Did you see Mad Men last night? Every once in a while, I see a scene on TV and I say "I wish I could write like that!" I saw a scene on the season finale of Mad Men last night. Don is pitching to Hershey's executives and gives a feel good story about growing up and the value of chocolate. Everyone in the room is smiling. He then admits the story is fake and tells a different tale-- how he grew up in a bordello and that chocolate was somehow connected with sex.
Don didn't close the deal with Hershey's, but he probably closed the deal with Emmy voters. Matthew Wiener the executive producer probably earned an Emmy for best writer in those few seconds as well.
I don't love Mad Men, but I do admire that it is taking risks on the small screen. I can't imagine how Wiener got this on the air and was able to make the main character so unlikeable, or at the very least complicated. Perhaps I should re-write Rattlesnake Lawyer to have Jon Hamm play the lead.
I'm more of a Breaking Bad man myself. The scene where Gus Fring died is arguably the best scene I've ever personally witnessed on television. If they do indeed do a spin-off with Saul, I'm hoping to get on the writing staff or else pitch my own show to Vince Giligan.
Breaking Rattlesnake anyone?
Have I ever written a scene as good as the Hershey's pitch scene? Well, some of my stuff has made it to youtube videos, but nothing has ever sounded that good on the screen. In my seven novels, page 220 of Volcano Verdict is my personal favorite page, while the final chapter of my latest book, Rattlesnake Wedding is my favorite chapter. I don't claim that any of them are in the same league.
But I'm back at my computer this morning, going over the scenes I've written in the last few days. I'm punching them up when I can, taking risks that I never thought I'd take. The bar has been set.
For some reason, I'm going to eat a Hershey bar today.
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