Just in time for Christmas...

[Admiral Buzzkill]

Tin Woodman

Now available at Barnes and Noble; I understand that Amazon will have it shortly.

When we wrote this I was about twenty-two. If you choose to read it, please blame me for anything you dislike about it and assume that any part of it you enjoy was Dave's responsibility.

 

[JD]

Is that the story that was the basis for "Tin Man"? If so, I might have to check it out.

 

[Therin of Andor]

When we wrote this I was about twenty-two. If you choose to read it, please blame me for anything you dislike about it and assume that any part of it you enjoy was Dave's responsibility.

I bought this second hand (also remaindered, judging by the round hole punched in the top right corner of the cover). I pounced on it not long after "Tin Man" aired on US TV. Mine is the second printing (December 1985) of the February 1982 first Ace edition. I assume the 1979 copyright is for a previous hardcover edition?

The back cover has a review excerpt from "Publishers Weekly", saying: "You might sum this up as a mixture of 'Moby Dick', 'The Caine Mutiny' and 'Star Trek'... a good adventure story."

I recall I enjoyed it very much. And I loved the TNG version.

 

[JD]

Tin Woodman

Now available at Barnes and Noble; I understand that Amazon will have it shortly.

When we wrote this I was about twenty-two. If you choose to read it, please blame me for anything you dislike about it and assume that any part of it you enjoy was Dave's responsibility.

So you're Dennis Putnam Bailey?

 

[CaptainMatt]

Your a writer then, a published one?

 

[Christopher]

So you're Dennis Putnam Bailey?

Actually his name is Dennis Russell Bailey. When he and David Bischoff adapted Tin Woodman into the episode "Tin Man," it was in partnership with Lisa Putman White, but at the time, WGA rules wouldn't allow more than two names on a script (or something like that), so he had himself billed as Dennis Putman Bailey so her name would be included. At least, that's my recollection of how he explained it.

 

[King Bob!]

So you're Dennis Putnam Bailey?

Actually his name is Dennis Russell Bailey. When he and David Bischoff adapted Tin Woodman into the episode "Tin Man," it was in partnership with Lisa Putman White, but at the time, WGA rules wouldn't allow more than two names on a script (or something like that), so he had himself billed as Dennis Putman Bailey so her name would be included. At least, that's my recollection of how he explained it.

I could've sworn I've seen Next Generation episodes prior to Tin Man that credited more that two writers?

 

[Christopher]

Well, I may have misremembered that part.

 

[King Bob!]

Well, I may have misremembered that part.

You may well still be right, but Yesterday's Enterprise lists six writers between story and teleplay credit.

Maybe Mr. Legion can enlighten us?

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

It had to do with terms of payment - they'd have had to pay quite a bit more because three people couldn't be paid as a writing team.

If you look at episodes with lots of writers you'll often notice them listed in pairs. "Yesterday's Enterprise" is unusual in that respect. The credits for "First Contact," for example, read:

Story by Marc Scott Zicree

Teleplay by Dennis Russell Bailey & David Bischoff

and

Joe Menosky & Ronald D. Moore

and

Michael Piller


Zicree pitched the story alone, sold it and did a treatment. David and I worked together to write a draft based on a story treatment we'd pitched based on a premise provided by the producers (based on Zicree's pitch and treatment). Menosky and Moore worked together on a second draft, and Piller worked alone on a final draft.

 

[JD]

Cool. In that case you might like to know that Tin Man and First Contact are two of my favorite TNG episodes.

 

[Christopher]

Oh, right, that was it -- that the rules at the time wouldn't allow a team of more than two members. I remember now.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

Cool. In that case you might like to know that Tin Man and First Contact are two of my favorite TNG episodes.

Thank you. I appreciate that.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

Now available for the Kindle at Amazon.

 

[CaptainMatt]

It might interest Legion to know that I too am a published author. So I can respect his views in this matter even if we do not always see eye to eye in other threads. *Salutes*