Lust4Life76

34 minutes ago, Dylan said:

THEY HAVE ADDED SOUND EFFECTS

That was a delightful improvement. I personally enjoy it when Casey narrates his work for the simple reason as creator he has such a personal connection when telling his story. I wish they would stick with one narrator vs. going back and forth between, for the sake of continuity!  

Shamelessly asking...but would anyone reading be interested in listening to my podcast of my soap opera that I wrote? I am always up for constructive criticism...

6 hours ago, AbcNbc247 said:

Many times we, the SON Community have watched episodes of our favorite soaps, criticized the writing and often said to ourselves, "I (We) can write better than that."  So it led me to think, has anyone ever tried to write their own soap opera?

 

I started writing my own soap when I was 10. Admittedly, it was crap but I like to think that it got better as I got older. Though I borrowed heavily from Days of our Lives and Passions, which were my two favorite soaps at the time, what actually inspired me to write my own soap was a movie called "Delirious" Starring John Candy, Mariel Hemingway and Emma Samms, in which John Candy plays a soap writer who has a dream that he is a character in his show.

 

I called my soap "Family and Hatred" and it was centered around the wealthy Dozer family, and the middle class Lopez and Crowe families, who lived in the small upstate New York town of Lakeview. Eventually I expanded it to include the dysfunctional Miller and Andrews families. I wrote it for quite a while on a computer, but I eventually switched over to handwriting it on notebook paper. I stopped writing it years ago, but now I actually have some ideas for a reboot/continuation of it but I haven't written anything solid yet.

 

Have any of you ever tried your hand at soap writing?

  Oh my God, this is an awesome post and your kick off story has to be similar to many of our writing journeys, starting with the desire to create something when we were so young...

  For me...I remember it was the summer of 1990,  Paul Rauch's last year on "One Life to Live", and his final summer story was that the cast of the mock soap "Fraternity Row" went on a location shoot at an island resort called "Badderly". At the same time their was a mafioso convention and the cast had to 'pretend' they were mafia as well. Long story short, it kicked off the romance of Jake Harrison and Megan Gordon, and ultimately their was a twist where Jake had dishonored crime lord Carlo Hesser's daughter Charlotte (Audrey Landers) and there needed to be satisfaction, so Jake was going to get shot. Just before Jake's shooting, for luck, Megan gave him a pin (a souvenir from the soap's infamous underground city story line). When Jake was shot, the bullet ricocheted off the pin, as he wore around his neck, and Jake was miraculously spared. At age 13 I cried "bologna!" because this was a show I remembered had a celebrated history; that had light skinned black Carla Gray pass for white; Karen Wolek testify she was a common hooker on the witness stand; and had Victoria Lord splinter off into an alter-ego that hung up her marriage to dashing cowboy Clint Buchanan for the better part of a year and a half! And then it dawned on me...as it seems to have dawned for many others posting here, that if I was having issues with the writing of my favorite soap, than I should just create my own.

  Though I wasn't initially inspired by the movie "Delirious" (by the way original poster, have you ever caught John Candy's work in the SCTV soap send up "The Days of the Week"?); the movie that inspired me was "Soapdish", in addition to the satire publication MAD Magazine's irrational send up of a soap opera update. I will attach a file to this post to show you, but I was inspired in creating my characters based on the magazine's caricature art of some of the genre's most distinguished personages (Linda Dano, Stephen Nichols, A Martinez, Jackie Zeman, Arlene Sorkin, MacDonald Carey, Susan Lucci, Debbi Morgan, Tristan Rogers and Marcy Walker). I didn't necessarily aspire to write satire (which I did with my current creation "Lust for Life") but I definitely aspired for campy. I had a fashionista/bitch named Tabitha plotting against her elderly father with his doctor and her lover Dr. Marc DeForest; a renegade/anti-hero named Eric hating on his do-right brother-in-law Colin for being sexually compromised by a nympho nurse, Lindsay at St. Clare Hospital...Theirs would be stories of lust, betrayal and the occasional abduction or bomb scare to heighten the stakes. I think I called it "Worlds Apart" only to learn a variation of that title had already been used ("A World Apart"), so I switched it to "To the Ends of the Earth"...

  Even though I initiated my creation, for decades I stayed paralyzed in that pre-planning stage of my saga. What prevented me was a sense of direction, good direction that I could trust from a professional, because there really weren't many books, aside from Harding Lemay's and that was a rare find. Resources I could personally refer to that had been written by somebody in the genre like Bill Bell or Claire Labine that took the genre seriously to comment on what was needed to tell a soap of our own. So I had to listen carefully, that's all I could do before the internet boomed, but to listen to the creators in interviews, like Douglas Marland, who laid down the law of great soap writing. Soap Digest was a favorite resource, as was Soap Opera Weekly, expertly written in their constructive criticisms and observations gave me some great takeaways...

  ...Eventually,  I was given an opportunity and therefore gave myself permission to see a creation (the aforementioned "Lust for Life") to fruition because I felt learned enough. My personal experience in keeping focus was I was treating the creation as to how I would perceive the actual profession itself. I took it seriously, but I had fun. I would compare any theater producer or director's demands of me akin to a network's, night and day of course BUT I could only wonder and sympathize about the demand, the pressure the paid writers experience day to day at their network jobs. The frustration they feel when they work on a story wanting to tell it in full only for an exec to put the kibosh on it because nobody is interested in that specific piece, and that 'whatever' that overrides it is more in vogue. Some of my favorite learning moments, was in asking (per Douglas Marland) the cast about their characters to write for that actor; just hearing that voice and making creative decisions. Continuity is another, which is an undertaking in itself. I can see how easy it is to make mistakes. And it is those mistakes, as I would confide with my director about, are what makes you think differently of some of the stories and the writers I, or you, might have criticized. 

  Even though I feel I have a handle on writing a soap opera...I so wish I could take a class from a master, whom I consider to be Kay Alden, or Lorraine Broderick. 

Erik

So I am trying to think who Cricket all else had...was it Phillip, Chase, Danny and Skip? In one episode they did have Cricket during a modeling session strike a pose to the song "Thank Heaven For Little Girls", from GIGI. It was so 'daddy' inspired, lol...so I do see your point as to why Terry Lester felt the way he did, who by the way was tremendous as Jack Abbot. And I have to say for as many key actors/memorable parts "Y&R" had to recast...Jill, David, Jack, Ashley...the recasts were each bulls eyes. Oh my God, Nina...the drama over getting her to sign a prenup between Jill and Kay was more compelling than any big special effect stunt story say "General Hospital's" blowing up the metro court. 

Let's just say I got to revisit some storylines from Y&R 1989...and there was one, that stands out to me - when Cricket Blair and Dr. Scott Grainger fell in love with one another, and developed a romance to the point they even kissed! And then come to find out they are half-siblings! Was this a storyline created, not only to re-introduce Lauralee Bell as Cricket as the show's premiere ingénue, BUT to appeal to the base of teenage girls who LOVED V.C. Andrews novels, for them to then tune in in droves? I mean, some of the discussion after the two characters learned they were related was surreal like Scott upset that he couldn't continue to romantically pursue Cricket, and how she was the perfect girl for him and it just wasn't fair. And how Cricket was cool with it, even though you've seen more horrified reactions like Fallon and Adam on "DYNASTY", or Lily Slater's ordeal on "LOVING". I kept screaming at Scott "surrender the fantasy, dude!" For most men, it would be a major boner kill to mistakenly fall for their female (or maybe male) sibling, but for the character of Scott it was something else - no wonder he was attracted to Sheila Carter! Anyone have thoughts who watched the show around this time? I won't lie, even despite the extreme soapiness of the near incest story, all of the nuance and character psychology I saw from that year of Y&R was more compelling than anything now.   

On 8/19/2020 at 8:04 PM, Asb23 said:

I want to like this. I agree with much of the above poster. The narration drives me crazy. I have never listened to an old school radio soap so I don’t know of this was something that was done back then, too. But I find is unnecessary and not well read.
 

Also, I can’t keep the characters straight. 

Also, are these actors reading their lines directly from a script or have them actually memorized them? Bc it sure seems like it’s an initial table read. It’s lacking the conversational tone of people engage in dialogue. I realize this is being done over Zoom and some of the actors are more polished than others but it’s coming across very amateur.

 

I am curious what Beth Ehlers is going to do with her material. She admitted she may be rusty and that acting like this is different than face-to-face and eye to eye acting. She only had a few lines in her first episode so it’s hard to tell if she’ll be able to lift the other actors up. I suspect she still has her acting chops but will be challenged by this medium. 
 

I agree the episodes should be shorter and they need a hook bc nothing is making me want to tune in next time.
 

I applaud their efforts and would like this to succeed.

My interpretation of the narrator when I listened to the radio version of "Guiding Light" and the more esoteric "Hearts in Harmony", is a narrator who is omniscient enough, and who asks questions of the audience in order to help the listeners identify the story and most of all the character's mental headspace...also, narrators tend to be more teasing as to stimulate the listener over the variables of where the story could go? 

I think if the closing credits were centric to the characters that appeared in any one given episode, you'd be able to identify them. Because I won't lie, the Emma character, to me sounded just like Beth Ehlers, I had to look up and see if this was whom "our Harley" was playing. As far as the material, I think Beth has shown a lot of grace and humility in the sense that given her experience she has encouraged Casey, and I think overall, she'll take to it like a mermaid to water. I suspect Casey knows the value of who he is working with so it will be fun to see if maybe she gives him more insights to compliment his story. 

I think if the episodes were shorter, people would check in daily, follow the story because it's a quick 15 minutes and then you can go about your day. Radio soaps were only 15 minutes at best in their day, with commercials/sponsors. The hook for, as far as I perceive - is the wealthy Harper family, are an up and coming political dynasty, whose work in public affairs are about to be challenged by their personal ones. I also hope, after chatting with Casey about Augustus, as the town itself as a character, we learn more about this relatable backdrop for human drama. 

On 5/14/2019 at 11:23 AM, ReddFoxx said:

BarBara Luna was supposedly very difficult to work with on One Life to Live

Possibly...but if I seem to recall from reading the ONE LIFE TO LIVE 40th Anniversary Book, I think Ms. Luna was only perceived to be difficult by her leading man Clint Ritchie, who himself had a penchant for being gruff. Jon Loprieno who played Ms. Luna's son Cord, and Andrea Evans who played her nemesis Tina, got along with her well. And ironically, on his website back in early 2000, Clint, who probably had been retired long enough to reflect, looked upon her work fondly.

On 8/15/2020 at 1:04 PM, mikelyons said:

Ooo... Thanks for sharing!

 

I’m still holding out that one day we’ll see Phillip Chancellor, III’s death and the aftermath. 

Oh my GOD, this Brad Carlton in a cage ordeal is SURREAL! 

On 10/23/2019 at 11:34 PM, mikelyons said:

One thing I will say about the actors on Y&R and B&B from my time there is that they were very hardworking casts. They weren't in the concourse of CBS TV City fooling around or playing pranks on each other. These casts came to work, rehearsed their scripts in their dressing rooms with or without their scene partner(s), went to set, and performed. There were times you could sit on the stage to watch scenes unfold like a Broadway play. Sheer beauty. The Y&R and B&B sets were run very professionally, so if you hated your scene partner, you didn't bring that mess to set. You just didn't. But, yes, some actors took diva behavior very seriously, although it was rare.

Melody, for instance, had it known to the production office that NO ONE could knock on her dressing room door. You had to drop her scripts, etc. in her mailbox and come back later for the material. Susan Flannery, on the other hand, would belittle you for the sake of doing it because she could and you had no power. Which is worse? It's up for debate. However, ever since my encounters with Susan, I have disliked her and that, my message board friends, will never change. Especially when John McCook, Katherine Kelly Lang, and Ronn Moss were very professional and polite to those "beneath" them. (Side note: KKL was one of the few soap stars I met where I was like, "Oh my god. It's Brooke" even though B&B was never "my show".) (Second side note: Victoria Rowell's nickname for John McCook was/is "Cookie".)

Granted, my memories are from the late golden age of soaps, so maybe things have changed one way or another... 

Hi Michael, there was a gentleman who shared with me recently, he had done a walk on role on "Bold and the Beautiful". Knowing this, I just took an opp to ask him how was Susan Flannery, because over the years I have relished her scenes - especially some of the ones she shared with the late, lovely Darlene Conley. Amazing work. And this is what the gentleman said:  "Rude, obnoxious, arrogant. She spoke to everyone like something she dug out of her ear and had a problem with every line she had to say. I couldn't enjoy her performances properly when I watched the show after seeing what she was like on set tbh." 

And like many a poster I have read so far, that is a real shame, because I like her as a performer. But I don't like a person as you say: "would belittle you for the sake of doing it because she could and you had no power". I don't understand that kind of abuse, and I do classify it as abuse. I have witnessed it in retail, and in restaurants and I think it's misogynistic, if not cowardly. 

PS Thank you for sharing your experiences. Lol, I had a dream about Jeanne Cooper a few months ago, she put up her dukes and told me to stay strong, or be tough, but I had never met her before in my Life, I don't know if it was something she would have done, but I thank her spirit. 

It was indeed fun to see her go off on people. Especially Dorian....

Viki slaps Echo...

On 6/5/2020 at 9:07 PM, GLATWT88 said:

Speaking of race and how general perception has evolved and changed over the years, I will say that Y&R acted positively and with sensitivity when editing the 1991 Masquerade episode. After watching the episode during the Friday classics, I decided to look up more episodes from that period and while doing so I stumbled upon a clip with the deleted scenes that didn't make the 2020 re-broadcast. One thing was glaringly obvious to me, a lot of scenes were cut to exclude a character that was dressed in Native American headdresses. In recent years, we have become more sensitive to the harm caused by acts of cultural appropriation. Many celebs have actually gotten into hot water for using Native American symbolism, dress and imagery. I think whoever was in charge of editing the episode was aware of the issues that might arise from including those scenes. I didn't bring it up weeks ago when I first watched as I didn't  know where to address it, but I feel as if it may be relevant to this topic. I'm surprised no one in the comments section of the YouTube video noticed it. I'm sure to most of the older audience and even some of the younger, it would seem like it is not a big deal, but considering our current climate and how we are changing albeit slowly I think it was culturally responsive and responsible on Y&R's part. 

 

If anyone is interested in the scenes I am referring to, the clip below includes the scenes that were removed from the re-broadcast. Most of the scenes with the character are in the second half of the clip.

 

 

 

I wish somebody had a copy of ONE LIFE TO LIVE's masquerade ball in 1981. First of all, you had Asa Buchanan dressed as Robert E. Lee...but yet, Sadie Gray was in attendance, and she went as the Statue of Liberty to counter him. 

Due to COVID-19, the continuation of our story has been put on hold...but in the meantime, grab yourself another bonbon and get caught up on the following four, free episodes we have online:

So, at the time of this posting, I have listened to all four out of four “Forever and A Day” episodes offered…

  I would like to give “Forever’s” creator Casey Hutchison credit. Not everyone can follow in the footsteps of our revered storytellers like Irna Phillips, Agnes Nixon, Bill Bell, and the list goes on and on and on…

  The art of creation is intensive work. Creating the right alchemy of diverse characters to populate your Anytown, USA. Upon creating those characters, driving a contemporary story while keeping track of continuity yet keeping an eye on detail. Again, intensive work. And that’s only the tip of the ice burg of what storytellers and creators do, in my opinion…

 “Forever and A Day”, makes it evident, Casey’s passion is to create soap opera, and that he has written a valentine for a genre he personally believes in, as do we.

  I feel, Casey’s “Forever and A Day”, offers a serial that helps us as listeners forget about the current pandemic, because in Augustus, Illinois, Covid-19 has yet to be mentioned. In that, it seems Casey has mastered a cornerstone of soap opera – "escapism". Also, “Forever” offers diversity, not for the sake of having it and bragging about it, but because, I believe, Casey seriously believes diversity is very much a part of the world, he/we live in. “Forever”’s team of writers create very truthful moments in their character's exchanges while trying to acknowledge political differences, sexual identities, and exploring the way people relate to one another...

  It’s a challenge to write for radio/podcasts. Where most mediums “show” character, radio is about “telling”. All in all, “Forever” is created to tell with the best of intentions…and there is a foundation Casey & Co has laid down and can continue to build from; that just because it’s different to what we’re all accustomed to doesn’t mean to dismiss it completely.

However…

  ...with all that said, given some of the previous comments, and as someone else who has created, ironically a serialized podcast, I want to offer Casey, albeit unsolicited but respectful, the following creative suggestions:

  I don’t feel the general public's attention span can sit through an episode that runs 30 minutes at a time, especially those times the podcast/episode is currently being released on every Monday and Friday. That’s too long a listen, and too long a wait for a new episode. Try the idea of breaking the episodes down to 12 minutes, daily, and then…

…Add three more minutes of sponsors at some point in the podcast. If I seem to recall, this brainchild was created in the wake of a pandemic, borrowing from radio, because entertainment options being what they are...But businesses are challenged as well. There must be a local business Casey favors that would allow themselves to be used for the sake of publicity, and in return offer a small donation to “Forever and A Day” for the national exposure…A few "words from our sponsor" might help break things up vs. a narrator solemnly stating “Act I, II, III…” Which brings me to…

  “The Narrator” role, which is problematic for me (and a few others). Essentially, to me, because it’s the reading of stage directions and it comes off static at best. If at all possible, could a brunt of the narration be incorporated into the lines of the characters? “The Narrator” can still be in it maybe with more of a purpose in emphasizing character through insight? 

  Also, are there sound effects on the horizon? We heard a *slap* last episode, but what about doors slamming, glass breaking, footsteps, a character's personal ringtone,  etc.,? These would be effective conventions in the midst of a ubiquitous voice saying - "Leslie enters the apartment brushing past Stephanie. Stephanie turns around shutting the door." Sometimes, as the listener, the staging can be left up to our own imagination. 

  Lastly, another positive in this creation is the use of music. One way it is effective is how it is used to underscore the dramatic situation. There even seems to be a 10 second theme song/bumper to bridge the opening teaser scenes into the first act. Is there a slightly longer version of that piece? And in addition, could the audience have a prologue giving us a little bit more depth as to why the title "Forever and A Day" was chosen? For example, "Like Sands Through the Hourglass...so our the the Days of our Lives..." gives the audience something epic to remember and in turn will make them realize, okay, this is not a send up.

  Also...though I don't feel there are too many characters, I feel there are too many character credits that are being given at the end of each episode. Just only mention the voices used for that specific episode and that will help people remember who characters are and who are the voices. 

 Whether such suggested changes need to be made, “Forever” might already be aware or it might not be any issue. Ultimately, it's their call.

  Again, there is a foundation Casey & Co has laid down and can continue to build from...so we'll see where that goes under his creative helm.

Good Luck 

**New Podcast Episodes of "LUST FOR LIFE" !!!**

Episode 2 "The Lust Laugh"...

https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/lustforlife/episodes/2019-02-14T09_08_56-08_00

Episode 3 "Lust and Found"...

https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/lustforlife/episodes/2019-09-28T21_07_36-07_00

and 

Episode 4 "The Best for Lust, Part I"....

https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/lustforlife/episodes/2020-05-06T09_54_24-07_00

**Episode 4 "The Best for Lust, Part II"... Coming in September of 2020!!!**

Enjoy!

5 hours ago, SFK said:

Congrats on making a dream come true! I listened last night. 

Thank you so much SFK. I appreciate it a lot.

Episode 2 is on the horizon,  and people really enjoyed it, I hope you will too...

Erik

Thank you so much SFK. I appreciate it a lot.

Episode 2 is on the horizon,  and people really enjoyed it, I hope you will too...

Erik

Acquaint yourself with the citizens of 'Vermillion Falls', at https://gotlust.blogspot.com/; where you will find transcripts of our premiere episode, pictures of the cast and more! Also, stay tuned for the release of our Episode 2 podcast!

Hello Soapsters,

  This year, I was able to live a dream in creating a soap opera. Via the medium of radio, as to where soap opera originated from, I scripted a satirical, yet loving send up, called "Lust for Life".

I'd like to share it with you, as soap fans, because the show does have a plot and some truth, but overall it's a fun experience (at least it has been on the production end and for the live audiences):

https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/lustforlife/episodes/2018-10-22T13_59_52-07_00

"Merriam-Webster defines a ‘lust for Life’ as “a strong
desire to live a full and rich Life”. But alas for the
Middle-American town of Vermillion Falls and its citizens.
Some of them are not living as “full” and “rich” a Life as

they would like..."

- ANNOUNCER, "Lust for Life"

I remember Sharon Wyatt (ex-Tiffany, GH) had experienced some  unpleasantness regarding the weakening of her jawbone that it had to be operated on. This was back in 2011, 2012...does anyone know how things are going for her?

Also, speaking of 'General Hospital'. I been watching some of the classic Ice Princess storyline, and I like the character of Alexandria Quartermaine, played by Renee Anderson. Whatever became of Renee Anderson? She had some decent acting chops that she could have continued her work on soaps after GH.
Thanks!

Erik