Category: Resources

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

Herbie J Pilato: Make ’em Laugh

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Or
Why Comedy is King – Even in Drama
Or
The Importance of Being Funny – Beyond Comedies
by Herbie J Pilato

Back in the day, classic television shows, and feature films for that matter, made time for humor to balance the drama. After World War II, as big-screen movies became darker and edgier (which today’s productions seem so intent on embracing and displaying), humor began to vanish and was labeled as too old-fashioned.

Humor, however, is a substantial part of life, not to mention sanity – and its inclusion in all creative properties, for the big-screen or small, the live stage or the recorded word or musical lyric, is imperative for a well-rounded presentation and production, particularly when a writer seeks to ignite interest and/or showcase their wares on TV – the most intimate of all mediums.

It’s all about connecting with the audience, viability and likeability….just like when dating – and making the attempt to show your best-side to your potential new romantic interest; in other words: getting someone to like you. read article

Vince Gilligan on the secret relationship between BETTER CALL SAUL and Ralph Kramden

You don’t have to be a fan of Classic TV to love Vince Gilligan’s shows – BETTER CALL SAUL & BREAKING BAD – but it sure doesn’t hurt. (Besides, if you haven’t seen the Classics you’re missing one helluvalotta great television!)

Anyway:

The Vin Man
The Vin Man

by Kimberly Potts

Is Jimmy McGill the grandson of Ralph Kramden? Are the tightly-plotted storylines of Breaking Bad a nod to the gut-punch twists of The Twilight Zone? Fans will get some serious insight into those questions when Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, and Battle Creek creator Vince Gilligan shares four hours of his favorite classic TV episodes duringVince Gilligan’s Island of MeTV special on MeTV this Sunday, April 5. read article

JOHN OSTRANDER’S WRITING CLASS: DETAILS DETAILS DETAILS

by John Ostrander

grimjackLast week, I wrote about plot and character and I applied Newton’s First Law of Physics – a body at rest will remain at rest unless an outside force acts on it, and a body in motion at a constant velocity will remain in motion in a straight line unless acted upon by an outside force – to both. I want to delve this week a little more into character.

The basics. Every character you write is you, some aspect of you. If it isn’t, the character is stillborn. There’s no life in it. We all have many different aspects to ourselves. Different people bring out those different aspects. Good, bad, indifferent – every character is you. I once described Story as an author talking to him/herself. It helps, therefore, if you are aware of those different aspects you possess.

So the first step in creating a character is finding yourself in that character. It is, however, only the first step – a broad outline. To fill in the character, you need details. You also need to write them down. It’s not real until you’ve put it into words. Having it in your head is all very well but the character doesn’t exist until it’s written. read article

Kelly Jo Brick: The Write Path with Jacque Edmonds Cofer

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Jacque Edmonds Cofer

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

by Kelly Jo Brick

Aspiring writers often wonder how the pros got where they are. The truth is, everyone’s story is different, but there are some common elements: dedication, persistence and hard work.

Writer Jacque Edmonds Cofer was living in Detroit when she heard about The Disney-ABC Writers Program. Her spec for A Different World, won her a place in the program and was the starting point for her writing career that includes writing for Martin, Living Single, Moesha and creating Let’s Stay Together

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST JOB IN THE INDUSTRY? read article

Peggy Bechko: Whip Out Your Armor Plating And Write

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by Peggy Bechko

We’re writers. Mostly. And over the years we’ve toughened our hides to all kinds of criticism and rejection, right?

Well mostly.

Sort of. read article