No joke: I'm creating a soap opera. OMGWTFBBQ
 

Me and my writing partner and fraternity brother have been fans of daytime television all our lives. Whether it’s The Young & The Restless, Days of Our Lives, Passions, or Dark Shadows, we're men who appreciate a good drama. Now it’s our turn! We want to return soap operas to their roots: strong characters, strong families, and strong stories.

Join us as we create a new serial for folks like us. Interested in joining the writing staff? Send me a PM! We're looking for volunteer breakdown writers and script writers. This will be a labor of love for folks who love soaps and good storytelling.

Note: A head writer (me and my partner) is responsible for the creation of the show, the core characters and families, and the overall story bible. The breakdown writers are the folks who pitch plot ideas to the writing team and create "breakdowns" for the script of each episode. The script writers are the dialog mavens. They take the breakdowns and make them into scripts.

Like I said, send a PM if you're interested.

Not much good in the writing category, but if one of your characters happens to be a petite redhead with striking blue/green eyes, I won't say no to an acting role in your story. :)

Seriously, I'm excited for you. I hope you grab on to this with both hands and do with it what you're being called to do.<3<3<3

This is awesome, Sen :)

I wish I had the patience to put some of my goals into action like you (and AF and ree-xi) have done.

Thank you!!!!

And just so you (and everyone else) is fully aware -- we intend to take this back to the roots of storytelling. We want to do an internet radio show. We think that even though daytime serials are being cancelled left and right, there is still a thirst for good story telling and that people will tune in from work, home, or download it to their iPods.

So we could use your voice anyway, regardless of how the character looks ;)

Gettin laid off is a good motivator! If I'm going to be a starving writer, it won't be for long!

Well everybody knows, my mama always says "people don't know when you're hungry, but they know when you're homeLESS" uh huh. :D

Seriously excited for you, Good Luck!

LOL

Thanks! You know you want to get on this writing staff!

Man you would do this AFTER I don't have time to write as much anymore.

I know the feeling! Hang in there though.

Knock it out!

used to watch Days while in HS...don't know how that started. Maybe it was Marlena's exorcism and Stefano being Jesus (the deaths and coming back)

LMAO @ Stefanesus

Good luck Sen. I grew up on CBS soaps, scheduled college classes around Y&R/ATWT/GL, taped them while out in the working world, and may never recover from the destruction and cancellation of Guiding Light.

If I had that kind of talent, I sure would! However, I would love to lend my voice. Just think, the fear of participating in akward sex scenes has vanished. :D Once you all get to the phase of seeking out actresses, let me know!

I'm sorry for the loss of your CBS shows, seriously. It's a shame what they did to Guiding Light.

LOL....will do!

Having watched Y&R literally since I was born (the whole naming your child after a certain Abbott sister phenomenon....yeah, thanks Mom), this is AWESOME.

Everything I know about radio drama comes from listening to The Cinnamon Bear over Thanksgiving vacation as a kid. I bet I could make really good sound effects though ;)

However I have no writing skills whatsoever. If you ever need other assistance I'd be glad to offer what I can.

Good luck, I love radio dramas. I try to listen to the Twilight Zone and Sherlocke Holmes radio dramas whenever I can BUT I don't exactly see how a soap opera can be portrayed on radio. Every radio drama I've ever heard seems to only have 2-4 characters featured (all with very different voices), while every TV soap I've seen seems to have 10-15 characters featured per episode.

Here's where I ask if you know the origins of soap operas.

I saw this on your FB page Sen, I think it's a great idea! While I haven't exercised my creative writing since college, my technical writing has kept my mind functional. If you need inspiration for a character, I'll give you the quick and dirty of my life history, and I KNOW it's perfect soap opera material!

Hey, Jesus only did it once--He knew when to say "when." Stefano's just being extra.

You really can't compare 1930's era soaps with modern daytime TV soaps. If Sen is planning on revisiting that 40's era style with just a few characters, thats one thing. If he plans on writing a modern style soap with 20 characters and 15 concurrently running storylines... I don't know how that would play out on radio.

There are modern soap operas on the radio (and the internet) now, in 2011, with multiple story lines. (The Archers - look it up on youtube when you get a chance)

Although I am pretty sure no modern soap opera on television or the radio has fifteen story lines, though they could have more than 20 cast members.

Thanks for the support everyone!

I'm just confused why you hear "Radio soap opera" and go "You can't do a TV style soap opera on the radio"

Because I didn't know that the "old style" radio soaps were still around (or that people would still be interested in them in that format). The impression I got from the OP was that it would be in the same vein as modern TV soaps.

Half of Guiding Light is on One Life To Live. Seriously. It's helped me a lot. :)

Good luck with this Sen - keep us posted as to how it's going!!

bumping because it's late and there are some gems that I miss.

I've never watched many soaps (a summer of Y&R at a teen, Undressed - does that count? lol) but I think of myself as an OK writer. Let me know how this materializes, may be able to lend a hand.

Bump...I came across this looking for another thread...

How is your project going? I know you're busy with interviews and such, but have you made any progress?


PS...if anyone sees the Nook vs. Kindle thread, that's what I'm looking for, please bump it. Searches on the Droid tend to shut down the internet app.

I haven't made much progress recently because my writing partner is going through a few things. But we have recruited a staff writer. Regardless what happens with the partner, I am moving forward in two weeks.

(It's not the job interviews which have slowed me down, but my volunteer obligations)

Three of you have sent me messages recently -- sorry I haven't gotten back to you yet!

I have a meeting with my writing partner next week. I'll be making some decisions shortly thereafter and will get back to all of you.

For everyone who has been checking in -- my partner (no homo) and I met tonight and we're moving ahead with the project as a non-profit endeavor.

Everyone who is interested in joining the project AS A WRITER - hold tight. We're not having our first writing staff meetings until very late Summer.

Anyone who is interested in joining this project as a NONPROFIT BOARD MEMBER, please send a PM for details.

Again, I am not recruiting writers. I am recruiting people who would enjoy providing overall vision and direction for an organization which will cultivate writers of serial fiction and drama. The first major project will be the one I'm currently writing for, but after that project is done, others could be taken on. It will be up to the board at that point.

I'd be happy to be a Board Member if it could be done remotely. I'd also have no issue doing research/fact checking if you needed that.

Have you looked in Kickstarter for funding? I know a few people who have been successful in using it.