Tips for writing TPTB

Tips for Writing TPTB
("The Powers That Be")

Keep it simple: A short note or post card is sufficient. If you write a longer letter be as brief as you can be and still get your point across.

Don't use abbreviations or nicknames: Use the names of the characters, not their online nicknames. And please use actual words and not online abbreviations. (The writers may not know what ROFL or IMHO means!)

Use the actors full names: Use first and last names for the actors. Avoid using nicknames, first names only or initials unless the name has already been stated.

Discuss what you LOVE: Focus your note on what you love NOT what you hate. Every mention -- good or bad -- counts FOR that person, story line etc. So focus your attention on your favorites ONLY.

Give examples: If you have a story line idea or would like to see your favorite character go in a certain direction, tell them your idea. You never know if your idea will spark something that will end up on the screen.

Refer to the history of the character: If you know the character's history, make references to their family, their personalities, their past experiences -- tptb love that! But if you are not sure, don't go there.

Had a looong chat with Debby O about this very thing today so I thought it might be a good idea to point out the things once again that should or should not be said when contacting TPTB. During the course of conversation, she said almost exactly everything I have said both here and on New B in the past. So It bears repeating.

#1 a short note or a 30 second call to the comment line is sufficient. The comment lines are checked DAILY and the info stated on those comments are taken to the writers.

#2 DO NOT talk about what you hate. I have nagged about this for forever. EVERY mention counts FOR the storyline or person you are talking about. REGARDLESS of how you feel about him, her or it. If you cannot stand a particular character do NOTHING. Do not call, do not write. That makes more of a statement than 200 complaint letters. No reaction is a bigger indication that there is a problem with a story line or character. So! Focus on what you LOVE. for example: if you hate Lucky on drugs or whatever: You tell them that Greg is doing a fabulous job and you are excited about him telling this story. Tell them that you are finally able to see more of his father in him etc... and how exciting that is. If you say nothing at all... that is a negative mark. If during the comment you go off on a rant about him letting a hospital volunteer steal and/or buy drugs for him and you go off on them because you hate it so much you are going to scream and you kicked a shoe into the tv and broke it.... they don't care. You reacted. That is all they wanted. You watched, and reacted. Even if you hated it.

Writing scathing letters to tptb telling them how nuts they are, and how you are never going to watch again.... they don't care and they probably won't read it. BUT an intelligently worded message about what you DO want to see... that will get their attention.

Focus on what you DO like or want, not what you don't like or want. Point out the characters history, make story line suggestions. Or just tell them what a great job he or she is doing. But making contact is the most important part. Silence is the kiss of death.

And on the mention of silence -- we did a mail push a couple years ago with another couple fan base. They had separated the couple for a short time and had the male character with a character we couldn't stand. We wrote or called daily -- 100's of contacts to tptb, but we never ONCE mentioned her name. Not once. The character had a contract but she was let go after just a few months. SILENCE. Kiss of death. She was killed off. We had a party to celebrate. We groused and complained to ourselves, to our group but we never once said a word to tptb. And it worked.

So on that note. Call the comment line TODAY and tell them what an amazing job Greg is doing. Tell them you are THRILLED to see his "spencer side" come out and how this story line is adding layers to the character that was previously just a nice guy. Tell them you can't wait to see what Greg brings to the show every day and that you are excited to see hom on your screen. THANK THEM for the story line and tell them how long you waited to see Greg on the front burner. etc... etc.... you get the idea right?

So go call the comment line... what are you waiting for!

I never got how #2 worked, in TPTB's mind, actually. Then again, I don't really get how they think at all sometimes regarding this show, but that's another rant for a different day. Hehe.

But, thanks for the reminders. I gotta admit, it's hard NOT to rant/b**** about what you don't like/hate, etc., and I would figure they would want to know BOTH, or at least, they were going to anyway, because I was going to make sure they did. However, I can see what you're saying. I think. LOL

I never say I am going to stop watching the show, ever. Because I know, I never will, in all honesty. Even though it's killing me now, I am probably one of the only few fans (I know several LL2 fans that aren't) still watching. Not to say that I am not cursing as a sailor and want to throw my TV out of the window, but I am watching.

Thanks again for the stuff to think about, I appreciate it very much. :)

thanks for that. i ususally focus on writing to greg but i will definetley be writing to tptb as well!

Just posting a reminder that when you write etc the focus needs to be on #1 Greg (write TO HIM directly at the studio - they physically count the number of pieces of mail he gets daily) #2 call the comment line (they take the info from the calls to tptb immediately) #3 write to the magazines (an email that gets published took 5 minutes to write but it gets attention -- FAST.) AND NEVER EVER mention what you hate. Only talk about what you like or make suggestions for possible story. Including mentions of the character's history always gets attention.

Tptb look at CONSISTENCY not a sudden flood of mail etc. In the few years that I have been writing etc I have learned much about this stuff. I have talked to fan club managers (not just Debby O but others from both GH and other ABC shows) and the info is generally the same. Campaigns are good to get fans motivated but tptb look at consistent support.

Thanks again for the tips. :)

Thanks for the tips on writing to TPTB.

Thought you would be interested to hear that Jill has been reading her e-mail lately. A friend of mine got 30 read receipts in one day. I got 18 reads on Friday and 20 reads yesterday, all from Jill. They are hearing our message now so it's important to keep sending in your support.

Sue

WOW :o Sue that is awesome! I guess I will have to start writing in more for Greg!
Thanks for letting us know! do you email her or send her letters?

Thanks for letting us know Sue. Will have to start writing more to her.

That is good info. I stopped writing to her in email as often as I used to because they were usually deleted.

I send in a number of e-mails every day. I also write letters. But it's just so easy to e-mail. I started to get frustrated because I was getting nothing but deletes, if that at all. Just recently, maybe the last week and a half, a friend of mine and I have started to get tons of read receipts. She sent 25 emails this morning and around noon est. got 25 read receipts. I got reads on 13 of 17 that I sent this morning.

Jill ususally read email around noon - 1 est. and between 5 and 7 est. That's when my reads are stamped.

I just suggest we continue to bombard them with Greg support and Lucky and Liz support if your are still in that frame of mind. It's what i do. :)

Sue

I email the mags and frons constantly, but I don't always send to Jill. :) Gotta spread the love! :wub:

Good to know.

I'll keep mailing in the support. :)

With lots of rumors floating around, I thought this would be a good time to bump up this thread.

A few weeks ago at the Macon GA Soap Mania event, there was a producer from the Guiding Light with the actors on the tour.

He talked a bit about mail and comments from the fans. They DO listen to comments but what they notice most is SILENCE. His words were something like this: They do NOT CARE how you react to a story line. They DO CARE if you react at all. It is not what you say. That does not matter. It is that you bothered to say something at all.

Let me explain. If you HATE HATE HATE a character. Loathe them. Scream at the TV every time they come across it. And you do that -- you call the comment line and complain. That counts as a point FOR the character. They don't care if your reaction is negative. All they want is a reaction. Period. IF you hate something DO NOT TALK ABOUT IT.

So on that line. We need to increase the number of times you call and mention Gregs and Lucky's name. Say you love him and can't wait to see him on your screen every day. Why isn't he on more? When is he going to have a girl of his own. Whatever. Just talk about Greg and Lucky. Use their names.

If you mention anyone or anything else in the call, email or letter -- good or bad -- you will be adding your reaction for them also.

I am not kidding about the silence being the end of story lines, end of contracts. The GL producer confirmed all that I had learned about ABC daytime and this time it was Soaps in general.

I hope this makes sense. If you have any questions about this please ask. But it is time to get serious about making those calls, sending those emails and writing to Greg.

Are you with me?

of course !! :wub:

I called all weekend and will do it again everynite this week too.

hey Sue, I was wondering what is Jill's Email Address??

I would like email address too :clap:

I think it was something like Jill.Phelps@email.disney.com but it stopped working for me last year. The read receipts I got were from her assistant Nneka at NNeka.Garland@email.disney.com.

Brian.Frons@email.disney.com also worked at one time. His were also read by an assistant.........

(I've heard Rick Hearst speak about Nneka and maybe I saw a picture of her once in one of the mags so I know she's a real person!)

It's been a long time since I've used any of these addresses so not sure if any are viable now.

Sue

Hope everyone is calling the commet line everday, Greg needs our support........ :)