I realize that Mark Cushman's books are not necessarily the most reliable sources in the world*, but I was intrigued by his description of a script submitted by an independent writer, "The Land of Counterpoint". Cushman describes Roddenberry and Justman as having been intrigued by it and impressed by the writer's originality, but it just wouldn't work for TV. They even wrote her a detailed letter explaining this.
(A lot of people seem not to get this, that someone can be a gifted writer and not know how to write for television, or for film. It's a separate art. See Harlan Ellison's remarks in Harlan Ellison's Watching on Frank Herbert's attempts to write his own screenplay for a Dune movie.)
Cushman identifies the author only as Miss Jill S. and says there's no evidence she ever pursued a writing career.
Does anyone know anything about the script, whether this incident was real or if Cushman made it up?
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*Putting it mildly.
(A lot of people seem not to get this, that someone can be a gifted writer and not know how to write for television, or for film. It's a separate art. See Harlan Ellison's remarks in Harlan Ellison's Watching on Frank Herbert's attempts to write his own screenplay for a Dune movie.)
Cushman identifies the author only as Miss Jill S. and says there's no evidence she ever pursued a writing career.
Does anyone know anything about the script, whether this incident was real or if Cushman made it up?
===
*Putting it mildly.
