Category: Resources

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

LB: And My Favorite of All the Shows I’ve Worked On Is…

Glad You Asked Department 5/27/13

question_ditkoTime now to once again play Answer Man. Today’s question is on a  topic near and dear to me. Yep, that’s right, it’s about  me. Well, my career anyway. (Which isn’t me, but once upon a time I sure thought it was.)

Sam T. has expressed his curiosity this way:

I saw your IMDB page the other day and was amazed by the size of your output.  Writing credits on fifty different series? Producer on ten? Story editor on ten more? That looks to me like an amazing output. Which of all those shows was your favorite? Which was your least favorite? And I have to ask one more question too. How in the world did you do it? read article

Peggy Bechko: Dump the Distractions, Writers

distractionquote2aby Peggy Bechko

Writers have many plagues in our solitary worlds. There’s writer’s block, procrastination and upfront for this article, distractions.

Now, many of us writers are so skilled we can even use Distraction to enable our Procrastination and thus not complete an article, story, grant application or any other writing task before us. Quite an accomplishment in a negative sort of way.

But that’s probably not the best idea. We do have to get something done. Really. Freelance writers have to get their work done – hopefully on time. read article

The Central Problem With Steven Moffat’s Doctor Who

Charlie Jane gets to the heart of the dilemma of the writing of DOCTOR WHO:

The Doctor and Friendsby Charlie Jane Anders

This Saturday [Actually, it’s last Saturday now], we witness the end of Steven Moffat’s third season as Doctor Who showrunner. And what an ambitious run thus far: a single story, starting with the crack and leading up to the Doctor’s greatest mystery. You have to admire the boldness and cleverness of Moffat’s plan. There’s just one huge problem with all of it.

We’ve seen “The Name of the Doctor,” the episode that airs in a couple days (except for the last scene, which was left off for mega-spoiler reasons, I guess.) And… it’s not going to change anybody’s mind about Moffat’s Who. If you’ve been enjoying this season, you’ll probably enjoy “Name of the Doctor,” and if you’ve found the direction of the series a bit frustrating, then this episode, too, will frustrate you. The most surprising thing about “The Name of the Doctor” is how unsurprising it all feels — it’s exactly what you expect from Moffat, at this point. read article

Peter Conquers Showbiz Episode 3

Outside-Looking-In

Television Writing from the Outside In
This week: Do you have an agent?

Last week: How do you meet people? How do you get around?

This week: Do you have an agent or manager yet?

This question reminds me of the Bill and Ted’s timeless tautological dialog between Aristobil and Socrated. read article

Why I’m Paying Someone to Edit My Guide to Writing a Novel

Knowing yourself – ah, what an empowering thing!

And, clearly, Nathan Bransford knows himself well:

Josef_Wagner-Höhenberg_Die_Abrechnungby Nathan Bransford

A few months ago I announced that I’m going to be self-publishing aguide to writing a novel, and I’m pleased to report that I have finished and edited my first draft! read article