JMS tidbits

[Lyta]

I posted these on my board and haven't got much attention to them so I thought I would try it here.

B5 Philosophy
I just wanted to post some of JMS' recent comments on RASTB5M in response to the Pagan comments he made in the S2 DVD commentary for "In the Shadow of Z'ha'dum".

May.24.2003
Funny thing is, on an aspect of the B5 philosophy...a while back, in order to be able to use it in the show, I wrote down the whole basic philosophical underpinning, under the heading of the Foundation (Franklin's group). It's quite long and involved, but I felt that the only way to use it properly would be to have it as fully fleshd out as the rest of the B5 universe.

Because so many people seem to respond to it, from time to time over the years I've considered releasing that material...then I hesitate. It's one of those things that either I'll release posthumously or delete altogether.

May.25.2003
I think it's very important that everything you wrote regarding the series -- notes, index cards, napkin scribbles, the odd graffiti spray-painted on Sun Valley brick walls -- needs not only to be preserved but also released for public access at some time.

Not possible. It's gone. Nearly all of it.

My notes: gone once I used them.

Early drafts of scripts: gone. I'd write the script, make my notations in hand, get the revised one in hand, toss out the one with my notations and put out the final draft. There are no surviving scripts from B5 with my handwritten notes or edits on them.

B5 correspondence and memos: unless they're in the hands of other people: gone.

I have, to all intents and purposes, erased my footprints in the sand. Only the finished work remains. It was a deliberate decision from day one. I don't want people poking in to find where "I" am in this, where my brain was at this point or that point. I ain't the issue. The story, as told, is the issue.

The only things that remain in my possession are the script books with the final draft of each script, shooting schedules, and in some cases, art or prosthetics designs. Some blueprints. The rest I threw out.

The only real document about the making of Babylon 5, from stem to stern, is the one I wanted to leave behind: this conversation, on line, with the folks who stayed with us for five plus years.

It's the only thing that really means anything to me.

I would love to read this at some point and don't really care if it is posthumously or not. I think it would be interesting to read but I can see why he hesitates about even doing it at all. :worry:

****

JMS Autobiography?
Hmm, let's hope he gets really old then. This is what JMS had to say about it:

May.30.2003
what I want to know and probably the rest of this newsgroup also wants to know; have you written an autobiography yourself, are you in process writing one or when are you going to write it?

In order of questions: no, no, and either when I'm old enough to have done enough to merit one, or not at all.

 

[Lyta]

I posted these on my board and haven't got much attention to them so I thought I would try it here.

B5 Philosophy
I just wanted to post some of JMS' recent comments on RASTB5M in response to the Pagan comments he made in the S2 DVD commentary for "In the Shadow of Z'ha'dum".

May.24.2003
Funny thing is, on an aspect of the B5 philosophy...a while back, in order to be able to use it in the show, I wrote down the whole basic philosophical underpinning, under the heading of the Foundation (Franklin's group). It's quite long and involved, but I felt that the only way to use it properly would be to have it as fully fleshd out as the rest of the B5 universe.

Because so many people seem to respond to it, from time to time over the years I've considered releasing that material...then I hesitate. It's one of those things that either I'll release posthumously or delete altogether.

May.25.2003
I think it's very important that everything you wrote regarding the series -- notes, index cards, napkin scribbles, the odd graffiti spray-painted on Sun Valley brick walls -- needs not only to be preserved but also released for public access at some time.

Not possible. It's gone. Nearly all of it.

My notes: gone once I used them.

Early drafts of scripts: gone. I'd write the script, make my notations in hand, get the revised one in hand, toss out the one with my notations and put out the final draft. There are no surviving scripts from B5 with my handwritten notes or edits on them.

B5 correspondence and memos: unless they're in the hands of other people: gone.

I have, to all intents and purposes, erased my footprints in the sand. Only the finished work remains. It was a deliberate decision from day one. I don't want people poking in to find where "I" am in this, where my brain was at this point or that point. I ain't the issue. The story, as told, is the issue.

The only things that remain in my possession are the script books with the final draft of each script, shooting schedules, and in some cases, art or prosthetics designs. Some blueprints. The rest I threw out.

The only real document about the making of Babylon 5, from stem to stern, is the one I wanted to leave behind: this conversation, on line, with the folks who stayed with us for five plus years.

It's the only thing that really means anything to me.

I would love to read this at some point and don't really care if it is posthumously or not. I think it would be interesting to read but I can see why he hesitates about even doing it at all. :worry:

****

JMS Autobiography?
Hmm, let's hope he gets really old then. This is what JMS had to say about it:

May.30.2003
what I want to know and probably the rest of this newsgroup also wants to know; have you written an autobiography yourself, are you in process writing one or when are you going to write it?

In order of questions: no, no, and either when I'm old enough to have done enough to merit one, or not at all.

 

[Elric]

May.25.2003
I think it's very important that everything you wrote regarding the series -- notes, index cards, napkin scribbles, the odd graffiti spray-painted on Sun Valley brick walls -- needs not only to be preserved but also released for public access at some time.

Not possible. It's gone. Nearly all of it.

My notes: gone once I used them.

Early drafts of scripts: gone. I'd write the script, make my notations in hand, get the revised one in hand, toss out the one with my notations and put out the final draft. There are no surviving scripts from B5 with my handwritten notes or edits on them.

B5 correspondence and memos: unless they're in the hands of other people: gone.

I have, to all intents and purposes, erased my footprints in the sand. Only the finished work remains. It was a deliberate decision from day one. I don't want people poking in to find where "I" am in this, where my brain was at this point or that point. I ain't the issue. The story, as told, is the issue.

Although I understand his point of view here, it does seem strange when you consisder that in the series, a big point about the Book of G'Quan is that it is copied from the original with every note, scribble etc. copied exactly.

Okay, many would not compare JMS scripts to a religious text (then again, many probably would!) but the priniciple is the same - if it worked for G'Quan, then surely the same holds true for JMS himself

 

[B5_Obsessed]

I'm sure JMS would be horrified to hear his works compared to a religious manifesto - a point he made through G'Kar's experiences in Season 5. He also parodied the act of reproduction you mention by forver including Mister Garibaldi's coffee stain in the Book of G'Kar.

Like any writer, JMS is interested in the final product - hopefully the best product he is capable of delivering.
As B5 fanatics, we are interested in any backstory information we can get our hands on. Unfortunately, our only access to new B5 material will be in the form of anecdotal information provided by JMS and crew on the last three DVDs.

 

[Elric]

I'm sure JMS would be horrified to hear his works compared to a religious manifesto - a point he made through G'Kar's experiences in Season 5.

I agree (I was not making that comparison myself, just pointing out that some people might), but much of the B5 story is about religion and beliefs.

He also parodied the act of reproduction you mention by forver including Mister Garibaldi's coffee stain in the Book of G'Kar.

Most characters that writers create are often aspects of themselves - perhaps there is more G'Kar in him than he realises

Like any writer, JMS is interested in the final product - hopefully the best product he is capable of delivering.
As B5 fanatics, we are interested in any backstory information we can get our hands on.

Again, I agree - the finished product (i.e. telling the story) is the most important thing. I just find it interesting that JMS has written about this, and then the issue has arisen about his own writing - perhaps he saw it coming?

 

[MartinRoth]

Like any writer, JMS is interested in the final product - hopefully the best product he is capable of delivering.
As B5 fanatics, we are interested in any backstory information we can get our hands on.

Again, I agree - the finished product (i.e. telling the story) is the most important thing. I just find it interesting that JMS has written about this, and then the issue has arisen about his own writing - perhaps he saw it coming?

I don't know whether he saw it coming, but he saw it happening really quickly.

I don't think "Midnight on the Firing Line" had even aired before he started getting online questions about the changes to the arc from the departures of Laurel Takeshima, Ben Kyle, and Lyta Alexander...

 

[ElScorcho]

JMS was fortunate enough to have a great deal of control over his creation. To have saved wads of irrelevant information and notes would have meant he was not happy with the way the project turned out. It's comforting to know that he was so secure in the fact that his visions had been sufficiently realised.

 

[Sigma]

RS delay reason:

>One more question - do these issues surrounding the Rising Stars comic have
>anything to do with the MGM film that was in the works, which you scripted
>and was in the process of being rewritten?
>

No comment.

jms