The theme that resonated most at Blogworld earlier this month (left) was how people could make some money for the writing they do on blogs and for podcasts...not so different from what the Writers Guild of America members are striking for. The New York Times pointed out recently that at least one model for this exists already. The site www ABC.com will over the next 3 months be featuring webisodes called "Lost: Missing Pieces." These were written by one of the lead writers of the series, and were paid for. Not a huge sum, but something, and royalties will also be paid. When the deal was made, it was with the explicit understanding that it would not be considered a precedent for similar ventures...but why not?
And in the meantime, a series originally produced for internet exposure, "Quarter Life" will now be seen on broadcast television, filling some space created by the strike. Both of these prove that TV and the Internet are destined not only to co-exist but to help each other. When the current hostilities are over, both sides will have to get busy working out how to make this a win-win situation.
In the meantime, why not read a book? If you'd like a suggestion, try "No More Second-Hand Art" by Peter London, "The Courage to Create," by Rollo May, or Brenda Euland's "If You Want to Write." These are the three inspirational books I like to re-read at least once a year.
