the slack daily

Paging @DoctorCoop

I'm a huge fan of the Showtime show "Nurse Jackie." The writing is smart, the performances are brilliant (Merritt Wever deserves twelve Emmys a year for her portrayal of nursing student Zoey) and they practically glide over the tightrope betwixt comedy/drama.

Last night's episode revealed the Doctor Cooper (played by Peter Facinelli) is on Twitter: @DoctorCoop.

While it was handled a bit ham-handed in the episode "I AM ON TWITTER! I AM TWEETING THIS!" (excuse the paraphrasing) I applaud the efforts of the Nurse Jackie team and Showtime for leaping into the pool of transmedia entertainment.

The super-smartypants Gennefer Snowfield said, I'm not convinced a half hour sitcom need be an immersive transmedia experience. I actually agree. However, if you're going to dip your toe in the water to get the temperature, I think that knowing something about the water is in order.

My criticism stems from the fact that I want these types of transmedia initiatives to succeed. This is a huge part of what I do now, so I want there to continue to be a growing market to extend the narrative through whatever platforms make sense.

A little background: from August - November 2009, I played over 11 different characters for two different shows (Valemont had nine Twitter accounts, Woke Up Dead had two.) I spoke about the experience and how to use Twitter for characters in my talk at the 140 Conference "How I Became a Zombie on Twitter."

Here are the things that "ping" me about @DoctorCoop.

Discovering the account:

I understand that the whole "I AM ON TWITTER! I AM TWEETING THIS!" was the result of a note (or the thought) that part of your audience may not know what Twitter is. That's okay. Remember that in consuming entertainment, we have a choice.

You cannot force your viewers to learn what Twitter is. You cannot force your viewers to care. But trust that your viewers are smart, and those who will want to participate, will. You don't need to bash them over the head with it. Discovery is part of the fun for people who want to truly engage.

Staying True to Characters:

You've set up an antagonistic relationship between Jackie & Dr. Cooper. Jackie knows that he's Tweeting. Why would he be tweeting under his full name, with a photo of himself?

Jackie would get him fired in a heartbeat. If Twitter is going to play a part in the show's storyline (Dr. Cooper gets clipped for talking about patients, co-workers, etc.) this could be interesting.

But if I AM TWEETING is going to be ignored in your show from now on, then give Dr. Cooper the brains (that he supposedly has) and let him be a little more discreet. Change his photo. Morph his name. Give him a little plausible deniability. 

The Devil is in the Details:

Timelines: Look at this tweet from today. I'm in PST, so this was posted around 7am PST today, Tuesday, March 30.

The "cys fib" episode took place yesterday (Monday, March 29.) Is Dr. Cooper confused? Is he still at work? Jackie has already gone home, so she was there yesterday.  (Not to mention this tweet on March 28th, referring to Hair tickets that weren't given out until the episode on March 29.) Keep yourself grounded in what time it really is (and on EST, since that's where Dr. Cooper lives) and where you are at that moment.

Apps: Doctor Cooper tweeted from his cell phone yesterday. But if you look at the above, it shows that he's using a tool called "CoTweet." CoTweet's slogan is "How Business Does Twitter." Which reminds us that we are not following @DocCooper but a business. There are fabulous Twitter apps out there that make it easy to track multiple accounts - Seesmic (which I used to manage my 11 accounts), Tweetdeck, Tweetie to name a few. A quick adjustment and we're right back in the thick of it.

In Summary:

The fact is that we all know @DoctorCoop isn't real. The question is this: Do you want a "One Twit Wonder" or do you want to hook an audience that is active and engaged? If it's the latter, you have to respect their savvy. After the newness wears off, they'll notice these things (if they haven't already.)

I believe (and in my experience from the shows I've worked on) the way to blur the lines between fantasy and reality means keeping it grounded in not only our reality but the one that the Nurse Jackie world has created. I've written television. I know how difficult it is to get a vision across that isn't a watered-down version of what began on the page. Nurse Jackie is truly a great show, and I applaud their (and Showtime's) efforts for making the leap onto Twitter.

But you have worked hard to create these stories. Make sure that you serve them wherever they are.

The writing doesn't stop just because it's on the Internet.

Note: I also have thoughts on your Facebook page. But I've worked for free enough today. :)

If you'd like to hear more, you can find me here.

Always Forward.

I returned from MIT's Story 3.0 conference with my brain in bits like buckshot. I'm still trying to assemble the bits and pieces as we look towards to future of story.  The Center for Future Storytelling - a part of MIT's Media Lab - is a place I want to set up camp. A bunch of technologists and scientists and storytellers and entertainment professionals and forward-thinking brands gathering together to discuss stories and they are evolving as technology and the audience changes? Yes, please.

I love speaking in public. I was on speech team in high school, people. SPEECH. TEAM. (Scroll down to 1990, Special Occasion Speaking.) But i made a rookie mistake of practicing with my analog notes (aka paper) and then switching to using my computer at the last minute instead. 

I know better.

Alas, I was a wee bit more disjointed than I would have liked as I lost my place on the screen, and then scrolled to catch up. I think I managed to get my point across, or else I was enthusiastic enough where people thought there must be something to this. Thankfully, chatting with the attendees over the next 24 hours, I was better able to elaborate on some of the points I brought up during my part of the presentation. 

I was frustrated, but I was there to listen and learn and share my experiences. What I knew, what I learned, and where I thought we were going.

Always forward.

I returned on Thursday, and Friday morning found me at the vet at 7:45am to drop off Daisy J. Dog, who was having her cancerous lump removed. Since hemangiosarcoma is a cancer of the blood vessel cells, it was important to remove the lump along with the area immediately surrounding it, as well as some lumps that were found under her mammary glands.

The more they could remove, the better chance we have at kicking cancer's ass. So they were aggressive. Daisy returned to us Saturday morning with ten inches of stitches on her belly and minus three nipples. The saggy skin on her belly - a reminder of her earlier life as a breeding dog before someone threw her out like garbage - was gone. Daisy's gone Hollywood and finally gotten that tummy tuck.

Always forward.

She's got a pain patch on her hind leg and tramadol that needs to be given every eight hours. Last night was her first night at home. She spent it a little confused and out of it, which makes her a little whiny, or else not feeling any pain at all, which means she wants to scratch her belly with her hind leg, not caring that it's like Frankenstein's monster down there.

I banished Will to the couch so he could get some sleep (I can grab a nap during the day if I have to) and spent the night getting up every thirty minutes to comfort her and make sure she didn't rip her stitches out (since she scratches with her hind leg, the cone is of little use to prevent this.)

A few sleepless nights could buy us years. I'll take it.

Always forward.

March 27, with her ProCollar.

The C Word

As most of you know, Daisy J Dog was diagnosed with Hemangiosarcoma last week. While it's a blood cancer, the pathologist thought from the area that it was found that it was related to sun exposure and was dermal (the "good" kind.)  However, upon a second opinion it was determined that it's not sun-related and that's it's a subcutaneous - not as bad as visceral, but an aggressive form of cancer that can easily spread to the liver, spleen, and lungs.

At a meeting with her Veterinary Oncologist this morning, I was told that he had never seen a cancer caught this quickly. I left her at the vet for an ultrasound as well as blood work to ensure that it hasn't spread, then we start talking treatment plans. There will be surgery. There will be chemotherapy. There will be vet bills, and I hope that our friends understand that we will be curtailing some of our going-out budget to make sure that Daisy has everything she needs.

The statistics are ugly. But the doctor also told me that statistics are also based on when the cancer is diagnosed, and usually it's at a late-stage. He said I cannot promise you anything, and I almost never say this to a patient, but we could potentially cure this.

I told the doctor that only thing I want is for her to be comfortable and happy.

I found her in 2003, dirty and sad on a tattered pink blanket at the Animal Shelter. She had been used as a breeding dog and thrown away. I already had a pit bull that was dog aggressive, but I could not walk by her cage and do nothing. Thanks to my dear friend S., Daisy got a reprieve and a place to go.

Before there was Will and me and Daisy, there was me and Daisy. She has led me through a minefield of career crises and relationship blowups. She has greeted every homecoming with a song and dance, whether I have been gone ten days or ten minutes. 

She is my constant.  She is my companion. She is my heart.

The Internet Fuck-Off Rule.

Today I got up early, walked & medicated Daisy and set her up in her crate, and headed down to USC to check out the Transmedia S/Telling the Story conference.

I knew I wouldn't be able to stay all day - Will leaves the house at 7am and doesn't get back until 8pm most days - so I'd need to be back mid-afternoon to walk and care for Daisy.

A few minutes after I turned onto Jefferson I heard the WHOOMP!

Then the tire warning light went off.

I drive a Mini, which has run-flat tires. But they're not magic. I pulled over to assess the damage and realized that the tire was deflating more quickly than normal. I could try to make it home in the thick of traffic and hope that I didn't damage the wheel.

Or I could call AAA, get towed to the tire place. My tires were nearly bald - they're the ones that came with the car when I bought it. Seven years ago.

I called AAA, called Just Tires, and then hopped on Twitter while I waited.

I was deluged with Tweets asking me if I needed anything. And then came the DMs, which alerted me to the fact that I was doing this all WRONG.

Why didn't I just change the tire myself? Why didn't I try to drive home? Why did I think I needed new tires? Why was I making fun of the guys in the rape van who offered me a backup plan in case Will and I didn't work out? Why didn't I just walk home?

I understand any time you put something on the Internet, people are going to comment. But I believe it's time to explain my Internet Fuck-Off Rule.

If I have asked or solicited advice, then I am obligated to politely listen to said advice, even if I don't agree with it or plan on taking it.

If I have not asked for or solicited advice, I am free to tell you to Fuck Off when advice is offered.

And I admit I was wrong about the rape van comments. It turns out the area I broke down in hasn't had a reported rape in seven days!

Just a whole bunch of violent robberies. (From LAPD Crime Maps.)

(Friends of) Friends of Tom.

Following up on my last blog post.

While we didn't reach 100 reviews, I still chose to make a $100 donation to The Best Show on WFMU last night (on behalf of Will, myself, and Daisy J Dog.)

With a few minutes left in the broadcast, Tom Scharpling announced (and John Hodgman tweeted!) that they were $500 away from $80,0000. Knowing that we were going to end up pledging the cash anyway, I picked up the phone. It's like being a cheaterpants. But in a good way.

We appreciate EVERYONE who left a review on our podcast.

As we will have two Premiums from The Best Show (Will's pledge nets us three premiums, mine a single one) we will still give away the Premium* to one of our reviewers. If you want in, you have until Saturday at 4pm PST to leave a review of our podcast on iTunes. We will announce the winners on our show BetheMarriage on Saturday night.

(If we pick a winner who already has a Best Show premium, please let us know so we can select someone else and share The Best Show love.)

I have to say that when Will and I met, I didn't understand why he was so into this show. On Tuesday nights I left him to his computer while I did something else. I thought it was funny, but it was a guy on a microphone over a thousand miles away.

What I learned over the course of the past three years is that that guy on the microphone has built an  amazing community around him. It started when Lisa Jane Persky took Will's picture for her "Friends of Tom" photo project, and later that night I met her and her husband Andy Zax. From there it was a cavalcade of artists and weirdos and funny people.

(You can see why I felt like I fit right in.)

It was being a friend of Friends of Tom that I ended up a fan of the show. And of their cranky ringleader, who is a little bit mad, a little bit brilliant, and a whole lot funny. Having him out there DOING IT is a reminder that we can DO IT TOO. 

You can check out The Best Show which streams live every Tuesday from 8pm-11pm EST on WFMU.org, or check out their various podcasts.

Thanks again to all who participated, and we'll announce our winner on Saturday night!

*Please note: It'll take some time for the Premium to get to you, as we have to get our pledge cards and pay before the Premiums are sent. Just a heads-up!

Help Us, Help (WFM)U

There's one week left in the WFMU pledge drive and they're barely halfway to their goal. Unless you've been hiding under a rock - a BIG rock - you know that WFMU is near and dear to our hearts. Tom Scharpling, Jon Wurster, Evan Funk Davies, Terre T, Mike and Therese make our Internet World a happier place.

While Will has already made a pledge on behalf of our household (including Daisy J. Dog) but I got a magic WGA envelope this week (thank you, Italy, for continuing to air Lizzie McGuire!)

So help us, and you help WFMU.

Last Saturday BetheMarriage podcast is available for download on iTunes.

What does this have to do with the WFMU marathon? you ask.

For each review you leave on the BetheMarriage podcast I will donate $1 to the WFMU marathon...up to $100.

CLICK HERE & IT WILL OPEN iTUNES AND TAKE YOU TO THE SHOW PAGE. SCROLL DOWN TO CUSTOMER REVIEWS AND CLICK ON "WRITE A REVIEW."

But wait! There's MORE!

If we receive over 75 reviews before The Best Show on WFMU airs tomorrow (at 5pm PST/8pm EST) I will make my donation then, which will qualify me for Scharpling's DJ Premium. Since Will has already donated, we have a Best Show DJ Premium.

So I will give the second premium away to one of our lucky reviewers!

If we do not receive 75 reviews by tomorrow, we will be making our pledge on Terre T's Cherry Blossom Clinic on Saturday, March 13, the day before the marathon officially ends.

Of course, if you want to make a donation to WFMU on your own (and thank you to those dear friends of ours who already have!), there's a handy web form right here. 

The Best Show on WFMU with Tom Scharpling
The Evan Funk Davies Show
The Cherry Blossom Clinic with Terre T
The Therese Show

In Which the Slackmistress Helps You Spend Your Money. You're Welcome.

It's Friday, which means for some of us, we're on a crash course heading toward the weekend. (Some of us are unemployed, so we only know it's a weekend because we saw our husband was wearing jeans to work today.)

Now if I was you - I'm not, but I'm pretty good at getting inside your head. Not my entire self inside your head, mind you, because my entire body inside your head would probably break a few laws of physics, even though any part of me being inside your head would break other laws of physics. But we're ignoring those last laws.

So here I am, inside your head, ignoring a specific amount of physics to do so and you're WELCOME, by the way, because I think I could be arrested by the Physics Police, not that there are Physics Police but if there were they probably dress like Albert Einstein. Also, I think I could outrun them, but there's not a lot of room to hide inside your head, so I gotta get this out, like quick.

I'm inside your head and you are thinking to yourself (because we can't think to other people yet. Some say this is a pity and to those people I say it's probably a very good thing you cannot see my thoughts) you are thinking,

SELF, I WOULD LIKE TO SPEND MONEY THIS WEEKEND, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT I SHOULD SPEND IT ON.

And here comes the Slackmistress to the rescue, because I have not one not two, but THREE THINGS worthy of your cash this weekend. (And subsequent weekends hereafter, should you not be available to spend money this weekend.)

1. The Book of Right and Wrong by award-winning author Matt Debenham

The Book of Right and Wrong is currently available for pre-order for $24.95, but it's actually $19.95. So you've ALREADY saved five dollars. And you have to spend money to save money. Not only is Mr. Debenham an award-winning author, but if you follow him on Twitter, you know he's an incredibly funny, smart guy. So imagine an ENTIRE BOOK of this. It's a bargain at any price. And if you pre-order, he'll not only throw in a signed bookplate but a picture drawn by one of his kids. (I personally would charge extra for this, but Matt's a nicer guy than I am.) Imagine how smart you're going to look with The Book of Right and Wrong in your house. Right? RIGHT.

2. The Brutalist Bricks by Ted Leo & the Pharmacists

It's no secret that the Mister and I are huge fans of Ted Leo. And even though I hit on him by accident on Twitter last year, he seems to have forgiven me. Or completely forgotten who I am. Either way, it's a win-win. The Shorty Award Winner and genuinely nice human being not only has his new album available for pre-order on Matador, but he's playing an all-ages show at the Troubadour on March 27th. This is not a show to be missed. Ted Leo & the Pharmacists will rock your faces off. So if you're in the mood for some of the best rock-n-roll on the planet PLUS a new face, you'd better jump on those tickets NOW.

3. The Thrilling Adventure Hour at the Largo.

Written by the funny, charming, and soon-to-be-incredibly-famous-so-you-can-know-them-when duo of Ben Acker and Ben Blacker, this take on the radio play is a sincere delight. It premieres in its new location at the Largo this evening, and tickets may still be available. So come! Enjoy! See us and buy us drinks! Everyone wins!

Let's face it: you're going to spend money this weekend. And the things you're going to spend it on - like Kit Kats, your electric bill, and that gym membership that you never use - are dumb! (Okay, Kit Kats aren't dumb. I APOLOGIZE, KIT KATS!) So why not spend your money on stuff that's awesome?

And because I love you (except the ones who aren't wearing pants. Please put some pants on! Then I will love you!), I will provide you with something free. That's right, entertainment at no additional charge.

Tomorrow night's BetheMarriage LIVE! (On Ice!) comes to you over the InterTubes at 5pm for the cost of ZERO DOLLARS. Just tune in at 5pm tomorrow at Ustream. Can make it? Don't want to look at our ugly mugs? Then you can subscribe and download the podcast on iTunes.

YOU. ARE. WELCOME.

This is Me, Trying Not to Act Like an Idiot & Failing Miserably.

It's no secret that my career has been laden with more potholes than an LA side street.

When it was good, it was very, very good. But when it was bad, it was horrid.

There have been more than a few times when I thought about packing it up and Doing Something Else. ANYTHING else. Except the economy took a nosedive and suddenly I wasn't the only one unemployed.

Last May, I got a call from Electric Farm Entertainment Co-Founders Brent Friedman and Stan Rogow, who called me in for a project they were getting ready to shoot called Valemont.. There would be some rewriting sessions, and then I'd be let loose on the Internet to create the storyworld there. I was given very few parameters. As long as I could work within the budget, I was pretty much free to do whatever I wanted.

I had never worked on this type of project before. But I had spent nearly fifteen years, living and working and socializing online. It's not that I was an "Expert" or a "Guru" any more than my 17-year old self was a Guru on being a High School Senior. It was something that I didn't think about.

And now I was going to.

While creating for the screen can be a static experience, the Internet is a living, breathing thing. You cannot hope to control it.

You don't want to.

The experience was enlightening and exhausting and terrifying and frustrating and amazing. And having Brent was more Spirit Guide than boss. He'd give feedback and suggestions, but I was never told no, or that something was wrong. I was trusted to do my part.

Today, Valemont was nominated for multiple Streamy Awards including:

Best Drama Series
Best Writing (Christian Taylor!)
Best Interactive Experience (that's me!)

I know that it shouldn't matter and work should stand for itself and I should be way more nonchalant about such things. But I saw "Best Interactive Experience" and I may have started to get a little choked up.*

So I ask for your patience while I be crass and shout this from the rooftops. Looking back on the lean years of this blog, when I was filled with despair, it's a nice feeling to celebrate. Even if it's for a day.

*Okay, I cried. Like a little girl.