Category: Resources

40 years worth of TV writing experience and info, yours for the taking.

Kelly Jo Brick: The Write Path With Manager Eddie Gamarra, Part 1

A series of interviews with hard-working writers – by another hard-working writer!

by Kelly Jo Brick

Eddie Gamarra headshotFinding the right representation can be a key component to growing and developing a writing career. TVWriter.com sat down with several managers to find out what they’re looking for in writers and what writers can be doing to help achieve success in the industry.

Thanks to his high school offering both film and a psychology as class selections, manager Eddie Gamarra fell in love with Hitchcock and Freud, sparking a passion for film and psychoanalysis that led him to major in Psychology at Vassar with a minor in Film. Eddie furthered his education by getting his Masters at NYU and a PhD at Emory. Rebooting his career after working as a professor, Eddie moved to Los Angeles where he started as an assistant and eventually found his way to The Gotham Group where his love for animation and experience working for a book packager found him well-suited for a role as manager with the company.

WHAT IS THE MOST COMMON QUESTION YOU GET FROM ASPIRING WRITERS? read article

Peggy Bechko on “The Writer’s Twisting Path”

by Peggy Bechko

Ricoh4118For myself, as a writer, I’ve never really known what direction my career might take. I loved writing novels and I enjoyed creating scripts from the movies in my head.

Yes, I’ve written and published novels; sixteen of them at last count, mostly traditionally published with houses such as Doubleday, Harlequin, Five Star and others, but additionally as an Indie writer.

I’ve also written and optioned a number of screenplays, written blogs (this one included along with being a regular Contributing Editor at TVwriter.net). Be sure to visit. I talk about writing and will be doing a longer, ‘how this all started’ article there. read article

WHY A WRITING CAREER IS LIKE PLAYING AN ONLINE GAME

Are you living a video game? Leveling up? Dying? Trying again? It’s a lot like being a writer, isn’t it? You’re a hero, new writer. Enjoy the adventure that is being you!

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by Adrian Faulkner

As a fantasy fan it’s hard to avoid MMORPGs. Even if you’re not personally a fan of Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games, it’s likely you’ve heard of games such as World of Warcraft, Everquest or Lord of the Rings Online. Those not already based on beloved franchises have spawned books and collectibles.

Many a writer has lost hours to these sorts of games, such that most authors have given up on them to dedicate the hours they used to spend raiding, to writing instead. But is it any wonder when playing an MMO is so similar to a writing career? read article

Breaking the 4th Wall for Writers

C’mon, just between us, didja ever break the fourth wall? Felt great, didn’t it? Here are some creative biggies who’ve done it too, just to prove that we’re never alone:

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by Michael Maher

Breaking the 4th wall is a metafictional technique that dates back to the theater in the 1700s. Denis Diderot, a French philosopher and dramatist, is usually credited as the founder of the concept. In a traditional three-wall theater, thefourth wall refers to an imaginary wall at the front of the stage. It’s similar to a window the audience looks through to see the world of the play.

In terms of television and film, breaking the fourth wall refers to a character staring directly into the camera to talk to the audience. Before diving in, let’s take a look at this great 4th wall supercut from Now You See It. read article

7 Rules For The Art Of The Possible

Brendan Foley Captureby Brendan Foley

History does not record if Otto Von Bismark was twirling his waxed Prussian moustache when he declared “Politics is the art of the possible”. He meant that dreams and ideals are nothing if we don’t grapple with the real world, and work through real problems to get from where we are to somewhere closer to where we want to be.

For those trying to make their way in the film or TV world in the 21st Century, I would say movie making is the art of the possible. For every thousand people who like the idea of making their living as a writer, producer, director or actor, there is one actually making a living at it. Yet every day, people succeed. They go to work on a set, they sell a script, they persuade a financier to cough up, and a thousand other little victories.

Here are a few guidelines that may be useful to those trying to break in to the business. read article