A legendary figure in the television writing and production world with a career going back to the late ’60s, Larry Brody has written and produced hundreds of hours of American and worldwide television and is a consultant to production companies and networks in the U.S. and abroad .
Shows written or produced by Brody have won several awards including - yes, it's true - Emmys, Writers Guild Awards, and the Humanitas Award.
View all posts by LB
3 thoughts on “TVWriter™ Post of the Week”
You know what I find interesting? In all my years writing in TV, features, stage… I was never asked, “How did you get an agent”? Especially by new writers. I wonder why this is? I have a thought, but…
It seems to me in the “olden daze” — when we started out, Lawrence — wanna be writers were more interested in, yes, and even driven by, writing a script, or short story, novel, what have you, than in ‘SELLING IT”. That doesn’t mean they didn’t want to — sell it — but first they had to write it — and that was the challenge, the excitement, the satisfaction, the “beauty”. Simply put, “They wanted to be writers.” gs
Hmm. In my case, I didn’t just “want” to be a writer, I HAD to be a writer. I had to be writing/living in that other world.
But after awhile I started figuring that if I was going to do all that writing it would be even more fulfilling if others would read it and be entertained/stimulated, whatever.
So for me, like, I guess, you, it wasn’t about making a living/getting paid as a writer but about finding a way to make my demons (addiction?) into something that could help keep me alive instead of just burning me out.
Most of the new writers I talk to, who always want an agent, seem way more pragmatic than I ever was. But although their families may be more approving of their ambition that way, I honestly have to say that I’ve never considered anything that practical to be, in and of itself, a good thing.
For me, it’s always been about the dream and doing everything in my power to make it come true.
Bravo, Lawrence! Agree 100%! Tell your followers this. It will help them in the long run, and eliminate those who don’t belong. Remember the call: ‘WRITE TO TELL A STORY AND NOT SELL A STORY!” gs
You know what I find interesting? In all my years writing in TV, features, stage… I was never asked, “How did you get an agent”? Especially by new writers. I wonder why this is? I have a thought, but…
It seems to me in the “olden daze” — when we started out, Lawrence — wanna be writers were more interested in, yes, and even driven by, writing a script, or short story, novel, what have you, than in ‘SELLING IT”. That doesn’t mean they didn’t want to — sell it — but first they had to write it — and that was the challenge, the excitement, the satisfaction, the “beauty”. Simply put, “They wanted to be writers.” gs
Hmm. In my case, I didn’t just “want” to be a writer, I HAD to be a writer. I had to be writing/living in that other world.
But after awhile I started figuring that if I was going to do all that writing it would be even more fulfilling if others would read it and be entertained/stimulated, whatever.
So for me, like, I guess, you, it wasn’t about making a living/getting paid as a writer but about finding a way to make my demons (addiction?) into something that could help keep me alive instead of just burning me out.
Most of the new writers I talk to, who always want an agent, seem way more pragmatic than I ever was. But although their families may be more approving of their ambition that way, I honestly have to say that I’ve never considered anything that practical to be, in and of itself, a good thing.
For me, it’s always been about the dream and doing everything in my power to make it come true.
Bravo, Lawrence! Agree 100%! Tell your followers this. It will help them in the long run, and eliminate those who don’t belong. Remember the call: ‘WRITE TO TELL A STORY AND NOT SELL A STORY!” gs