What the EFF is Julie doing????

So I am waiting in an airport at the moment. I just had a giant, deep dish oatmeal cookie. Pretty much for dinner. And also lunch, now that I think about it. I haven't really felt too much like eating today, because I was so freakin' nervous.

I had a TV audition today, something I haven't had in a while. This woman I did a terrible show with ages ago is now a casting director and called me in. Very, very nice of her. But I forgot what it was like to audition for TV. I audition all the time for commercials, which seems so much like just another day job to me at this point. It's just another point in my day. Nothing special. But having an audition for a show just about did me in. The mind plays tricks. I was really a mess until it was over.

And now I am off to Silverton, Oregon to interview the guy in the video above. Because. I. Am. Crazy.

Clearly. There is no other rational explanation.

I heard about this story on Radio Lab. Here it is. For whatever reason, I got really into it, and after having been scooped on one major idea already here, I thought, "You know what I should do!" I must learn to never listen to myself when the idea starts with that. "I should be super duper aggressive this time! Someone will write this as a feature, and it should be me!"

So I got in touch with Stu Rasmussen, who's the guy in the video above. And I sent him a bunch of samples of my writing. And then I sent him a treatment. And he liked it. And then he suggested I come up to Silverton, Oregon to do some research. And I bit. I'm going. Meanwhile, by a total coincidence that kind of amazes me but might bore some of you, I found out another writer is after this same idea, and she has a manager who is also a producer. So essentially, I'm fucked. But Stu kind of, maybe thinks my version of the story is better.

I put the word out to my UCLA peeps about this project, and I actually had some "meetings" about it. One I was lured into believing might be important, but turned out to be a young assistant giving me notes. They were good notes, but I still have no real ammunition, no producer, no manager, no agent on my side.

I am going to see my dad up there, so it won't be a totally wasted trip. And who knows, I might get Stu's blessing to go ahead with the story. I did make some progress in LA making contacts. But I'm still not an equal match for these other people.

So that is what I'm doing right now. Your boy Octo is a freakin' saint for putting up with this kakameme (spelling?) idea. It's an expensive, ridiculous trip, and it will take me away from Zack for two days! And...why? I'm not even as into this story as I used to be. I just go so burned on one of my scripts straight out of grad school. A script sold right at the same time mine was making the rounds, leaving me with no sample that would sell, so nothing really to offer. So I got all het up about being first with the idea this time.

All day I've just been thinking, what the HELL am I doing here??? I wish I were one of those people who always had faith in their own ideas.