We've recently, as of this past week, added a story editor to the staff. Larry DiTillio. Which now makes three. But there's an implicit understanding that this is a story that I want to tell, and I generally need to have final word on characters, stories and everything else that involves the scripts. Both Harlan and Larry are willing to defer to the reality that this is my universe. I don't mean that to sound like an ego thing, because it's not. It's no different than writing a novel; I know where the story has to go when it hits the end, and we have to be sure not to fall off the tracks. I didn't fight six years to get this show on the air to turn it over to a committee.
I know already that that is going to be probably my biggest problem when it comes to this series: turning over parts of it to other people. Letting go. But it's necessary.
It's important, though, to clarify the difference between letting people go where they want within a script, so that I can let Larry or Harlan or others have their own head, as opposed to general changes that might affect the story arc, which is a different category altogether. The two of them have already had some great ideas on fleshing out some of the characters now that they're established, have expanded the universe and clarified many of the rules, the ideas, background stuff and so on.
I selected Larry as story editor because he's someone I've worked with dozens of times over nearly ten years; we know how one another works, to the point where we can shorthand a lot of stuff in meetings, which saves a lot of time. He's an excellent script doctor when it comes to rewriting freelance scripts. And he's one of the country's foremost role playing game designers; he's great on campaigns and coming up with huge sagas, and I need someone who can think on that kind of scale.
The other reason I had for selecting Harlan and Larry to work with, aside from their skills as writers, is that they're both two very strong individuals who won't be intimidated...*can't* be intimidated...and will fight for what they think is right. I feel that's very important. So they both give me an endless hard time. Which is needed for the mix.
Harlan is our conceptual consultant. His job is to sit perched on my shoulder like Jiminy Cricket and point out to me the chuckholes, detours, and disasters-in-the-making that I might otherwise stumble into as I galumph my way through this show...and to harangue me and keep me on the SF straight and narrow and to challenge me constantly to do better.
He also reviews stories, helped write the opening narration, has given us several good concepts on the running of the B5 station, and otherwise...well...consults conceptually.