Anyway, I had a point with that. I wonder if the plot I was anticipating would be considered too complicated for audiences. Well, not to a Buffy audience, I wouldn't think. The injured sailor was black, too, and the neighbor lady was a perky blond mom. Cliche on cliche.

And, Connie sums up why I watch no network TV at all these days. As a writer, it makes me want to hit them all very very very hard.

Bev, have I mentioned that I purely loved that poem?

If you do it, can I film it? That would be a reality series and a half, Deb. I only have one new network show that I watch now, come to think of it.

(voiceover)

"College-age unemployed roommates in unaffordable houses, all over America."

(Camera pans in over various "real world" locations, goes black)

(voiceover)

"Yuppie stockbrokers with delusions of Iron John-hood playing "Lord of the Flies" on deserted islands, with film crews and craft services"

(camera pans over lush Pacific island, goes black)

(voiceover)

"Donald Trump showing the world his definition of 'job training' and 'ethics'"

(camera pans over Trump Tower, goes black, then bright)

(voiceover)

"Now, coming this fall, the ultimate reality series...."

(camera goes wide-angle on several furious writers with medieval weaponry. Because I'm writing myself into this one, I'm swinging a godentag over my head)

"WRITERS' REVENGE!"

Camera shows writers of several crappy episodes of primetime network television, being chased by an army of gleefully crazed and screaming good writers. One former "Angel" writer hunts down a hack who writes for "Yes Dear", and chases him into a dark alley; we hear screams and pleas for clemency. Retired writer from "Maximum Bob", riding a vintage Norton, barrels down on a "Miami CSI" writer, brandishing a scimitar, shouting "THIS IS FOR THAT 'HANGING THE PROFESSOR IN THE SWAMP' EPISODE, ASSHOLE! AIEEE!" Scenes of carnage are shown in quick cuts.

(voice over)

"Coming this fall, Thursday nights, on NBC. (pause) "You'll never miss "Friends."

(fade to black)

Man, deb, they should actually film that and show it before every new tv season.

Maybe I should pitch it....

I just sent a ton of stories out to be beta read by someone completely outside the fandom, who knows nothing of my life for the past four years.

I've already bitten my nails down to the almost-bleeding point.

I'm a third of the way finished with this, I think, if I follow my loose outline of how it should shape.

Breathe, Allyson. Breathe. It's all good.

And we're here as backup.

Allyson, what deb said.

NILLY!

Will you beta? Beginning of Cruel Sister! And if so, which addy?

Tell me so I can send or not send, and then go sprawl on sofa and clutch aching skull. (edit: me, not you. You should not have whatever I've got right now.)