It’s been a year since I discovered the Stephen J. Cannell podcast and, frankly, I didn’t think I’d ever find a show that could offer the same amount of nourishment to aspiring TV writers like myself.

I was wrong.

Recently, I discovered the Nerdist Writing Panel podcast and WOW, is it inspiring! They’ve only done a handful so far but the show is wall-to-wall awesomeness for anyone interested in the TV writing process. Listen to writers like Steve Levitan or Jane Espenson talk about how they got started, what it’s like in different rooms, how they tackle technical problems in structure, etc. Basically, questions that no other interviewer is asking are boilerplate on this show.

If you’re reading this blog, you’re in the same business as me, so I imagine nobody has even read this far – that you’re already downloading the first episode.

Enjoy.

One of the most prescient pieces of advice I received was from a showrunner buddy of mine. He said that it was imperative for me to do anything else besides work as an assistant while working towards for a staff writing gig – what he specifically said was, “Go hang cabinets until you get hired. But assistants tend to be seen as assistants…not writers.” This guy’s been a pro for almost twenty years and his resumé is all high-line stuff, so I greatly value his advice.

Which isn’t to say I haven’t interviewed for assistant gigs in the past. The recent past, in fact. But it was probably telling that the last EP I met with kindly turned me down by saying, “You’re a writer – not an assistant”.

So the article I’m linking to at “L.A. Magazine” has special significance for me. I’ll tell you up front – this is a tough read for aspiring scribes like us. But it’s a splash of realism that we could probably all use as a touchstone when considering our futures in the TV business.

Enjoy!

When To Quit? – Los Angeles Magazine

I first heard about the WGA Showrunner Training Program from the sorely-missed podcasters over at Sam & Jim Go To Hollywood – in fact, the “Haven” creators dedicated an entire half hour to the subject after they ended up getting in. Here’s the direct iTunes link.

But it’s always nice to have more than one prism through which to view stuff like this and Deadline Hollywood did an extensive article last August on what goes down during the program. It’s worthwhile reading for anyone – even those of us staring at dozens of rungs between us and even being eligible to participate. Until then, I highly recommend potential (and current) TV writers giving it a read. Enjoy!

Secrets Of TV Showrunners Boot Camp – Deadline.com.

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.

It’s been a tough staffing season this year:

• The show I was freelancing on just found out they aren’t coming back. It was a network one-hour, very high profile, so this isn’t just bad news…it sucks.

• The showrunner I know at a similar show that was picked up just let me know that they’re fully staffed at my level – I had to delete a reflexive “Guess I’ll just pray someone doesn’t work out” response.

• My powerhouse agency dropped me as politely as they could have…which means they gave me a glowing recommendation to a smaller boutique.

• Had an ultra-lame (on my end) meeting yesterday for a new Fox one-hour. The creator was cool, interesting, had great energy, and is a damn fine writer. But I was so geeked up, I’m afraid he may have drowned in the deep pool of desperation I left behind.

• My Mom finally lost her battle with cancer after three years in March…two days after my daughter’s first birthday.

So things could definitely look better on paper. My past inclination would have been to consider folding up my tent and finding a nice, thoroughly-unfulfilling job in customer service that can provide health insurance for my kid.

But I know how success is measured in Hollywood – and it ain’t by the yard. Of course, I know people who’ve blown up overnight but this is super-rare, almost like finding money floating down the street. Nice to hear about (and even better to experience) but never something one should count on.

Instead, I look at where I am relative to November 2008 – zero hour for my journey. And, seeing what I have now as opposed to then, is striking.

• Cancelled or not, I worked on a network series last year. Had it been picked up, I would have been in position to interview for a permanent staffing gig. This is huge in a way I didn’t anticipate – the showrunner actually references it when he’s referred me to friends at other shows. Having him say, “We were ready to bring him into the room, if we got a pick-up” is a massive vote of confidence from one pro to another.

• My original series is almost ready to pitch – and the producer I developed it with is so high-end that we’ll be pitching to the head guys at HBO, Fox, and Showtime. He’s also started talking to director/friends about possibly attaching to the project. The entire list is Academy Award-nominated and/or winners. Which still stuns me to contemplate.

• After establishing a relationship with Showrunner #2, we have an open dialogue. I love their show and think I can wedge myself in the door if any opportunities ever pop up. If nothing else, they have my A sample and it came from another showrunner. So my intro couldn’t have been better.

• My new agency liked my samples and were thoroughly impressed with how I ended up at their door. Staffing seasons in the future will be a very different exercise than the past two with my former reps – I finally feel like I have someone who hears my voice. Again, this is huge.

• I have a ton of samples now, some pretty good. I try to write for eight hours a day during the week and, if nothing else, I’ve been able to evolve my writing in the last eighteen months to a place where I’m comfortable tackling just about anything. What’s up “Fringe”? How you living “Leverage”?

• I’m a known quantity to at least four network showrunners. Two of them don’t have a show right now but, when they do, they know my name and my writing. And I have an open line of communication to the other two – one of whom brought me in for a meeting yesterday.

• The producer on my original pilot is friends with the EP of a huge ABC drama – and he just told me to use his name to get my sample on her desk. Probably too late in the season to get staffed up. But they gotta hire freelancers and, at the very least, I’ll be on their radar from here on out.

• Should things not work out with my new agent, my old guy is more than willing to take calls on my behalf – which is far from ideal, but waaaaay better than having no one at all to send your stuff out. His name and agency will give me legitimacy as long as he’s there.

• Plus more positives that I just can’t see today…

Bottom line: no matter the speed, if you bust your ass and work every connection you can imagine, you can move forward. It just may not be as fast as you’d like – but, then again, I know I’m gonna appreciate the hell out of my first staff writing gig!

I happen to know a bit about “Life’s” creator Liz Tigelaar and it’s no surprise that she wrote on two of the three shows mentioned above. In fact, her resumé is chock full of awesome credits and the story of how “Life” leap-frogged over pilots with stronger pedigrees last year is inside-Hollywood legend.

If you want to learn a bit more about someone who followed the assistant->staff->showrunner path we’re all trudging along, check out her interview over at the WGA’s website:

Check ‘em out ASAP:

Drama Spec Script 2010

Comedy Spec Script 2010

Although I didn’t engage her services, I did appreciate the interviews she did on Julie Grey’s old site. And when I came across an interesting article “Are You Good In The Room?”, I was happily surprised to see she had started her own blog.

Finding folks whose TV careers are in second gear and willing to share details can be rare…so be sure to give her site a shot.

This Is Your Pilot Speaking