The Spec Life » Inside The Writers Room

Tweet Your Way Into The Writer’s Room

mr. Spec — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 17:16:38 +0000

Just like anything that achieves massive popularity, social media sites like Facebook & Twitter have their detractors. Lately, I’ve been hearing more and more writers whining about how you can’t get anything real done without meeting people face to face, making FB/Twitter “a waste of time”.

Try telling that to Chris Masi, aka the new writers assistant at “White Collar”.

See, Chris used Twitter to establish contact with WC showrunner Jeff Eastin and says it was a mixture of good timing, a little online schmoozing, and persistence that got him the gig. It probably didn’t hurt that he says “@JeffEastin is just a cool guy.”

I’ve touched on this in the past and you want to be very VERY careful approaching showrunners through social media channels. I know a lot of high profile writers go stealth on FB for exactly this reason. But tossing a flag up on Twitter to a writer who’s actively engaging his or her fans seems innocent enough. Just don’t go Rupert Pupkin and you should be safe.

I’ll also quickly note that the job Chris got is one of the most coveted positions any TV writer can score without actually being hired onto an actual writing staff. I don’t know about WC specifically, but this job usually leads to a shot at writing on the show down the road. Matthew Weiner at “Mad Men”, for instance, is famous for offering his WA’s just that opportunity. It’s a huge game-changer, in my opinion, that Chris got this without personally knowing someone on staff.

Congratulation, Chris! And good luck.

Inside The Writers Room • Emmy Nominated Showrunners

mr. Spec — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 21:32:19 +0000

Another great roundtable amongst TV writers at the top of their game – this time it’s showrunners from some slightly-successful series like “Lost”, “Damages”, “Breaking Bad”, “The Good Wife”, and “Burn Notice”.

Great stuff in this one.

‘I cannot watch ‘Breaking Bad’ with commercials’

Staff Writing At “Battlestar”

mr. Spec — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 17:56:16 +0000

Juliana Weiss-Roessler has been cranking out some sweet TV writer interviews lately over at “Pink Raygun”. And, as usual, I’m all over any article that offers a peek into the writer’s room – let alone one as legendary as the “Battlestar Galactica”.

Nothing super-new in the chat but it’s still good to hear some of the old favorites reinforced – hard work is imperative? Check.

“Breaking In: Interview with TV Writer Carla Robinson”

Inside The Writers Room • Roundtable Discussion

mr. Spec — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 19:06:47 +0000

I don’t usually read io9′s website because, well, I’m a sci-fi novice. But they posted up an roundtable interview with a crew of staff writers that *everyone* trying to get there should read.

Although there are super-vets like Jane Espenson (“Battlestar”) and John Rogers (“Leverage”) in attendance, there are also a couple of lower-level writers tossing their opinions in. So it’s nutrient-rich all around.

Enjoy!

“Inside the writers room: Top scifi TV writers reveal tricks of the trade” @ io9

Inside The Writers Room • “Parks & Recreation”

mr. Spec — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 15:19:16 +0000

I love “Parks & Recreation” – the writing is drum-tight and the cast is full of actors who should rightfully be headlining their own shows. Plus Duke Silver? Forget it…

And, while I’m a one-hour kinda guy, I’ll admit to secretly wishing my funny chops were sharp enough to belong in a room like “P&R”.

Since that probably ain’t happening (this year, at least) “The Hollywood Reporter” offers a peek inside to whet all of our appetites. Check it out.

“A day in the life of ‘Parks’ writers”

Path To Staff Writer

mr. Spec — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 18:34:17 +0000

The Bitter Script Reader has a cool series of interviews with a staff writer from “Human Target” about the path he followed to get the job. I *love* stuff like this because it helps demystify the writers room to guys like me who haven’t worked there. Yet.

Interview with JERICHO and HUMAN TARGET’s Robert Levine

Running “Sons of Anarchy”

mr. Spec — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:01:21 +0000

Another great post from Kurt Sutter about the responsibilities and mechanics of running his brilliant FX series, “Sons of Anarchy”.

Show Must Be Run @ “Sutter Ink”