(TL:DR - Janice needs help, go check out her new Patreon page.)
Have I ever told you about FavouredWiles? She was born on Twitter and was briefly semi-famous... famous? That's seems like a reach. She was briefly semi-popular in a Shondaland corner of the internet in the early twenty-teens. Known for her musical three minute recaps of Scandal episodes. She was something special. And she was me. An alter-ego I created because I didn't want my friends to help me.
The year was 2013 and I had decided that if I couldn't write for TV (yet), I would write about TV. So I started blogging about SCANDAL. But before I pressed "publish" on my first post, the faces of all my friends flashed before me and my pride said "They don't want to read this. No one wants to read this. But your friends will because they feel bad for you." And I felt bad about that. So I created a whole new internet persona, a writer that no one knew, who would rise or fall (most likely fall) completely on her own merit or lack thereof (most likely lack thereof). So FavouredWiles was born. And she started blogging. And she did okay. Actual people who didn't actually know her actually read her blog and actually liked it. And then she/I had the idea of the three minute recaps... and actual people actually LOVED THEM.
I remember it was a Tuesday when the third recap BLEW. UP. And I went from like fifty Twitter followers to nearly a thousand. And it was so surreal because I was going to hang out with some friends that night and my phone was just blowing up, my internet profile was on fire (in the best way possible) and almost no one in my real world had any idea. It was wild. Also wild, the fact that I STILL didn't really want to tell friends about what I was doing, because then it felt like bragging. In the end, I was never fully able to integrate my two personas and eventually I deleted the FavouredWiles account, killed the alter-ego and gave up all those followers because I felt that they didn't even really know me and we're only following me because they felt bad for me... wait, what?! I don't know. My self-sabotage is even more creative than I am.
Long story short, in the end, I both created and killed a version of myself because I didn't want anyone to feel obligated to help me.
But now it's 2020. And I need help.
One of the last things FavouredWiles started working on was a ten-minute recap that turned into a full-length musical that JaniTheCat (FKA: FavouredChild) finished. It's called SCANDUSICAL and it's pretty fantastic. It'll be playing for 4 nights at The PIT in March and then after that... I'd like to get it up and running for longer. But I can't do it alone. Everything costs - rehearsal space, rehearsal snacks & water, printing scripts and sheet music, costumes, props, ACTORS, MUSICIANS and ASSISTANTS!! It would honestly be great to make money from my writing someday, but far above that and way before that (if ever), I want to be able to pay the people who are giving their time and talent to bring this show to life. I'm used to my writing costing me, I don't mind; but I would really like for it not to be a burden on the people who are literal gifts to me. So I've started a Patreon for this project and this is me asking you to help me, by becoming a Patron. For a little as $3 a month you can help me defray some of the upfront costs which will leave me more room to pay all the people who are not me on the back end. And maybe (god-willing) I'll break even one of these days!
Listen, as someone who was once born, lived successfully and died on Twitter, and is now older and wiser in the real world, I am finally humble enough to proudly ask for help. From anyone and everyone - my friends, enemies, frenemies, strangers (with candy or without), YOUR friends, enemies and frenemies. Whosoever will, for whatever reason. If it's because you feel bad for me - so be it. I'll take it. My pride would prefer that it's because you think I'm good at what I do and totally worth supporting, but at this point, I think I'm good at what I do and totally worth supporting, so I'm fine believing that for the both of us if need be.
So please, take some time and visit my Patreon page and when you're ready, for whatever reason - become a patron of SCANDUSICAL. Make all of FavouredWiles' dying wishes come true and let's get this show on the road together.
Thanks for everything, from every version of me.
xx janice