TV WRITING: Your First Years In The Writers Room

Photo Courtesy of the Writers Guild Foundation

by Kelly Jo Brick

From finding representation to landing the first staff writing gig and navigating the writers’ room, everyone’s path to breaking in is different. The Writers Guild Foundation brought together Polina Diaz (FULLER HOUSE), Kay Oyegun (THIS IS US, QUEEN SUGAR), Robert Padnick (THE OFFICE, MAN SEEKING WOMAN) and Britta Lundin (RIVERDALE) to talk about the highlights and challenges of their first years writing for television.

WRITING THE SCRIPT TO LAND YOUR FIRST JOB

Write the script you’re really scared to write, because it’s probably the one most personal to you and will resonate the most with other people. It doesn’t matter if nobody’s going to buy it or it’s too expensive. Just write what you want to for your sample. read article

Love & Money Dept – TV Writing Deals for 1/27/13

Latest News About Writers Who Are Doing Better Than We Are

  •  Robert Padnick (THE OFFICE) is writing an unnamed NBC comedy pilot about what crap dating is for 20-somethings. (Waitaminnit, if even 20-somethings hate dating, then who’s left not to? Kindergarteners?)
  • Leslye Headland, (BACHELORETTE) is writing an NBC comedy pilot called ASSISTANCE, about an idealistic assistant trying to lead her own life while dealing with her boss’ needs. (What? She thinks she’s entitled to her own life? Being employed isn’t enough? How unreal can you get?)
  • Alex Schemmer (actor – COMMUNITY) is writing yet another NBC comedy pilot, this one about a dood who has a relationship created by his days as a sperm donor. (Ah, Golden Days if we ever heard of them!)
  • Greg Garcia (RAISING HOPE)is writing two CBS comedy pilots, SUPER CLYDE, about a meek  McDonald’s worker who wants to be a superhero, and a nameless show about a recently divorced man whose parents come to live with him. (We have two words for both these projects: Oy vey!)

Love & Money Dept – TV Writing Deals for 11/2/12

“Love is never making your partner get a day job.” (Anon.)
  • Dan Harmon (COMMUNITY) has a pick-up from Adult Swim for his animated series RICK AND MARTY, about an inventor and his grandson/sidekick. (Proving you can’t go wrong with Mr. Peabody & the Wayback Machine)
  • David DiGilo (Disney Writer Program – awesome) is adapting Debra Driza’s soon-to-be-published novel Mila 2.0 into a sci-fi thriller series for ABC. (Proving that new writers should all make friends as possible with extra-hot writer-producers like Shonda Rhimes, whose company is producing this baby. )
  • Jason Jones (THE DAILY SHOW) is writing the pilot for a Fox sitcom about a single guy acting as guardian for his sister’s kids. (Proving that the concept doesn’t have to be all that high when a hot actor like Steve Carell is producing, as he is here.)
  • Robert Padnick (THE OFFICE) has written a sitcom pilot about four people trying to deal with their relationship problems and sold it to NBC. (Proving that if you partner up with somebody like Greg Daniels, producer of the soon to be late, lamented THE OFFICE, as Robert has, not only do you not need a high concept, no concept will work just fine too.)
  • Lew Morton (FUTURAMA, ROB) has partnered with Jake Kasdan (NEW GIRL, FREAKS & GEEKS, THE ZERO EFFECT) on WENTWORTH HALL, an animated comedy for Fox. (Proving that go-to guys help cinch deals even for writers who don’t really need go-to guys.)

We trust that you’ve all learned today’s important lesson.