Introduce Yourself : What does a writer who's not quite WGA (yet) do when a writer's strike is going on...? by Christopher Fisher

Well, for one thing, when the employees of the CUNA Mutual Group (whose HQ just happens to be in the same city you live in, about a mile and change from your apartment) go on strike, and you wind up driving by their picket line as you’re headed somewhere, you roll down your passenger window, honk your horn, give a thumbs-up, and yell “Solidarity!”. :-). But otherwise, you keep working on your main creative project, or to put a finer point on it, get busy on putting together a rough draft of a pitch deck for it (since it’s something that I find really difficult to describe meaningfully in 5 minutes or 2 pages).

Oh, excuse me…guess I forgot to introduce myself, eh? Christopher Neal Fisher here; a familiar name to some of you, a new one to others. I’m a 62 year old retiree, husband to Judy, stepdad, step-grandfather, and step-great-grandfather. Oh, and I’m a guy trying to make a dream he’s had since he was 6 years old come true: to become a screenwriter.

My main project (really the only one I’m working on right now, as I believe that much in its potential) is a series concept I’ve titled “Bayou Noir”. What is Bayou Noir? Well, I can describe it to you at the most basic level in four words “Southern Gothic Soap Opera”. To be more specific, it’s an hour-long Dramatic series; its format is that of a Prime Time Soap; its main focus is on the family drama, gothic supernaturalism, and “shady dealings” elements of Southern Gothic; it’s setting is Southern Louisiana — the “Frenchiest” part of the state, known for spicy food, cold beer, lively music, and a “work hard-play hard” attitude — but also known for Voodoo, Hoodoo, Rougarou (werewolves), vampires, ghosts, zombies, and lots more “things that go bump in the night”. You could say “It’s Faulkner, Dark Shadows, and The Sopranos (or maybe even 21sr century Boardwalk Empire, or Succession?) all meeting in the middle of Cajun Country”. The Pilot episode script, “Made in Louisiana”, has been a semi-finalist in two contests, and was both a finalist in Stage32’s very own 6th Annual TV Writer’s Contest in 2021 and made their “Top 1%” of all scripts list for that year.

Speaking of Pitch Decks, I’d like to share a little of my first draft of the one I’m working on for Bayou Noir. It’s just the first two pages, but I’m hoping it will give prospective producers, managers, and agents a good basic introduction to what my show is all about, as well as the family that its “world” (“universe”?) revolves around (for reasons that should be pretty obvious when you read it).

Page 3 (page 1 is contents, page 2 the logline) of the Pitch Deck

“The World of Bayou Noir

Welcome to Bayou Noir, Louisiana! It’s a town where “Laissez les bon temps rouller!” isn’t just an expression, but a way of life; good food and cold beer are considered birthrights; the music is always jumpin’, whether it be Cajun, Zydeco, or Swamp Pop; and you’re just as likely to hear Cajun French, Kreyol, or “Franglais” spoken on the streets as you are English. But it’s also one of fiery passions and dark secrets, where danger and mystery can lurk around any corner, and the supernatural and paranormal aren’t mere myth and superstition, but for many all-too-real facts of life (or un-life, as the case may be).”

Page 4 of the Pitch Deck

“And at its center…

…is the dynastic, dysfunctional Delacroix family, direct descendants of the French Seigneur (feudal landlord) that founded the town 300 years ago. They’re rich, powerful, influential, and nothing happens in Bayou Noir without the say-so of it’s current patriarch, Jean-Baptiste (aka “JB”), who among other things is town’s de facto “Boss”. But when your family is all those things, you’re bound to have a lot of enemies, and when you also live in one of the most supernaturally charged areas of America, some of them might just not be entirely human….or even human at all!”

So anyway, any thoughts? Suggestions? Constructive criticisms? :-)

I guess that’s all for this month, as I keep on writing, and keep on keeping my name and work out there — and I hope all of the rest of you are doing the same! One day, the strike will be over, the spectre of AI will be if not vanquished, at least hopefully rendered much less of a threat to all of us creatives, regardless of what sort of artistic endeavors we’re involved in — and it would be good to have some new (or at least revised) stuff ready to go when it does end, right?

Hope everyone has a great rest of the weekend, and rest of the month!

A bientôt!