Strike One, Strike Two, Strike Three.

Who doesn’t want to get paid what they are worth? As an author of eight novels in the early 2000’s, I’m aware of the tipping-point moment for writers of TV and Film participating in WGA writer’s strike (and subsequent SAG AFTRA, actor’s strike). In my era advances and royalties were solidified through contracts mailed to you, signed, and sent back. Any other material based there on or derived there from, in any manner or media whatsoever ( whether now known or hereafter devised), during the term, for the purpose. This is a phrase from a typical creative’s contract. I‘ve seen a similar clauses in performance contracts as well. My contract considered the audio and movie rights of each book. In my case, the unknown media then was digital or eBooks. Kindle readers weren’t conceived or considered in my contract at the printing of my first book, Soon and Very Soon in 2007. I have an email dating back to 2010, asking me to address an addendum in letter format negotiating eBook terms at 15% to the author, later to find out 25% or more would be more industry standard. Either way, digital reproduction of books single handedly revolutionized the book industry. It sent bookstores reeling and many brick-and-mortar stores crumbled. Success of a book no longer had to depend on the tenacity of a self- published author or the validation of a publishing house to print, market, store and/ or distribute a book. There could be a limitless print run with print-on-demand and digital downloads. We could liken it to the streaming debate within the SAG- AFTRA (actor’s) contract where streaming sites store television shows and movies. The public can consume their favorite program a limitless amount of times, but who is to account for the residuals actors are used to receiving from having that same work go in syndication. Another point that is up for debate is AI. Artificial Intelligence is the known and unknown. It’s the monster that Mary Shelley wrote about in Frankenstein that can turn on us all. It’s the here and now, but it’s also the future. The writers and actors are asking that the use of it be reined in. Fran Drescher, the president of SAG AFTRA ( and, yes, I’m talking, TV’s The Nanny, Fran Drescher) pointed out it is imperative to revisit a business model that has been drastically changed by evolving media technology. If you don’t believe us, check out episode one of season six of Netflix’s Black Mirror: Joan is Awful and be afraid; be very afraid. This is not a chicken or egg debate; we know what comes first – the story. Writers are the essential contributors that make the TV/Film industry run. Networks executives are flirting with the idea of eliminating the role of writers/ writer'sroom to let producers experiment with a story premise and a Bot like Siri to mass produce your favorite shows. And if we don't win the war over who owns the right to our AI generated likenesses, your favorite characters will be cloned like Tyrone into rigid lifeless scenarios imagined by Chat GPT. I cannot speak for actors; I'm a writer. Writer’s contract should be renegotiated. Intellectual property should be protected Writers should be paid for every derivative or iteration of their work, and in some cases in perpetuity.

Have At It.

Ecclesiastes 1:9 New International Version (NIV) 9 What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun. I’m Sherryle Kiser Jackson, a teacher by profession, and a storyteller by pure passion. I was the one growing up who was told to speak up for myself, use my words, and find my voice. I see plot lines in print as well as in the lost art forms of quilting and letter writing. Since TV is the new American novel, I'm trying to imagine new ways to tell my stories. I literally have over ten blogs junking up the blogosphere. Some directly correlated with a novel I have written as a behind the scenes inspiration, process and eventual marketing of that story like https://thefateofthefire.blogspot.com/. Some of the blogs are autobiographical, private and more like a memoir of being a teacher or a parent to a son with a disability. This time out, I wanted to celebrate hope and capture fleeting or recurring inspirations to my writing process. Some may say if you mine ideas for stories here, you can't possibly share it. People will steal your ideas. Eight novels and three staged plays later, I understand there is a finite amount of stories out there.Hell, it only takes a consumer to media to know they've seen the same story done over and over. Many times when writers pitch an idea or manage to get a meeting with executives, they sign a release which more than likely has a clause that says an author cannot claim their idea was ripped off if the network or representative prospers off a similar idea. Similar is not the same. Do people steal ideas? Sure, but two writers could not execute the same story. The story would be different in style and tone. I am from a breed of writers that almost always intends to make my writing public. The ideas, photos, quotes and thoughts found here is content I want to see explored. Use them if you can. I hope to inspire Board games, comic books, choreography, music. sculptures and writing. It's a virtual Artist Date as explained by Julia Cameron in the book, The Artist Way. I started a MFA program in Script and Screenwriting at Regent University in Virginia Beach, VA in 2018. This blog is for me. Much of what you'll see is construction and deconstruction of story. It's how I think. If you prosper from it, we are kindred spirits. Have at it and share it.