are shows that can be enjoyed by almost any demographic group. The networks are too smart put crap on television, they can't make money that when. If you think a particular show is stupid or below your level of intelligence it probably is. But it's perfect for somebody else.

For example, I particularly like cutting edge shows like South Park, and Drawn Together that push the envelope on good taste and occasionally go beyond. A lot of people hate those kind of shows and prefer crime solving kind of shows like CSI. So to those people who say there isn't anything but crap on television, I say take another look, there's a lot more channels than there used to be and I can almost guarantee you will find something that you'll tune and time after time to watch.

Great Stuff!!

2005-12-14T12:27:00.000-08:00

Christopher Titus, the edgy comedian who had a series on Fox for three years called "Titus", contacted me a few months back about a script he was shopping around called "Special Unit". It's a cutting edge comedy about a detective who screws up and gets put in charge of a group of disabled detectives who have sued on behalf of the "fairness and disabilities Act" to become active members of the police department.

There is a paraplegic veteran just back from the Middle East, a guy with cerebral palsy, a guy with autism, and a woman who is a little person. Christopher Titus plays an Archie Bunker type who uses every politically incorrect term and constantly bemoans the fact that he's in this position. The detectives talk like we disabled people talk when in a group together. We call each other crip and gimp, and every other derogatory euphemism you can imagine. That all comes out in "Special Unit". The comedy is very cutting edge. It is right of my alley, I have always used comedy as a way of dealing with the situation that I've been dealt. I also commonly use comedy to make people feel more comfortable around me. Once I get people laughing their tension about making sure they don't "do the wrong thing " disappears. God, I hate this politically correct wave that has been sweeping over the country over the last twenty or so years!

He asked me to look over the script to insure that the humor is edgy, maybe a little over the edge, but will not offend the majority of disabled people. He also wanted me to make sure it is laugh out loud funny. It is both.

Comedy Central has agreed to produce the pilot episode which will begin production in early January. Christopher asked me to be technical advisor on this first episode. Hooyah! If the heavens open up and Comedy Central agrees to make it a series, I will be a writer on the show. Double hooyah! There are many opportunities for performers with disabilities down the road. Whether or not I work on the show as an actor depends upon whether or not a role comes up for me.

I can't express to you how positive the feedback is from the overwhelming majority of performers with disabilities I know who have read the script. It is not only extremely timely, it is accurate and shows people with disabilities in a very positive light. It shows the stereotypes that exists in a lot of people's minds including people with disabilities. It shows us as we are. When I read the script I couldn't believe the detail that Christopher went to in creating these characters. They are a lot like people I know. To tell the truth, I couldn't believe it wasn't written by a physically disabled person.

It is one of the most exciting projects I've ever been involved in. And, as you know, I didn't just fall off the turnip truck. This is the real deal. And Christopher Titus is determined to use the show to do for disabled people what Archie Bunker, and " All In The Family " did for black people and other minorities. Namely, to shine a light on us and show us as we really are.

And, above all "Special Unit" is hysterical!

On the other front, I just turned in the second draft of "The Outsiders" in to ABC and I am waiting to hear back.

I would appreciate hearing feedback on what you think of this concept. I know it's hard to give feedback on a show you haven't seen, but I would love to hear how comedy plays a part in your life especially if you are a disabled person or have a disabled person who is close to you.

Folks, this is one of the most exciting, creative times of my life. Thanks for sharing it with me.

Success Draws Nearer

2005-11-09T12:47:00.000-08:00

You know, being quadriplegic is a pretty big obstacle to deal with on a day-to-day basis. I'm not one to whine too much, but been quadriplegic plus being loaded down with the flu, an ocular migraine, and hearing that I had a Basel cell carcinoma on my face threw me for a loop last week.

All is good now. I'm over the flu, my ocular migraine is gone and I'm not particularly concerned about the Basel cell carcinoma because after it was removed it looks like there's only healthy skin underneath. And, from everything that people tell me they are common.

I wanted to take a moment to thank all of the people who have been writing to me about this blog. It is a labor of love that I am happy to share with people and for my own selfish reasons it documents everything that has been happening over the last few months.

So, what is happening? A lot! My script for ABC/Disney is coming along very well. In fact, I'm in a sort of limbo, the period of time after submitting my script when I am waiting for notes. During that time I am at a loss of things to do. I don't have any graphic design work to do or anything else productive other than reading about what's going on in the industry ... what sold ... Who's buying what ... what company was just acquired by who. That sort of thing.

In the middle of these doldrums, I got a call from a celebrity who had a comedy series that ran for three years on Fox recently and who is looking to develop a new comedy series, and asked me to get involved. It will be a very cool, very edgy comedy. He asked me to keep the details under my hat for a while, but there will be plenty on here about it soon, probably toward the end of December.

Although I've done almost exclusively dramas throughout my career, I much prefer comedy. My sense of humor is what has gotten me over all of the obstacles that I have surmounted. Anybody who knows me knows that I love intelligent humor and I love to make people laugh. A lot of my humor is edgy and some people (some stuck up, narrow minded simpletons) don't find it funny. In fact they find it tasteless. Personally, I can't spend much time around people with no sense of humor. It's like they have a glaring hole in their personality.

The bottom line is, the possibility of being part of a comedy series is invigorating to me. Let me put that another way. YESSSSSS!

Well, I guess it's about time wrap things up. Be looking for my demo reel on my website. I will have it up there soon. It contains three minutes of some of my best dramatic stuff on television. I would love to get your comments on it.

Cruising (for lack of a better title)

2005-10-18T17:43:00.000-07:00

You know, I planned when I started this blog to add to it weekly with my progress. I obviously failed in that attempt. Such is life.

I called this entry Cruising because that's pretty much what I'm doing right now. I finished the first draft of The Outsiders two weeks ago and sent it to ABC. Adam Myman got back to me last Friday with notes and a request for a rewrite on the first twenty pages. I sent that off a few minutes ago. I'm feeling pretty good about it. I know there will be lots more rewrites. As Ernest Hemingway said, " The first draft of anything is shit. "

I am settling in to a pretty decent daily writing habit. I work best with a deadline. Who doesn't? Surprisingly, I don't put it all off until the last minute like I did when I was in high school.

I've been trying to watch three ABC shows in particular; ALIAS, Desperate Housewives, and Lost. Three pretty decent shows. They all have certain things in common with the Outsiders. Lost, for example, has a sci-fi aspect that is an integral part of the show, but it's a show about people, about their relationships, about their interactions. It's not a show about science-fiction. ALIAS is of course a spy show, but what makes it popular are the relationships. Who's marrying who? Who's sleeping with who? Who's about to murder who? Desperate Housewives is about everybody's dirty little secrets, but it wouldn't be popular if we weren't interested in the relationships, (a cast of hotties don't hurt either!).

The Outsiders is a show about an alien from outer space who comes to Earth and tries to fit in. But, it's really about the relationships that develop around him. The people that he comes to care about, and those who care about him. He's a fish out of water trying to make the best of the cards that he has been dealt. That's what I do every day. I'd venture to say that that's what everyone does every day.

His goal is to rebuild the spaceship that he crashed here in so he can fly back into space to rescue his wife and two kids who are rocketing through the universe in an escape pod blasted away from his spaceship during entry into the earth's atmosphere. (I hope that doesn't sound too convoluted,) The government is after him, of course they're after us all. He is befriended by an older woman, and taken advantage of by her son. He bonds with a kid in his building whose parents are away all the time. He even bonds with the government guy who's after him. There are a lot more relationships that evolve over time, but I can't pack all of them into the first episode.

It's interesting how the more I write about a character the more I get to know him and the people who know him. They are like a group of friends that I go back and visit every day. It's often more them telling me the story, rather than me telling them. In fact, when I do try to direct the story it tends to fall flat. I've read and talk to several writers who say that's common.

Common ... and kinda cool!

Climbing Ever Skyward

2005-09-16T15:10:00.000-07:00

I've been on overdrive lately and I love it. I've had to turn down graphic design and Web design work because I was too involved in my writing project. Ain't that terrific? This is what I have been working toward for I don't even know how many years. I just know I've been climbing this damn ladder for so frigging long I'm not sure how to get off of it. It just occurred to me the short answer is not to get off of it

I've been going to more and more seminars over at ABC Disney where I get to meet writers and producers of top shows. In addition to finding out all kinds of intimate inside information about how the business works, how to stay employed once I get employed, and how to move up, I'm getting to know the people who do the hiring when the time comes.

Much of my effort goes into making people feel comfortable around me and around my disability. I just except fact that certain people are going to be uncomfortable at first. I certainly would be if I'd never been around a guy who, among other things, can't shake hands. I let people know early on that I'm cool about my disability, I joke about it, and then move on, as if it wasn't there. I've heard it referred to as acknowledging the elephant in the room. As long as I acknowledge that I'm in the chair and don't try to ignore it, I found that people pretty much get past it within the first few minutes. In fact, in certain groups of people, I can get a lot of mileage (no pun intended) out of my disability. I know a million jokes about it and readily invite people to have fun with it.

That isn't to say that I poke fun at myself, or I make jokes about my disability to cover low self-esteem. There are some comedians, fat guys, ugly guys, skinny girls, who spew out a long string of jokes about themselves that in my mind, aren't that funny. I wouldn't engage in any mean spirited banter, and, to tell the truth, it rarely comes up. Most people know where the line is. If they don't they find out right away either from me or from the reaction of other people around.

I hope of not being Pollyanna, maybe I'm still enjoying my honeymoon, but everyone I've met so far at ABC/Disney is very nice. Very accommodating. And talk about a diverse company ... I have never seen such a diverse group of people working together anywhere. My experience is that there is always a predominant group. Some places its white people, some places disabled people, whatever. But the diversity there is the predominant group. And it is pretty much at all levels. It's not white guys at the top who have all the power. From what I've seen, it's pretty well spread out among all the ethnic groups. I'm very impressed.

ABC has also offered to help me as much as possible with the completion of my project as well as the production of the promo for it. In other words they are going to great lengths to insure that my script for the pilot episode of The Outsiders is the absolute best it can be, and the video to promote it will not only be something I'll be very proud of, but will have such a knockout production value it's bound to get me noticed, and more importantly a job.

I hate to blather on about this but I am so thankful and so blessed for being in this position. People say I deserve it, and I guess after all the work I put into it I do, but the bottom line is I'm just thrilled to be here.

Moving Fast

2005-08-26T11:27:00.000-07:00

Wow! Winning this scholarship has turned into quite a coup. I've been meeting more and more TV executives, many of whom are interested in looking at my scripts. I'm managing to get some publicity as well. Creative Screenwriting, Script Magazine, Television Week Magazine, a mention on the Academy Of Television Arts And Sciences website,emmys.org, an on-line Magazine about the entertainment industry called HGEN, and a few places that I'm not aware of yet. It is very cool!

I'm doing my best to keep the ball rolling, to keep my name out there, so that when it comes time to hire new writers for TV shows, the staffing season as its called runs from March to May or June, producers will think of me.

I'm trying to learn from the lessons I experienced when I was a " celebrity " twenty years ago. The main thing I did wrong was not making sure that my name was always out there. This is such a product driven business. Sure you have to be a quality product, either as an actor, writer, director, producer or whatever, but you also have to make sure that your name is out there. If you're selling soda, you better advertise that your product is on the shelf, otherwise nobody will know to buy it, and even if they notice it on the shelf, the name won't click with them so they won't buy it.

Such is the business that I love! I've tried not working, I've tried working in mainstream jobs, I've tried working at home, it's just not fulfilling for Jim Troesh. I've been excited about the entertainment industry for as many years as I can remember. When I first learn to read, I read credits at the end of shows and imagined my name being there with the rest. I even wanted another Troesh to be up there, but it wasn't until my own name was up there that that happened. And, what a satisfying day that was!

I guess the bottom line is to follow your heart. I know it sounds sappy, but it's true! The hard part is tuning out all the negative messages. And, I don't just mean those coming from the outside. If you've got friends or family telling you that you can ' t do what is your heart's desire to do, it's tough. But, if you've got a voice in your head that is also telling you not to do what it's your heart's desire to do it's a nearly impossible thing to get over. I don't know how I got over it myself, but I thank God that I did. I hope there is some comfort in that for people reading this who might be inspired to do what is they really want to do

Well, I think have run at the mouth plenty for this morning. If you're still reading, send a comment, I'd love to hear what you think.

Settling In

2005-08-12T11:54:00.000-07:00

What's new? Quite a bit actually. I've been working with my mentor at ABC for a couple of weeks now developing my pilot so that it will promote Jim Troesh in the very best light possible with the intention of getting Jim Troesh lots of writing jobs. There is a part of me that is very concerned because Hollywood has a reputation for killing you with kindness. At the moment, things are going along well, I'm getting work and getting paid. The big crossroad is for me to move over into the arena of mainstream writers, and not disabled writers.

I'm going to assume that I am being considered as a writer, not a quadriplegic writer. However, I have absolutely no objections to using the fact that I'm disabled to get me in the door. The Screen Actors Guild just released a breakdown of the number of disabled actors that are on TV. What a surprise ... we are poorly represented to the point of it being discriminatory. I guess the fact that it became public in the last week or so is a good thing, at least it's out there, this study that can be pointed to. Theoretically, it will encourage, even force producers to consider hiring us. My problem is I've been around two frigging long. I've heard this song and dance before and not a damn thing happened.

But, far be it from me to sound like a goddamn dinosaur still pining for the good old days when I used to work all the time as an actor. It was a terrific back in the 1980's when I always knew I had an upcoming acting job, and I was flying all over the country and getting paid outrageous amounts of money for appearing and saying a few words. I got my comeuppance a few years later when I was forced to take a regular job where I earned in a month what I had previously earned in one day.

I suppose the lesson in that is to insure that when work starts kicking in more that I don't take it for granted and continually promote Jim Troesh and everything that will further Jim Troesh's career. (pardon me for referring to myself as a product, but in this town, I am)

It is my greatest hope that those of you are reading this will be seen my name in other places lots of other places. I'm doing a lot of publicity, getting my name out there wherever I can. If you happen to see something I would appreciate an e-mail because I don't always see everything that's written about me.

Well, I guess that's about enough for today. I really appreciate the fact that you are reading what goes on in my life week to week, or as often as I can get back to prattle on about myself.

ABC/Disney, day one

2005-08-02T11:16:00.000-07:00

So, the ABC/Disney scholarship! Wow! It's Tuesday, I went to the dinner Sunday night which was a terrific networking opportunity and an introduction to the program I'll be in for the next nine months. But, yesterday, the all-day seminar at ABC was awesome! It was an entire day of intensive trainings by top people who make a lot of money training writers because they do an excellent job. They were motivational, inspirational, and educational.

I also met my new mentor, Adam Myman, ABC vice president in charge of current programming. He oversees the productions of shows like ALIAS, BOSTON LEGAL, GEORGE LOPEZ and several other highly rated shows. He selected me to work with because he really liked " The Outsiders. " I have a meeting with him tomorrow Wednesday, to talk about my goals in the industry. Wow! I struggle for twenty years trying to make it as an actor or writer or something in the industry, and I put writing as my solitary focus things start to happen. There's got to be a lesson in that.

On top of that, winning the ABC/Disney Scholarship got my " Without A Trace " spec read by a mid to upper level agent. A day later, I was represented by the Montiero Rose Dravis Agency. Things are finally happening again! I'm glad there is something about me that prevents me from giving up. Something that keeps me pressing on. And that I'm blessed with an absolute belief that some day I will succeed. Could it be that day be coming closer? I've been riled up like this several times in my career and nothing's came of it. I'm doing my best not to get too caught up in what's happening but it's tough. I've been working for this for as long as I can remember.

The journey continues

2005-06-30T13:56:00.000-07:00

OK, it's finally official! I got my official notification from the ABC/Disney Scholarship. Such validation I have not felt in a long time, a very long time. The first sentence read your proposal for a TV series titled " The Outsiders " shows a tremendous creative potential. Probably that's a just another piece of Hollywood fluff, but it sure made my day.
Narrowing my focus to writing rather than trying to be an actor/writer is probably one of the better decisions of my life. Not that the idea of acting is ever off my mind, my focus is on writing. I'm glad that God gave me more than one gift. I honestly believe that by the way. I just feel blessed that I've been able to follow my dream for these many years. A lot of people are never able to do that. My dad, who spent thirty years working at the Post Office when he actually wanted to be a cop, told me one day, " Don't spend your life doing something you hate. "
That's the advice I would offer to anyone. We're not here for very long, sixty, seventy, maybe ninety years, that's not much. It's not long. The older I get the more realize how short of a time it actually is. The other piece of advice I have always offered to people is a quotation I heard from Ross Perot years ago, long before he ever ran for president. I saw him in an interview on Sixty Minutes. He said " Never, never never never give up! " In retrospect, he didn't exactly hold up to that quote during his presidential campaign. Nevertheless, I took his advice to heart and made that my motto. In other words, if you hang around long enough, and you don't die, something good is bound to happen.

Basking in the Afterglow

2005-06-27T14:07:00.000-07:00

OK, so I've had a couple weeks to get used to this business of being a winner in the ABC/Disney scholarship and I have to say it feels pretty damn good still! The actual announcement and press conference will take place in the end of July, so I have until then to get my ducks in row, so to speak. I will get roughly a week, two weeks at the most of publicity. I need to develop a strategy to strike while the iron is hot. Thank God I have experience in this business, because it is so easy to get caught up in the excitement and not be ready. That's happened to me more times than I can count. If only I had it to do over again ... oh well, such is life.
So, my days now are taken up with finishing up a few websites and starting yet another spec script. This time, I'm writing a spec for Desperate Housewives. Up until now, I've almost always written procedurals, cop dramas. I'm trying to create a diverse writing portfolio that includes a procedural, a one CAMERA sitcom, a three CAMERA sitcom, a character based show, and a medical show. Of course, I have my screenplays for feature films, but generally I won't be showing them to the same people I'm showing TV scripts to.
Such a business! It will pay off handsomely when I succeed but at the moment the task of writing all those scripts is a bit daunting. I love to write though so I really don't mind.
In addition to the ABC/Disney scholarship, there is an ABC/Disney fellowship, and the CBS mentorship that I'm still submitted for. I say prayers all the time about winning one or the other of them in addition to what I've already won. I'm not a greedy bastard, I just know how beneficial winning one of these prestigious competitions can be to my career. What a wonderful place Dreamland is!
At this point, I can't actually believe that anyone with the possible exception of my mother would still be reading this. The idea of a blog is so bizarre. Who the hell wants to read my stream of consciousness thoughts? I'm writing this using voice recognition software which makes it a whole lot easier for a guy who spent the last twenty or more years typing with a mouth stick. I've got the crooked teeth to prove it!
Well, back to Desperate Housewives. I've got an actual produced script that I need to read, and episodes to watch on tape. It's a pretty good show. I met several of the people on it including the producer Marc Cherry. Who knows? This is a crazy business! But I frigging love it! (frigging, i.e. well, my mother's probably reading this so I won't write the way I usually speak. )
That's it for now. Tune in next time; same blog time, same blog channel!

It Frigging Happened!

2005-06-19T17:48:00.000-07:00

So it happened! I came home from the store and there was a message from Gloria at the Media Access Office. I return the call, and with a nervous voice, Gloria says, " You won! " " Oh, my God! "
Yes, I won the ABC/Disney scholarship! I'm still floating!
The prestigious scholarship not only validates twenty or more years of struggling to make it again, it gives me the opportunity to get an agent as well as getting recognition from the industry and the ability to get a network pitch meeting (nearly impossible for person in my position as a relatively " new " screenwriter) The scholarship will pay me to complete the script for the pilot episode of a TV series titled " The Outsiders. " in addition, it buys me a computer, and provides funding for me to produce a two-minute commercial for the TV series.
What's the series about?
The Outsiders is about an alien from outer space who crashed on Earth fifteen years ago. He became world-renowned, his face familiar to nearly everyone on earth. His name is Alan Ray and he is green in scaly. His fame granted him money , women, and power. Now that fifteen years have passed since the crash landed here the glamour and interest has worn off. Nobody cares anymore and Alan can't get a job at any thing except a Star Trek convention.
So, he hits the streets of and tries to make it on his own. He doesn't have any particular earth skills so tries for a job at a fast-food joint. The manager is very excited to meet Alan, even gets his autograph, but when Allen asks for a job, the manager turned him down flat saying that nobody would want to buy food from a green scaly guy. Reality hits Alan square in the face.
He tries for a job as a receptionist, but because he has only three fingers and all three have suction cups at the hands, he can't type. On his planet he was considered buff, a strong man, but here on earth he is as weak as a kitten. He can't get a job anywhere.
He's forced into the streets where he meets a variety of society's outsiders; recovering alcoholic/addicts, homeless people, veterans. The one thing all of society's outsiders have in common is that they are accepting and in fact inclusive of each other.
The series follows Alan and a handful of other characters through Allen's journey of discovery.
Anyway, congratulations to me!

The posting begins

2005-06-01T18:31:00.000-07:00

And, so it begins. To get up to speed, I'm currently waiting to see if one of my two script submissions is chosen for the ABC/DISNEY Scholarship. Both proposals, "The Outsider" and "A World of Their Own" have made it into the semi-finals. I'm supposed to hear this month. On the other front, I submitted my Without A Trace spec "Teardrop" to the CBS Mentorship program, after guidance and encouragement by CBS VP of Current Programming, Christopher Davidson.

In addition, I sold two screenplays "Harlem" and "In Memory of Me" to Warning Film. With luck both films will be out in about a year.

As far as acting, I'm currently working out in an improv workshop run by Andy Goldberg, founder of "Off The Wall." There, I get to work with people who are better than me, and I get to laugh so hard I cry.