Today marks the third anniversary of this very website. Hard to believe it’s already been another year!
In 2010, we saw a huge design update. Although no such major shift happened in the past twelve months, I myself have gone through a big geographical change: a one-way trip all the way to H-Wood.

As expected, a lot has happened since my move (most notably getting a car, an apartment, a bed and a couch).
I won’t bore you with my personal details (that’s what Twitter is for after all), but I will mention that I have recently met some amazing and talented people from a couple other blogs and the LA TV Writers Group.

In November, #TheGreyBox was born.
It was somewhat of a success at first, but then went into a form of hiatus this past Spring.
Now is as good time as any to announce that I may resurrect this TV writing chatroom from its ashes this Summer. Well, depending on the interest.
It’s up to you to tell me if you’d welcome once more this place to discuss and exchange tips/ideas/stories/anecdotes in real-time with other aspiring writers and the like (plus no 140-character limit). Tweet, “like”, share, comment about this, and perhaps enough momentum will be created so #TheGreyBox can live once more!

And as for this very blog, in Square One I discussed how I would refocus it around television, writing, and specs. Hopefully, I held that promise through the multitude of articles that have been posted here, whether the annual spec list or more recently the big six television writing fellowships (a post which will undoubtedly be updated come August, when FOX announces its new format). I myself got to write these past few months primarily a Walking Dead spec for the fellowships (I guess that partially explains the scarcity of posts).

Like last year, I will do my best to continue this commitment and upward trend in informative writing-related content.
In the coming weeks, there is probably going to be as well some Comic-Con talk. This will be my first time over there and there’s no doubt that it’s going to be a great place.

It is now time for me to raise a glass to you, dear reader and fellow writer.
I hope you also enjoyed this past year, or at the very least felt it was fruitful.
Here’s to another one. Once more, with feelings.

Write on!

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1. #TheGreyBox is here
2. One Year of Writing (and Tips)

It’s that time of year again.
You know the one.
It’s a new year, which means fellowships, staffing and, well, a new season are upon us. Or will be very soon.

Although calm for the holidays, #TheGreyBox is still alive and well.
We will have a few events coming up in the next few weeks. I should be revamping the chatroom website very soon to avoid all the downtime.
In the meantime, as always, you can just hang back and enjoy the chan.
Plus you can also check out the IRC client guide.

On a personal note, things have been quite hectic recently on my end, what with a new car, a new apartment and work. However I’ll try to continue posting on the blog so stay tuned.

Happy New Year, and Write On!

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It has been a week since #TheGreyBox was launched and we’ve already been having great discussions with great people all around.

It was a bit tough the first couple of days after the opening as people kept joining for a span of a few seconds and then quit. Fortunately though, people quickly understood that a chatroom doesn’t work like a virtual game and they started hanging around (i.e. idling) a bit more.

In just seven days, we’ve already had an impressive total of over sixty actual chatters engaging in conversations!
The best surprise however was the diversity of the people that have been joining en masse.
Any of our visitors will tell you about the wide variety of guests we’ve been having, including repped writers and writer’s assistant–and they were all graciously answering questions.
Plus, all television genres have been represented, from the obvious like comedy and drama, to even animation.
Interestingly, some of the best discussions and advice given on #TheGreyBox did not happen when a gazillion people where hovering around, rather at random, impromptu moments.

The lesson to be learned here is that great advice is always around the corner on #TheGreyBox.
And this is just another reason to hang out more on the chan!
I’ve already talked numerous times about the benefits of staying in the chatroom, not the least of which is, just as I said, being present when something epic is going on.

It is a pain to keep a browser tab open 24/7, especially with virtually no notifications of incoming messages.
If you’ve already checked out the chan and like it, I therefore encourage you to get an IRC client.

What is an IRC client?
Think of it like a dedicated software for IRC and its chatrooms.
TweetDeck for instance is a Twitter client. GTalk is also a client, but for Google Talk.
The same way you can check Twitter on their website or use GTalk via GMail, you can use a webchat for IRC (probably what you’re using right now).
Although it is easy and simple to use a webchat when you are at work or away, it is always nice to come back home to a personal client customized to your needs.

Why you should use an IRC client:
1) Connectivity
You won’t need to keep a browser tab open to reach the chan. Your IRC client will be able to be minimized, run in the background or even comfortably rest in your taskbar. No need to keep going back and forth between websites or reconnecting every time you want to join.
2) Awareness
Even if your client is running in the background, you will be instantly notified when someone logs in and/or when a discussion is happening. Never will you miss another conversation about television writing.
3) Logging
Remember that great advice Amy gave you about your spec last week? Neither do I.
Now you don’t have to worry about relying on your fragile memory with the introduction of logging. As the name implies, your client will log every conversation going on in the chatroom inside a simple text file (with as much information as you want it to contain). That way, you will easily be able to read back Friday’s discussion about fellowships without missing a beat.
And if you’re busy/away but your client is running in the background, you will actually be able to log discussions you were not able to attend.

I wrote a simple, straightforward guide (with pictures!) to help you install and configure your client as you wish. You can check it out over here.

Obviously, if you don’t want to deal with all the technical hassles (though they’re worth it), you can always join the chan the old fashioned way, by going to http://www.thegreybox.net.

And since Monday morning is “Comic-Con ticket sale” day, we’ll be hosting an e-party on the chan starting at 5:30AM PST/8:30AM EST!

We’ll see you on #TheGreyBox.

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2. A TV Writing Chatroom: #TheGreyBox

#TheGreyBox, the only chatroom dedicated to television writers and spec writing, is finally open!

How to access it?
The webchat version is available to all through the following site:
http://www.thegreybox.net
All you have to do from there is input your name, click ‘Connect’ and wait a couple of seconds.
Welcome to #TheGreyBox!

You can also familiarize yourself with IRC and dedicated clients with this simple guide we wrote.

Alternatively, if you have an IRC client of your own, here are the infos you need:
Server: irc.thegreybox.net
Port: 6667
Channel: #TheGreyBox

If you’ve been brought here without any idea as to what I’m referring to, you can check out this presentation post.
#TheGreyBox is an actual, old-school chatroom dedicated to TV writers, aspiring and pros alike.
Regardless of where you are, it is difficult for anyone to meet new people, let alone ones dedicated to the same craft, and have honest conversations with them. I hope an open, free and accessible place like a dedicated chat can become a neutral space that sparks intense discussions and exchanges between writers and the like.

Now that #TheGreyBox has been launched, it is up to you to make it a lively place where people can meet, exchange ideas/questions, and discuss television/spec writing.
Once again, this post can only take us so far, so please spread the word as best you can with a tweet, blog post, Reddit submission, Tumblr update, Facebook status or carrier pigeon.
Hopefully you are as excited as I am about this opportunity to meet other writers, and join an amazing community.

I’ll see you on #TheGreyBox.

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1. A TV Writing Chatroom: #TheGreyBox
2. #TheGreyBox — Week One

Blogs and other Twitter accounts about writing obviously exist, but I have yet to encounter a place where television writers are able to discuss and interact, let alone “in real time.” A Starbucks is fine if you’re living in the same block as one, and a small writer’s group is great if, well, you’re a member.
Besides your run-of-the-mill message board though, there doesn’t seem to be a place where a community of TV writers, aspiring and pros alike, can get together and talk. Incidentally, the best way to recreate that experience online, and without the barrier of geography, is an old-school chatroom.

Ladies and gents, I present to you #TheGreyBox.

Why?
I was looking for a space dedicated to television writers and spec writing where people could interact. Besides niche blogs and sometimes Twitter, there’s pretty much no place like that.
Through this chatroom, I’m hoping at least to be able to bring people with similar passions and goals together.
Even if you’re in LA, it is difficult for anyone to meet new people, let alone people dedicated to the same craft, and have honest conversations. Hopefully, an open, free and accessible place like a dedicated chat can help a little.

Where?
If you seem surprised that the name of the channel is a hashtag, don’t be (because it’s not).
The chat/channel will be on IRC (Internet Relay Chat), where all ‘chans’ are actually prefaced by the hash symbol.
For those not in the know about IRC, Wikipedia describes it as a “a form of real-time Internet text messaging (chat) or synchronous conferencing. It is mainly designed for group communication in discussion forums, called channels, but also allows one-to-one communication via private message.“
It predates Facebook, Skype, BitTorrent, Kazaa, and even AOL Messenger, yet is still extremely active, simple to use, and just great. Twitter’s whole existence is pretty much based on IRC. The @ in front of people’s names? Those are OPs in the IRC world.

Not that I’m complaining about this walk down technolane but we have more pressing matters at hand.

How to access it?
The webchat version is available to all through the following site:
http://www.thegreybox.net
All you have to do from there is input your name, click ‘Connect’ and wait a couple of seconds.
Welcome to #TheGreyBox!

What now?
This post can only get us so far so if you can, please spread the word.
Of course if you don’t care about TV writing you can just hang back and watch the Titanic sink.
I’m hopeful however that you’re as excited as I am about this opportunity to meet fellow writers and (re)create an amazing community.
If you have ideas or thoughts about the chat, feel free to drop a comment below.

Write on!

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2. #TheGreyBox — Week One

All my bags are packed.
I’m ready to go.

You know that World Wide Jump I’ve been kinda hinting about for the past two yers (or clearly stating)?
It’s happening right now.
Moving to the West Coast this week made me realize all that has happened in the past couple of months, especially before my official coming out to Los Angeles.

When you’re coming out, your family members will react differently.
At first no one believes you.
Once they realize it’s not a dream, some won’t be very understandable (“So you’re really…huh”), others will be more amicable (“You sir have some balls”), and a few might pull out the ‘I knew it’ card (“Ever since you were born, I knew you were gonna come out some day. This is the perfect lifestyle for you.”).
You might even hear someone scream: “OMG! Now you’re SO buying that apartment in Silver Lake!”

This is also the perfect time to have with your friends a Coming Out Fiesta (also known as Going Away Party).
You too will be able to fondly reminisce about the good ol’ times, when you spent all your waking hours in a barely-lit closet, banging out pages in front of a screen.
Be sure to quickly delete all your embarrassing pictures from Facebook before your coming out, or you’ll be acutely aware of them for years to come.

Finally, the one thing you’re bound to hear over and over again is the running-gag “Don’t forget me!“
Bonus points if your stalker adds a LOL or a smiley.
Don’t get me wrong, that’s cute and all, but I sense a vague threat in that sentence.
If you do end up becoming a millionaire, chances are that one of the people who uttered that sentence will come knocking at your door.
People also tend to be pissed for some reason when you don’t actually remember them.
Hey blondie, just because I don’t recall you from that Spanish class ten years ago doesn’t mean I pulled an Eternal Sunshine; my brain is just hard-wired to care about a maximum of 150 people (fact!).

Oh yes, coming out to Los Angeles is no easy task and an experience like no other.
It is difficult to grasp what your life will be like after it, but once you do make that leap of faith, once you make it over that obstacle…
Well.
Here we go.

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Today is TV Calling’s two-year anniversary.
It has been a long time coming, and I must say I’m proud of all the great content, and of all the visitors who have passed through our doors.

There has been a more recent lack of posting (and tweeting), for which I must now come clean.
Truth be told, I could write pages of (actual) reasons of why this happened, ranging from two hard-drive failures to being “too busy” (with a Star Trek marathon).
For the most part though, I just didn’t feel it.
I did not have much to add to the ongoing “conversation” so, instead of blabbering around, posting empty meaningless content, I decided to take a step back.
Nothing is better than irrelevant, right?

This short break incidentally allowed me to take care of more pressing matters.
In the past month, I have begun to finally break a pilot I had been holding off.
More importantly though, I was able to plan more thoroughly my move to L.A.
I started this blog two years ago in part to tell you guys about my own experience and steps toward becoming a (future) television writer. I did talk about my various visits to the West Coast and how I successfully obtained my Green Card (yay!).
But being both geographically and temporally so far away from this life-change (let’s call a spade a spade), I admit I did not have much to tell about what went on–until recently.
This is obviously why the blog has been diverging at times from its original purpose to center on a more analytical aspect of television (though with great articles).

Maybe this post seems either like bragging or a list of personal accomplishments, and maybe I wrote it for cathartic reasons, but I wanted to let you know how important this blog and your support have been to me.

And now, we are about to arrive to our final destination.
In a month, I will be moving to Los Angeles.
Square one.

This jump into the unknown is both thrilling and, dare I admit it, scary.
Perhaps this site, this log of my daily struggles, will ease the transition. (Bonus points for actual advice in the posts.)
I will continue to sporadically update the blog, bringing it back to its roots.

I hope you will continue to follow me on this journey.
Here’s to you fellow reader, and to another two years of TV Calling!

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