Kelly Jo Brick: The Write Path With SCANDAL’s Raamla Mohamed – Part One

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, hard work and not giving up.

Hard work and persistence were key for writer Raamla Mohamed as she rose through the ranks from writers’ PA on GREY’S ANATOMY to researcher on OFF THE MAP and SCANDAL. Looking for a deadline to keep her writing on task, Raamla applied to and was accepted into the Disney-ABC Writing Program, which led to her becoming a staff writer on season two of SCANDAL. In addition to writing for SCANDAL, Raamla was a writer on the upcoming ShondaLand show STILL STAR-CROSSED. read article

Kelly Jo Brick: The Write Path with Rashad Raisani – Part One

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, hard work and not giving up.

An alum of NBC’s Writers on the Verge, Rashad Raisani originally moved to Los Angeles with the goal of becoming a feature writer, but found television to be a much better fit. He got his first writing job on the USA Network show BURN NOTICE where he rose from staff writer to co-executive producer. He also wrote for WHITE COLLAR and was executive producer on the NBC drama ALLEGIANCE. Currently he is developing projects as part of an overall deal with Universal Television.

WHEN DID YOU FIRST KNOW YOU WANTED TO BE A WRITER? read article

Love & Money Dept – TV Writing Deals for 2/7/14

Latest News About Writers Who Are Doing Better Than We Are=&0=&Justin Halpern & Patrick Schumaker (S#*! MY DAD SAID) just made an overall deal with Warner Brothers TV. (Cuz their last show turned to S#*! which means they’ll work for peanuts now. And don’t have to be paid nearly their weight in bitcoins…but don’t worry; their agents are painting a much rosier pic for them cuz that, in case you wondered, is what agents really do.) Jackie and Jeff Filgo (THE NEW ADVENTURES OF OLD CHRISTINE) are writing SAVE THE DATE, for CBS. The show’s a comedy, natch, about a woman “who drunkenly books a wedding venue and is now faced with the task of meeting the right man in the right time.” (Which is all well and good, but what’s gonna happen in the show after the teaser? Legs, Mr. Moonves, legs – don’t you want a show that has ’em?)

Love & Money Dept – TV Writing Deals for 1/29/14

Latest News About Writers Who Are Doing Better Than We Are=&0=&The Formerly Funny Hack Comedian Known as Bill Cosby is looking for a writer for a new NBC comedy series he’s going to star in and which is going to resemble his old NBC comedy series as much as possible. (Usually, this is where I tell you to talk to your agent and get a meeting but Bill Cosby? Word is that he’s the toughest/worst boss in TV since Jack Webb. Who was Jack Webb? Holy crap, do I have to tell you everything? Google him, gang, just google him.) David O. Russell (Yeah, that David O. Russell) & Susannah Grant are developing an ABC series described as “upstairs/downstairs at a private country club,” and no, it isn’t a comedy, it’s said to be an out and out soap. (David O. Russell running a soap. I’d pay to see that. Well, maybe not, but I’ll tune in the first episode…if I remember to set my DVR, that is.) Mike Sikowitz (RULES OF ENGAGEMENT) is now the showrunner of CBS’s upcoming comedy series THE McCARTHYS, about “a sports-crazed Irish Catholic clan in Boston and the gay son…whose greatest sin is…his desire to spend less time with his family.” (We’re saying “new series” even though they’re only just now shooting the pilot cuz…why call a guy a showrunner unless you have a show for him to run?)

Love & Money Dept – TV Writing Deals for 12/23/13

Latest News About Writers Who Are Doing Better Than We Are

  • David Spade (?!) & Dean Lorey (THE CRAZY ONES) are developing a comedy series about a rock and roll music manager struggling to stay at the top for HBO. (There are any number of ways this kind of premise can go south, but the first one says it all: It’s going to star David Spade.)
  • Brian Stelter‘s book Top of the Morning,  a behind-the-scenes about TV morning news shows, is being developed into a movie for Lifetime. (Which means that we don’t need to say anything further about this project except: It’s being developed into a movie for Lifetime.)
  • Scott Gold (UNDER THE DOME) is developing a drama series about the NRA called COLD DEAD HANDS for the Sundance Channel. (Even our new puppy knows all the ways this premise could tank, so let’s just go with the primary one: It’s about the NRA.)
  • Nick Bilton’s book about the development of Twitter, cleverly called Hatching Twitter is being turned into a TV series by Lionsgate, whose press release makes no mention of that crazy little necessity called a buyer for said show. (You may be asking yourself how this idea could possibly go wrong. To which we reply: It’s about Twitter! And the only people in the galaxy who care about Twitter are those who spend all their time tweeting, not watching, you know, TV. Sheesh.)
  • David Koechner (SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE) is writing a sketch comedy pilot for NBC. (All together now, kids: The reason this one will go wrong, wrong, wrong is…yeppers, you got it – NBC! Anybody out there miss this answer? We didn’t think so.)