Category: Resources

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

Kenneth Yoder: Peer Production – Pushing the Limits of Good Taste

In TVWriter™’s tradition of tirelessly educating and offending whomever it can, wherever and whenever it can, today we’re presenting the first in what we hope will be a series of blog entries about the most tasteless new Kickstarter project we’ve seen in a long time. We mean, learning the ins and out of crowdfunding is pretty damn important these days, right?

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by Kenneth Yoder

Hello there. My name is Kenneth Yoder and I am getting set to direct a new comedy web series called “Rodrigo Quintez: Quality Children’s Entertainer”. This blog is about the process of creating a show from the seed of an idea all the way through fundraising, casting, production, post-production and the release of the final product. read article

UCLA Film School professor Howard Suber on how you can be a better storyteller

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Cuz these UCLA guys know.

Wait, that sounded snarky and we didn’t mean it that way at all. How about this instead?: read article

Angelo Bell: How Well Have You Conveyed Your Message?

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by Angelo Bell

Screenplay critiques should measure how well the writer has conveyed his/her message. Critiques are not only about what’s there, it’s about what was required to tell your storycompletely.  Often a critique will be about what’s not there. A thriller should be judged and critiqued as a thriller, not a misplaced coming-of-age film. If the genre isn’t clear it’s because the writer’s message is missing some important elements, not that it’s in the wrong genre. I’ve read many critiques where experts express disappointment that a writer has chosen the wrong genre. I think they are missing the mark. It’s the delivery that should be criticized.

I want to share this excerpt from a recent critique on my script, Legend of Black Lotus. I’m always tentative when I share my work because you wonder if anyone will truly get it. Often,getting it is the truest sign of how well (or poorly) you – as the writer – have conveyed your message. I think it’s important to note that my script is a martial arts fantasy, and not the reviewer’s favorite genre. read article

LB: Everyone Should be Reading Gerry Conway’s Blog

…And he should be writing a lot more on it too.

Gerry is one of the Kings of TV and film and comic book writing and also one of my longest-lasting and closest friends. We met almost 50 years ago at Harlan Ellison’s house, when we were both, um, kids. I went on to do what I’ve done, and Gerry did his thing at least as well. We’ve always stayed close. This post in his blog last week shows a few of the reasons why:

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Gerry created the Punisher but not exactly in his own image

Writing for a living is Hard, and other Obvious Observations
by Gerry Conway

I’m one very lucky son of a bitch. read article

Is It Ever OK for a Professional Writer to Write for Free?

We admit it. We write for free all the time, but mostly just because we can’t get many people to pay us. Fortunately, the interweb sometimes lights up with articles like this, which assuage our guilt. (Well, a bit of it anyway.)

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Freelancing for Free
by Ann Friedman

I used to be an editor with a tiny budget who was constantly apologizing for our rates. Now I’m a freelancer who pays my rent exclusively through writing. And sometimes, I allow my work to be published for nothing, or next-to-nothing. Cue the wailing and gnashing of teeth about the deterioration of journalism! read article