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Post by Dallas on Jun 26, 2022 9:20:11 GMT -5
June 27, 2020 Well, I was right about the restrictions being lifted too soon: we’ve seen a spike in the COVID19 cases here again but it doesn’t seem to be stopping people from going back and living their lives. I am annoyed because I feel like this will prolong the rest of quarantine for the rest of us. We haven’t had a vacation since January and Colton is starting to get the itch. We had made plans to go to Saskatoon for a long weekend but I told him I wasn’t ready to do that; instead, he’s going to go camping with some friends. Without giving too much away, I also haven’t been feeling the best the last month or so. It is a rather personal issue so I won’t get into the details. I have a doctors appointment on Tuesday and I am hoping that I will, finally, get some answers.
I wrote another 3 episodes this week … I have to start being careful about what I say I wrote in these entries because I am getting close to passing the dates I’m journaling compared to when material will be released. In any event, this week was mostly around Greg’s trial and Jacob learning about Max/Cassie, which was super soapy, I thought.
I also finished planning the next installment of Chasing Diamonds! I don’t know if it will be 3, 5 or 10 episodes yet but I am excited to take a breather from ODaaT soon and jump back into that. I think I have 2 episodes to go and I will be done June 2022 of ODaaT; that’s when I would normally update the cast bios with the mid year bio recaps, so once I do that, I will take a small break from ODaaT and work on CD! Then head back to ODaaT to wrap up this year. Like I said before, I don’t think I will take this summer off writing because of quarantine and just the sheer volume of 2022 has. It is nice to ensure I get it all done. How are you guys doing? What stories are your current faves? Are you excited about Diamonds?
***
June 26,
It's been a week. Last weekend, Colton and I went to Whistler as an escape. I had Monday off as I was supposed to work yesterday (I don't work many Saturday's but I was scheduled), so Colton also took Monday off so we could have an extra day. On Saturday, we arrived and we met up with a friend who moved there during COVID. It was really great to see her; we had a great time. Sunday morning, I woke up around 7 am and saw that I had 3(!) missed calls from my brother, so I knew that something was up. I called him and he told me that our Dad had died that morning. I was / am numb and sort of in shock. He hadn't been well the last 18 months but I didn't think he was near death. I, immediately, made plans go to back home because I longed to be with my brothers and my step mom. At the bank that I work at, you get 3 days away unless you have to travel over a certain distance, in which you get 2 additional days, so I told my boss I would be away all week. I flew out Tuesday morning, my older brother picked up me up at the airport. We then went to see my step mom. As soon as she saw us, she rushed to me and she weeped in my arms for about 5 minutes. I spent the rest of the week with them; my younger brother had a difficult day on Thursday. I came home on Friday morning, feeling like I had barely cried. I realized that I was the caregiver, making sure everyone else was okay, and I wasn't really taking care of myself. Colton, meanwhile, was in Toronto for work, so I was alone on Friday, and without much sleep, so I think i completely broke in the afternoon and had a long cry. I needed this because yesterday I taped a podcast for ODaat's 20th anniversary and I didn't want to be sad about his death the entire time. I still don't think it's fully hit me yet, but I am coping. As a result of all of this, I did ZERO webseries stuff this week.
Hope you guys had a better week then me - dzkw
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Post by Dallas on Jul 3, 2022 9:21:12 GMT -5
July 04, 2020 Wednesday was Canada Day, which means we had the day off. It is nice working two days, day off, working two days … this should be a regular occurrence! It is pretty sad that Canada Day was pretty wet, it rained ALL day, so Colton and I didn’t do too much. I was able to finish all of the character bios for the mid 2022 updates on Wednesday. This isn’t my favorite thing to do, if I’m honest, but I know if I don’t shut everything else down and focus on it, I will never get it done. So, it is nice that they are done.
And yes, at this point, I am done half way of the 2022 season, which is end of June! It is crazy to think that I am actually 2 full years ahead of the writing of ODaaT. That being said, I am taking a break from ODaaT and will focus more on Chasing Diamonds, the Switch. I have so many ideas, at first I thought it would be 10 episodes but I will keep it to 5, like Cabo Wabo. The great thing about Diamonds is that I already have ideas for the following mini series … so maybe this year will have three to release? That is exciting to think about, but we will see … I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself. How are your summers going?
***
July 03, 2022
I am home after a week back in Edmonton. I really needed to be there to spend time with my brothers and my step mom. I realized that I am a caregiver, which means I didn't really have many breakdowns while I was there; I was really making sure they, especially my step mom, was doing okay with the passing of my Dad. I got home Friday morning and felt like I had a million things to do (groceries, laundry, ect), so I didn't settle down until the afternoon. I was home alone because Colton had to go to Toronto for work, and that's really when it hit me ... I lost my Jorge and Dad within 6 months of each other. I really am sad, even though I know that they are both in better places now. When my Dad first got sick 18 months ago, I was the only one that could visit him in the hospital because of Covid. I saw some really brutal shit in that time; I remember I would get home and hug Jorge and plead with him not to die because I wouldn't be able to handle it; thinking back, I wonder if he hung on as long as he did as a result.
I went back to work this week and it was a GOOD thing; I needed the distraction instead of just thinking about my Dad all the time. It's wild that I was looking forward to work. We are planning a mix and mingle for all the employees that work in Vancouver, so that's exciting. As a manager, I have people on my team I've never met outside of a zoom call, so it will be nice to meet them in person.
Tragically, I didn't do much ODaaT stuff this week as I just had too much going on with my Dad and my emotions. I'm hoping that today I'll sit down and write ... one of my fears is that the next season that I plan of ODaaT will be dark because I'm in that place right now. Who the fuck knows who I will want to kill now haha
Have a good weekend - Dallas
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Post by Dallas on Jul 10, 2022 9:39:54 GMT -5
July 11, 2020 Hi guys! This week wasn’t the best week for me, personally, I have to admit. My health was not in a good place. I had another test Friday morning, so I am hoping this will shed some light on to what is happening with me. The frustrating part is feeling horrible and not knowing what the issue is to fix it and keeping in mind, we are still in the middle of a pandemic. As a result of my health not being great, I didn’t do much of anything in terms of my writing. When I wasn’t at work, I really tried to rest and just get better. I get exhausted super easily now. Thursday night I went to bed at 9 pm, slept until 7 am, and felt like I needed a nap by the time 11:30 am came around. Anyways, I am truly hoping this week is a better week for me and I can start writing Chasing Diamonds. Until next week dzkw
***
July 10, 2022
It was a pretty good week production wise as I managed to write two episodes of ODaaT; I find it so comforting to jump back into the world when I'm not feeling so great. The piece is, my Dad's cat had a litter, and from that litter, I got Jorge Juan ... so to lose both JJ and my Dad within 6 months of one another ... it is a lot sometimes. This week, also, happens to be the 6 month anniversary of losing JJ. I can already sense that Thursday will be an emotional day for me but I'm trying to honor it and make be something positive vs. a sad time. I really just need the rest of the year to be positive cause it's been a lot of darkness for me so far this year.
Anyways, yes, two episodes of ODaaT ... where I'm writing there's a fall down the stairs that results in a miscarriage (classique soap) BUT what happens after is the big twist ... I can't say with who or how but it is drama and I love it! it's the first step in the cross over with all the series, which I am super stoked for!
Tomorrow I have to go to the office in person and I'll get to meet my team for the first time - it's wild but I'm looking forward to it!
Until next week - Dallas
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Post by Dallas on Jul 15, 2022 7:48:37 GMT -5
July 18, 2020 Hey guys! So, good news: I felt really, really good this week! Probably the best I have felt since late March (I know I didn’t speak about it until more recently but what was happening to me was really personal and scary and I wasn’t comfortable sharing the details); I still have another exam this upcoming Tuesday … I have to “prep” for this exam, which means Sunday and Monday I have to be on a chicken broth ONLY diet … this flushes out my system so there is literally nothing in me when they do this exam. While I have felt better this week, I still want to know what this underlying cause is so I can prevent it from happening again. Anyways, once I get a true diagnosis, I might share more. This health issue has really impacted me in many ways: cancelled weekend getaways with Colton, cancelled vacation (we had planned to go visit his parents for a week in August but I just felt like I couldn’t… and even impacted productivity with writing).
Because I have felt better this week, I have started writing Diamonds “The Switch”; I wrote episode one and about half of episode two. Of course, this is just first draft but I’m still excited by this. I hope to do more writing while I have this weird diet on Sunday/Monday; I just don’t know how I will feel! How are you guys liking where ODaaT is right now?
***
July 15, 2022
I know this is early this week but we are going to visit Colton's parents on Pender Island this weekend and I am not sure when I will be home on Sunday, and when I go get home, I'll have a million things to do (groceries, laundry, ect), so I thought it would be easier to release this stuff today. I am looking forward to the mini-escape; Pender is always so relaxing and I feel like I need that right now. This past Monday I got to go into my office and meet my team for the first time in person! I've seen them, obviously, via zoom but to meet them live was a treat.
I did manage to write one episode of ODaaT this week, which is nice. With everything that has gone on lately, I am enjoying the escape into my own world as it is a nice change of pace from reality. A spoiler that I can give is that there is a major twist in the Clayton/Andy/Nicholas triangle that was inspired by an arch on Melrose Place. I'm stoked for you guys to read it, it is wild.
I am hoping that this week I can get a couple of more episodes in, but we will see! Until next week - Dallas
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Post by Dallas on Jul 24, 2022 9:01:07 GMT -5
July 25, 2020 Hey guys! This was a pretty long week for me; I had a medical exam on Tuesday that I had to prepare for … which meant Sunday and Monday I was on a chicken broth/popsicle diet only with various medications to “flush” out my system. Sunday I was super hangry and Monday I just felt so gross and pretty weak. The morning of the exam, you’re not allowed to eat or drink anything and because we are still in the pandemic, I had to wear my mask to the appointment. Midway through the test, I thought I was going to faint because I was so nervous and uncomfortable with the various aspects of the test that they had to do. Thankfully, I pulled through but it was not an experience I would wish on anyone. The results came back on Friday, and it ruled out cancer … so I am feeling extremely relieved and happy about that. I still don’t know what’s up, but I have a specialist appointment this week. I honestly don’t remember the last time I didn’t have either a test or a doctors appointment in a week. Ironically, I am starting to feel better naturally on my own … I wonder if my body is correcting itself? I don’t know. This entire experience has made me feel so grateful to have Colton in my corner; he has been so supportive and has had my back. I don’t know what I would do without him.
With all of this medical stuff going on, it wasn’t a great week production wise for either ODaaT or CD, to be honest. I’ve written 1 episode of CD The Switch and started the second but I didn’t make much progress on the second episode. Usually, I also take the summer off from writing just to keep myself fresh and that is definitely playing a part on my mentality right now. Colton is going on a 5 day hike next week, so I am hoping to make some progress on Diamonds then but we will see. I just am hoping for continued improved health. That being said, I am still loving where we are in Twin Peaks with all the on-goings. How are you guys liking it? Sorry this wasn’t more of an inspired writing entry but it is what is happening with me presently. Appreciate your support! Dallas
*** July 24, 2022
It was a pretty good week writing wise as I cracked out two episodes of ODaaT - this is a lot for me considering it is summer, last weekend I went to Pender, and I had a birthday party on Wednesday night. I am really loving where ODaaT is in the writing; there is a character, who is in a coma, and I have a specialist come on to see if she can help bring the character out of the coma -- I've decided to "cast" my friend Emmy, who interviewed me for Odaat's 20th anniversary ... the role will start small and just be the doctor, but I'm already thinking of ways to make Stephanie, the doctor, a bigger presence on the series and be the first trans character! So stay tuned for that!
Last week was also the 6 month milestone of Jorge and the 1 month milestone of my Dad - it is crazy how quickly time is moving. For the most part, I am doing okay, I get very emotional thinking about Jorge, more than my Dad, tbh. I think it is because I am at such peace knowing that my Dad isn't suffering anymore because his quality of life was so poor towards the end. We are scattering his ashes in September and I think that will be a moment for me. What I've realized is that I take on the "care-giver" role, so I ensure everyone else is doing alright and I don't check in on myself enough. Something I need to work on for sure.
It is supposed to be 30 degrees here today ... so suntanning on the balcony is required! Until next week - Dallas
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Post by Dallas on Jul 31, 2022 9:01:16 GMT -5
August 01, 2020 Well, the good news is that I saw a specialist this week and he was able to give me a diagnosis! Not only that, but it is a relatively easy fix. I have a procedure on August 19th and I should be good to go after that! Thank you baby Jesus. This is has been the longest time of my life with the not knowing what was happening. I’m so relieved.
This week was also a great week for me writing wise as I was able to finish an episode of Chasing Diamonds the Switch and start the third. With Colton being away this week (we have vacation and I haven’t felt well enough to go), I am hoping to crack through another episode although I can’t make any promises because the weather is so nice, I might spend my time in the yard.
I am still looking forward to getting back into writing ODaaT too because where I left off was really good. I worked hard on the 20th anniversary bible to have a lot of jaw droppers so, I’m hoping it’s paying off. How are you guys liking the 20th season so far? D
*** July 31, 2022
What a week it has been! I was able to write THREE episodes of ODaaT ... the big storyline is that someone is in a coma and they are trying to be brought of it with the help of a specialist (a new character) and Will ... time will tell if this works but it has been fun to create this type of soapy tale.
I also was able to edit season 9 of Diamonds and finish planning the 2023 Christmas special, which is great. I will still get ODaaT to the mid-way point of the 24 season before I pause and will write the Christmas episode. At the same time, I'll plan out s10 of Diamonds and possibly a mini-series for after the crossover event. Once the cross over event is done, I do need to wrap up a few loose ends with the series but then I will likely shelf it for a while ... so much has happened with these characters, it feels like a good time to rest them ... especially since I originally said season 5 was the last season lol. My focus will be on ODaaT and Barracuda Blue then.
Today is the pride parade in Vancouver, so we are going to that and then seeing Alanis in concert. I am looking forward to it! We also have this week off and we are doing some camping and hitting a hot spring. I'm looking forward to disconnecting, being out of WIFI zones and spending time with Colton. Can you believe that August marks 17 years that we've been together? It makes me feel old!
Until next week - Dallas
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Post by Dallas on Aug 7, 2022 8:42:59 GMT -5
August 08, 2020 I had this last week off from work and Colton went on a 5 day hike because I wasn’t sure I’d feel up to doing anything. I had hoped to do some Diamonds writing but I actually took the entire week off from everything and it felt good. Usually I do take the summer off from writing so it was nice to have a breather to be honest. We did do a camping trip for 2 nights once Colton got back – honestly, it was all I thought I could handle with my health and it turned out to be a lot of fun. I only had one “episode”, which is great. Now that I’m back, I hope to do some writing this week, but we will see.
What’s playing out on ODaaT right now is the law suit with Natasha/Robbie/Kim … the fan reaction has been great, tbh. When I decided to kill Bob, I was worried about long term effects. I knew the story right after his death would be great but I wasn’t sure about long effects. The only character I regret killing is Reese because he was young and he and Andy were a “super couple”, if I can say so. The story of his cancer is one of my faves and it gave Andy his drinking storyline for the following year but beyond that, Andy was really a back burner character for years until Nicholas came on to the series. I didn’t want that with Bob’s death, so I am glad that, so far, people have enjoyed the family drama with the Calimo’s. Obviously, moving to 2022, we know that the story is still playing out. Those long stories are my favorites to write because it shows that you are able to take an event and carry it forward for a long time!
How are your summers? What are you enjoying about ODaaT right now? Dallas
***
August 07, 2022
This past week was really amazing. Colton and I went camping! Okay, I don't love camping as much as he does, but it was a nice escape, something I really needed. The last couple of weeks were really hard on me emotionally - I don't know why but the loss of Jorge and my Dad just crept on me and I was a mess in some ways. So to be in nature with Colton was the escape I needed. The best part - 4 out of the 5 days were WIFI free, which means we really disconnected, which was incredible! The ability to set screens down and just be is really what I needed. I'm not saying that I'm healed or over everything that has happened but...I'm getting there. "Healing doesn't happen in a straight line" - this gets me right now.
Obviously being away, I didn't do anything soap wise this week EXCEPT I came up with a plot twist for Barracuda Blue that is amazing - THANK GOD FOR NOTES on the Iphone lol.
Hope you're all having a good summer! dzkw
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Post by Dallas on Aug 14, 2022 9:40:58 GMT -5
August 16, 2020 Another week has gone by and this summer seems to be zipping along. It has felt weird because I’m still treating it like we are in lock down even though most people are not. The result is a spike in COVID cases so I am treating it like we should be in quarantine. Overall, I had a good week health wise and next week is my surgery, so I’m hoping that this will all be over soon.
On another note, Jorge is now ill. I don’t know what it is about 2020, but anything that can go wrong certainly is. He is urinating outside of his box whenever he sleeps. We noticed a bit on the sofa and the arm chair with some stains … I thought it was nothing at first but I was working on Wednesday and he slept on my lap; when he left, my shorts had a damp spot, so he has a vet appointment next Friday. I hope he’s okay; I hand selected him from the litter 17 years ago! He has literally been with me for half of my life.
That being said, I was still able to finish episode 3 of The Switch with Chasing Diamonds this week. I have 2 more episodes to go and then I can return my focus to ODaaT. I’m not sure that this upcoming week will be a good writing week considering I have my surgery and Jorge’s vet appointment…but I will try my best!
It is interesting how these journal entries started out that I thought you’d all see my creative process and it has turned into a medical journal lol. I’m hoping that this is the end and I can get back to my original idea. Until next week! D
*** August 14, 2022
It is a little crazy to go back and read these diary entries from 2 years ago ... and somewhat triggering for me, to be honest. Every mention of Jorge, my heart sinks a little. I know he's in a good place and I am trying my best, but losing him has really been the hardest thing I've ever gone through in my life. The move to Vancouver has helped a lot because he never lived in our new condo but I do still have my days/moments.
On the webseries front this week, I was pretty productive ... I managed to write three episodes of ODaaT, which is great. I am in April of 2024, so making good progress through that season. Once I get to the end of June, I'll pause ODaaT and write S10 of Diamonds, because then both series will be in the position to write the cross over event, which is exciting. I'll also work on the 25 ODaaT Bible so I know where all the characters are going, ect. for motivations. It's fun to have that in my back pocket. Of course, I like to stay ahead too so I can try to keep the pace of releasing 2 episodes a week. I find it allows more material and storylines to move forward then a weekly episode.
Next week I'm releasing dailies for the 20th anniversary week - I am really stoked because it is a WILD week. The Victoria/Bryce/Chief of Staff storyline goes in a place where I don't think many will see coming ... get ready lol.
Until next week - Dallas
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Post by Dallas on Aug 21, 2022 9:18:05 GMT -5
August 22, 2020 This last week was a pretty big week for me in terms of personal life going on during the pandemic. On Wednesday, I had my minor surgery to help with my health issues. It was a pretty fast procedure but I was left in a lot of discomfort; I had Wednesday off work, of course, but I ended up also taking Thursday off work too. The symptoms that I was experiencing might last up to another 10 days but I am hoping that it will not last that long because I am so ready to be back to my normal self. Then, on Friday, I had to take Jorge to a vet appointment. The poor thing has been urinating while he sleeps; not a lot, but enough to have left stains in his cat tree, or on the sofa ect. We’ve also noticed that he is a little wobbly while walking, almost like he is drunk. I was very worried about him … they diagnosed him with arthritis and found he had a lump on his thyroid and now he’s on a trial medications to help. I was relieved, but today he actually collapsed while walking so I am still worried about him. At the vet, they had a poster showing “how old your cat is in human years” … Jorge is 17, which means he’s 84 years old. By the time he gets to 18, he will be 88 … so really, he’s around 86 … I just can’t wrap my head around the idea of life without him. I’ve had him since I was 20 years old and I hand selected him from the litter when he was like 3 months … I’ve had him his entire life. I need to brace myself for this. On the creative front, it was a slow week, as you can imagine. However, I am going to try to write some Chasing Diamonds this weekend because I really want to finish the miniseries, edit it, release it and continue to focus on the 20th anniversary of ODaaT, since these journal entries are supposed to be about that. However, I did have some great ideas for a new series … so we’ll see what happens there. How are you guys doing? Hard to believe summer is almost over… Until next week, d *** August 21, 2022 Tomorrow is the start of the actual 20th anniversary week of dailies and I am so excited for everyone to see what I have planned! Next week's entry, I'll go more into detail about the inspiration for this arch and how it came to me; if I did it now, it would give away the storyline but what I will say is that Raven's Meadow is WILD and it will be twisted. I hope everyone enjoys it. I managed to write three episodes of ODaaT This week, which is pretty good. Again, the major storyline is the character coming out of their coma and learning about all the stuff that has happened while they were asleep - which as you know, is a lot. There's also a paternity coming to light, which is always soapy and fun. I also announced that Chasing Diamonds has a new Christmas special this year - it will come out on December 12th as a three part mini-series called Jingle Bell Rock. I think I've loved writing the Christmas specials more than the seasons lately ... I don't know why but the Rockwell's feel like they do Christmas over the top, and there's always campy, drama, so It's a good time! My inlaws are coming to visit today - it will be their first time seeing the new condo. Should be a nice visit! And I have to go to the office on Tuesday, so I had to iron for the first time in 2 years Have a good week - enjoy the dailies! Dallas
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Post by Dallas on Aug 28, 2022 8:12:44 GMT -5
August 29, 2020 Last Sunday was super scary for us because the pain medication they gave Jorge made him completely unstable. He couldn’t walk properly and collapsed three times! I was scared it was the end…but when I called his vet on Monday, they said to lower to the dosage and he will be fine. Which, is true! He is almost back to normal, thank GOD.
This week was a solid week for me creatively as well as I wrapped up writing Chasing Diamonds the Switch; I gave it a premier date of September 09, so a couple of weeks. I spent Saturday working on the website … each update takes longer to do because there are more episode pages to review by updating the new logo, ect. But, I am stoked that this series is done! I already have so many great ideas for the next installment too, so I will jot those down but I suspect I’ll return to ODaaT this up coming week for writing. The nice thing about taking this break from ODaaT is that when I write again, I can share where I am because we are not at the same time anymore. It’ll be interesting for me to write down what I think of things and then already have seen your reactions! Are you guys excited for the Switch?
Until next week – dzkw
***
August 28, 2022
This week was the official 20th anniversary week of ODaaT, which is just insane to think that the series has been online for that many years. To be honest, the early years were not great writing, but I leave them up because it shows the evolution of the series but also me as a writer. I've often said some of the highlights over the years, and they pretty much remain consistent. My favorite character is Cassie, mostly because she can do anything and it can be explained. That is the beauty of a villain, they get to do the extremes and they can get away with it. Obviously, over the years, she's had to be paused or sent away just to have some regrouping time, ect, but when she's on, there's a dynamic on the series that can't be explained.
I do think my favorite all-time arch is the Ice Storm; it impacted the entire cast, and having the dramatic lung transplant with a brain dead Blake to a dying Jacob was the cherry on top of a very dark storyline, but one that was really fun to tell. I don't think I've told a story with that much emotion since, but feel free to sound off below if you disagree with that statement. In some ways, the aftermath of that story is still playing out as we have Natasha vs. Kim as an on-going feud, even though, for now, they are getting along.
Alright, now let's get to the week that just passed. In the weeks leading up to this, I really wanted a strong focus on Raven's Meadow and all of the on-goings there; I wanted Victoria to slowly realize that she was healthy when she wasn't taking the medication; I wanted her to realize Bryce was attracted to her and use that to her advantage; and I wanted a lot of discussion surrounding who the chief of staff could be. Of course, there were whisperings that it was either Frederick or Cassie, and it turned out to be Frederick. It seemed like the right time to bring this character back from the dead because his name had been mentioned by many characters the last few weeks, and considering how many characters he is tied too, this all made sense to me.
With Victoria learning that Frederick was alive, however, I really wanted to make sure we all remembered how crazy he was and, in order to silence her, he was going to give her a lobotomy! Now, this idea steamed from Melrose Place; Peter had been in a psych ward and Kimberly was insane and was going to give him a lobotomy. I remember she had a drill up to his head and that's how the episode ended. I wanted this on ODaaT, but, of course, Victoria wasn't actually going to have this happen to her, which is where Bryce came in and saved the day. But still! I love this little arch and just thought the entire week was pretty wild.
Now, this sets up a lot of storylines moving forward, like Bryce saving Victoria and their possible romance, the return of Frederick and what that means for Leah, Jeff, Dominick, Felicia, Lukas, Meggan, Daisy, Vinny and even Bryce and Victoria. To say that this is the start of another huge umbrella storyline is the understatement of the year!
Anyways – what did you think of the 20th week of dailies? I hope it gave you all the soapy goodness you needed!
Sound off below!
Dallas
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Post by Dallas on Sept 1, 2022 17:25:41 GMT -5
September 05, 2020
Well, this week I stepped back into Twin Peaks and it was a pretty seamless transition after a brief break to write Diamonds. Fall has seemingly come early this year, so I didn’t spend much time outside this week, which helped me get out three episodes of ODaaT. I wrote the fall out of Abby’s memory coming back in court that she killed Brooke, not Greg. I loved that reveal and now the fall out will be with how the Lawson’s move forward from the drama of Brooke being the killer and everyone they lost.
I am excited about the new direction of Cheresa & Abby in particular. But there are a lot of upcoming stuff that I am excited about.
On the Diamonds front, I have many ideas about the next arch of the series as well. I am going to release the Switch this upcoming week, which is exciting, but it ends with a cliff hanger, so there will be more. I’m toying with the idea of a Christmas mini-series vs. just 1 special. Ideas are formulating! How is your September going? Dallas
***
September 01, 2022
I am releasing this entry early because this weekend, we are going to Edmonton scatter my Dad's ashes. Originally we were going to fly, but the airlines are a mess right now and our flight was cancelled two days after we booked, so we are driving. Because it's so far, we are taking two days to drive there and two days to drive back. So it will be a whirlwind but it will be nice to do this with my family and start, hopefully, to have some closure.
This week was a solid week writing wise as I got another 3 episodes complete for ODaaT! I am at the stage now in 2024 where I am at the crossover event. So, I'm going to pause and focus on the Diamonds Christmas episode and then season 10, so the characters are at the same stage. Then I can write the cross over which I'm super excited for! It's always fun creating these challenges to keep the writing exciting.
I also had a WILD idea for a storyline on ODaaT ... it will happen in 2025 and it is unlike anything I've ever done before! I can't really say too much else without giving it away. lol
Enjoy the last days of summer! Dallas
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Post by Dallas on Sept 11, 2022 9:30:05 GMT -5
September 12, 2020 Well, the weather is starting to turn colder here. Fall seems to have come early this year, which I can’t say that I am sad by. I really believe that winter coming will help reduce the amount of new covid cases that are happening. People will actually want to stay home in the winter and thus, hopefully, the virus will get under control. Colton and I are going to Banff this weekend, so I am looking forward to a getaway. I haven’t been healthy enough to travel but I finally am, so I am excited to have the getaway.
This week was a solid week production wise; I was able to get 4 episodes out of ODaaT! The major plot right now is the umbrella story at Raven’s Meadow with Victoria, Bryce, Vinny/Brett, Daisy, Meggan … ect. And Abby will also be at Raven’s Meadow, which is fun. There will be fireworks with this storyline! I am getting closer to writing the August dailies, which have already aired … I’ll speak more to it when I get to writing it but I loved the twists!
How are you guys liking this story?
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September 11, 2022 Last week was pretty intense. With the airlines struggling with staff, they have turned into a nightmare. Colton and I booked a flight back to Edmonton so my family could scatter my Dad's ashes; two weeks after the booking, the airline cancelled the flight and wanted us to rebook. I told Colton that I really didn't want the stress of that, so we decided to drive. Friday we drove from Vancouver to Valemount; Saturday Valemount to Edmonton; Sunday Edmonton to Evansburg (where my Dad lived) and back; Monday Edmonton to Kamloops; Tuesday Kamloops back to Vancouver. It was a whirlwind, but Sunday was really nice. My Dad was very firm in his will that he didn't want a formal service of any kind, but he has 9 siblings and they really wanted to do something since he was the first to pass in the group, so we had a family gathering - just my Aunts/Uncles their spouses and my grandma, no cousins were allowed to come to keep it small. It was really nice to see people I hadn't seen in a long time, especially my grandma, my brothers and my stepmom.
With this in mind, I really didn't have a great week production wise of ODaaT/Diamonds, which is fine. This week I have another day in the office with my team, so that's exciting. Next Saturday Colton and I are off to Mexico for a week, so this Wednesday there's a dump of episodes coming from OdaaT lol.
Have a good week everyone! Dallas
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Post by Dallas on Sept 14, 2022 7:21:05 GMT -5
September 19, 2020 I am writing this entry on Wednesday Sept 16th because tomorrow is my wedding anniversary with Colton and we are going to Canmore for the weekend. Canmore is only about 4 hours away from us, in the Rocky Mountains. I only have one rule with our anniversary: I am not to be at home. In the past, I have been to places like NYC, Paris & Santa Barbara, but with the pandemic, we had to stay closer to home this year, which is fine cause we didn’t know if I would be well enough to travel.
Anyways, this week was pretty productive because I was able to write THREE episodes of ODaaT! The character of Tara was introduced as a part of the building Roboto vs. Robertson rivalry because Cheresa decided to work for RE instead of Roboto. I really wanted the families to continue to feud and so having Tyler vs. Robbie seemed like the natural way to go. Tara will start as a smaller character but her presence will continue to grow into a larger presence that will have long lasting effects on the canvas; I love these types of arches! It is what keeps me excited about writing. The story line also feels like an umbrella storyline because there are so many players involved.
The other big reveal that happened in these episodes was that Leah remembered that she had a child while she was in Santa Barbara. The entire time she was hearing the baby crying, it was leading to this moment. Now the question becomes, did she have a child? And if so, where are they? So many fun secrets with this story!
What are you guys thinking about Leah’s reveal and the introduction of Tara? Dallas
*** September 14, 2022
This diary is coming out earlier because I won't be here Sunday for the normal release. Colton and I are off to Cabo on Saturday for our anniversary trip. The original plan was to go to Lake Tahoe and Napa Valley, but after Roe v Wade happened, I told Colton that I really had no desire to go to a country that is stripping away the rights of half the population, so we changed our plan. In any event, I am really looking forward to a week of sitting by the pool and just relaxing. I am looking forward to the break and change of scenery.
I will take my wire less keyboard and ipad to, maybe, do some writing on the plane but we will see how that goes. What i love about the above entries is that I can start talking about the storylines because some of them have aired now, so it's fun to see and give little spoilers!
See you in a week -- Dallas
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Post by Dallas on Sept 25, 2022 10:03:21 GMT -5
September 26, 2020 Colton and I had a great weekend away for our anniversary! It was nice just to get out of the city and into the mountains for a few days and have some reconnection time. When coming back, I was able to write three more episodes of ODaaT! I am just starting to write the daily episodes for the actually anniversary week that aired in August. Obviously, I usually have a huge cliffhanger on a Friday of a week of dailies but I had a pretty big shock on the first episode, with Frederick being alive. Truth be told, I don’t think the reveal comes as that big of a surprise considering his name has been mentioned the last six months or so because he is involved with so many different storylines right now. This was one part of the reason that I wanted to this reveal on a Monday. The rest of the week got pretty crazy, but I haven’t written that yet so more than next week if/when I get the chance to write it.
This week I also released part three of Chasing Diamonds: The Switch! I am loving this mini-series and there are some more shockers to come in the last two episodes. The best part is that I was able to come up with a 3 part mini-series for Christmas this year too, which I am roughly still ironing it out. I normally don’t write both series at once but because I want to continue to talk about ODaaT, and get CD out by Christmas, I will try to do both! Wish me luck on that!
What did you think of the Frederick reveal?
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September 25, 2022
We just got back from Cabo yesterday, which was the perfect escape that I felt like I needed. After my Dad's "service" (which I say that way because he didn't want anything formal), I just needed the escape. I've also been trying to find a new therapist since my one in Edmonton isn't licensed in Vancouver. This year has been good in many ways but truly the worst year of my life at the same time. I am so grateful for my hubby, whom I celebrated 11 years married with (16 years together! ... omg I'm old) in Cabo. He really is just my rock and my everything.
I did some minor planning in Cabo for Diamonds S10 and had a fun idea for season 2 of BB (barracuda blue) so that's awesome. Otherwise, with the vacation I didn't do much else webseries wise this week. We are seemingly having an extended summer here which I love but I suspect a lot more writing coming up with the fall around the corner.
until next week - and new episode returns wednesday! Dallas
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Post by Dallas on Oct 2, 2022 8:02:54 GMT -5
October 03, 2020 I can’t believe it is October already. For a year that has been spent in quarantine, it has still gone by surprisingly fast.
This week, I was able to write THREE ODaaT episodes, including the episodes with Frederick deciding to give Victoria a lobotomy. Now, the back story to this: as you know, I am hugely inspired by soap storylines from the past. Years ago, I remember Vivian and Laura on Days of our Lives were in a mental hospital and Vivian was going to get a lobotomy. There was a fire at the hospital and, I think, Laura saved her. I don’t remember many of the details, other than I was loving every moment on it. Fast forward years later, and Kimberly was going to give Peter a lobotomy on Melrose Place. These two stories combined helped me come up with the idea of Frederick wanting to give Victoria one to keep her silent from learning he was alive. Of course, Bryce saved her because I had been building this romance between the two of them. I thought it was great fun, and soapy drama. I’ve come to realize that NOTHING ever good happens at Raven’s Meadow lol.
On the Chasing Diamonds front, I was able to write the second episode of the Christmas mini-series as well! There is so much happening that I thought a three part mini-series would be better than just the usual 1 episode special. I am excited for you to read this! It will be a very Merry Christmas indeed!
What did you think of the lobotomy on ODaaT? Until next week- Dzkw
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October 02, 2022
This past week was really getting back into the groove after a week in Cabo. That being said, I was able to FINISH writing the 2023 Christmas special for Chasing Diamonds! It is only 1 episode next year, but I'm glad it's done. Now I can really focus on S10 (planning, writing, editing) because once that is one, I'll be able to start writing the crossover event on ODaaT, which I am super excited for.
Of course, my plan is after the arch on ODaaT, there will be a mini-series for Diamonds, which will kind of wrap that series for a while. I just feel like these characters have run their course, and it will be 10 seasons and a handful of mini's. But it will also launch Barracuda Blue, which will be the next side venture from ODaaT. It will be different than anything else I've done as well, which is a nice departure from the regular.
This week I have an office day on Wednesday and then we are going to see Trixie & Katya live; they were on seasons of RuPaul's drag race, so that should be hilarious and fun.
Until next week! Dallas
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