If you are new to nitpicking, these questions and answers will introduce you to the topic.
What is nitpicking?
In the traditional sense, nitpicking is "minute and usually unjustified criticism." While I do think that definition can easily apply to the type of nitpicking that I do with television shows, I have an additional definition. For me, nitpicking is a celebration of being human. It is an acknowledgment that perfection in this life is impossible (unless you're dealing in the realm of mathematics, of course). No matter what we humans become involved with, we are going to make mistakes--some of them will be obvious, some will be ironic, some will be humorous, some will be so unbelievably simple that from the outside looking in on the creative process it will seem impossible that anyone could have made them. They all come from the same source--our humanity. So... as long as there are going to be mistakes anyway, we might as well have a little fun with them.
In this specific sense, then, nitpicking is the process of finding mistakes in television show. In the Nitpicker's Guides I break the nitpicking down into four different areas: Plot Oversights, Changed Premises, Equipment Oddities and Continuity and Production Problems.
Plot Oversights is a catchall. Anything that deals with the plot of the episode or the writing of the dialogue or something unbelievable that the character does goes here. A Changed Premise occurs when the creators of the episode tell us one thing about the character or setting and then contradict it in another episode. Equipment Oddities concern technology. Continuity and Production Problem deal with problems encountered during the actual process of creating the show.
Why do you spend so much time nitpicking Star Trek? Why not other shows as well?
Actually, I nitpick everything I watch though not always out loud (See Rules of Conduct). In the case of Star Trek, I decided to write a book about it because I felt the market could sustain such a book. The fan base--the potential market for the book--was big enough that I felt certain there were enough people who would purchase a Nitpicker's Guide for Next Generation Trekkers to make it worth my while to take the time and effort to compile it.
Do you still enjoy watching the episodes you nitpick?
Absolutely, I am a fan of all things Trek. You would have to be to spend as much time as I do watching Star Trek. Otherwise, it would get to be a very dull and tedious job. There is no question in my mind that the people who work on the Trek syndicate at Paramount are among the brightest and most creative minds in Hollywood.
Are there any plans to write Nitpicker's Guides on other television shows besides Trek?
Of course. However, compiling a Nitpicker's Guide takes a lot of work. I spend an average of seven months putting one together. That's full time. (Like a real job! Aaaaah!) If I set aside that type of time, I need to insure that it will be worth it in the long run. As a full-time writer, I cannot afford to choose my projects unwisely. If I do, I will--in short order--be back working for a corporation behind some desk.
How many times do you watch each show when you're nitpicking it for a Nitpicker's Guide?
At least four times, sometimes five.
What's this Nitpicker's Guild all about?
The Nitpickers Guild is a collection of like minded individuals who enjoy nitpicking television shows. You can read more about it under Nitpickers Guild Membership Services/About the Guild.
Can I join the Guild?
Everyone is welcome in the Guild as long as you can pass a simple demonstration that you enjoy nitpicking. Read more about it under Nitpickers Guild Membership Services/Join the Guild.
What is Nitpicker Central?
Nitpicker Central is a quasi-mythical entity where all the nitpicking from Guild members and my own personal research is verified and compiled into various media outlets (i.e. Nitpicker's Guides, Nitpickers Guild Newsletters, NCIEO, etc.).
One last thing, doesn't it get boring, sitting there and watching the shows over and over and over again?
Well... I wouldn't be totally honest if I said that I never had a day when I wish I were doing something else. However, whenever I feel like that I quickly remind myself of a picture I saw a few years back in the National Geographic. It featured several bare-chested, manly men with their right arms raised. Each man had a matronly woman with her nose stuck in his arm pit. The women were deodorant testers! In comparison, sitting and watching Star Trek all day is a great, fabulous and unbelievably superb line of work!