Although he consented to these conditions, it is the third one he is having trouble with. He suggests that we write alone -- perhaps composing one scene each -- and then meet to edit our work. I am against the idea. If I get the first scene from my writing partner and I object to choices he's made in plot, characterization, or theme, am I supposed to write scene two going in a direction I feel is wrong? Do I edit his work without him? How will this produce better scripts? I tell him I will think about his suggestion.

That conversation took place five weeks ago. Last week he sent me the following email:

Hi [tv writer].

How are you? I hope things are going smoothly in your new living quarters, and that your health is stabilizing.

In any case, I know we had spoken of getting to work on -- or at least discussing -- another project come June. And, obviously, the last time we spoke we seemed to have some differences on how to go about creating said project. (I know we also ought to discuss our impending agent contract [which comes up for renewal in August].)

I have been thinking about it and, for now, I would be willing to work more along the lines that we have been working: together, at the screen, as per our work up until now. I still feel that I may want to explore the possibility of trying to go about things somewhat differently in the future -- and you should know that this is on my mind -- but I am amenable to working on a next project more or less along the methodological lines that we have up until now practiced.

The thing I would be much less able to do, I feel, is to work five times per week. I have a host of demands in evenings, not the least of which is attempting to lead a somewhat balanced life, and I don't want to encounter the state of unhappiness I did toward the end of [writing our Scrubs script]. I would be prepared to work, for example, together, three sessions per week. Intense, serious, focused sessions. But I believe that is the max I would want to commit to, at the outset, anyway.

However, we should talk more about this so that we can come to some mutual agreement that is good for both of us.

I was thinking about this today, and I wanted to share these thoughts with you. I am going away tomorrow, to [a place outside Manhattan], until Tuesday. If you would like to talk more after that, of course I would encourage you to do so.

Please say hello to [tv writer's significant other].

Very best,

[tv writer's writing partner]

I do not want to work three days a week on a script. I need continuity. I need to be more prolific. I need a writing partner who wants a career in the arts as much as I do. Or I need to write my next script alone.

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