When I talk about writing I’m mainly talking about books and movie scripts – movie scripts even more so than books. I think movie scripts are a bit easier to write because they are much shorter and to the point. Books are a lot of words. I think it would be easier for me to write non-fiction books than it would be for me to write fiction books. However I plan to write both. Oh, and I can’t forget about articles, like journalism writing. I’m fine with doing that, but I’ve never really been interested in writing for TV. This, by the way, is interesting, because I’ve watched more TV in my life than I have watched movies, read books or journalism articles, probably put together.
Perhaps I’ve shied away from TV because it keeps going. I realize that anyone who writes on a TV show that lasts for more than a season and keeps their job there the whole time or a good chunk of that time is quite fortunate. And perhaps I’m just speaking out of my ignorance of how writing for a TV show works, but I think I would just be afraid that I would run out of ideas for a show to go on for more than two seasons, hell even more than one season. Just thinking about it now – to make a show interesting for that long, to make people want to tune in episode after episode, year after year, is some feat.
Then network TV, which I grew up watching, is so formulaic, especially having to write for commercial breaks and all. I think I would find that to be a bit of a challenge, and a bit stifling to my creativity. Thankfully HBO came along and changed the game on how a TV show could be produced. I think HBO was the first to have TV shows on cable channels that typically were known for showing movies.
I went on a bit of a tangent there. But I said all that to say, I would like to be in somebody’s writer’s room. And now that I’m thinking about it, I guess I’ve had that desire for longer than I care to acknowledge to myself, because now I recall wanting to create a Christian version of “Sex in the City” when I was in my 20s living in New York. My show had three characters not four and they were in their 20s, not 30s (it’s funny, looking back, how old the thirties seemed when I was in my twenties, even when I was staring 30 down at 26, 27). I don’t know if I ever wrote that show idea down. If so, probably on paper. Now, like Jack to Rose in the movie “Titanic”, it exists only in my memory.
But yeah, I would love to be in a writer’s room, if for nothing else just to experience it. I think working on a mini-series would be ideal. That way, I’d get the writer’s room experience without the long-term commitment. Or on the other end of the continuum, wondering if they are going to bring me back next year. That would be eliminated because there would be no next year. It would be a time where I could hunker down and give my all to the five, six or however many episodes the series would have and then be done with it. I think that would be cool.
I went to this writer’s conference, last year in April, where this woman who used to be a writer for a popular sit-com was lamenting about her terrible experience in that show’s writers’ room. One of the things she bemoaned was how the powers-that-be would change what she wrote. Like she would write a whole script and the final product would vaguely if at all resemble what she originally created. According to her, such changes could be implemented for a number of reasons – maybe the showrunner, who’s the boss of the room, didn’t like it, or a main actor from the show who has some pull would say something like, “I don’t think my character would do that,” and so it would be changed.
Whatever the reason for the change, she didn’t like it. She was highly annoyed by the fact that she put so much time and effort into a script just for it to be changed. While I understand how she could feel that way, when it comes to stuff like that, I personally wouldn’t care. If I’m writing on someone else’s show you can change what I write all you want. You can have me rewrite it a thousand times, I don’t care, as long as the check clears. Plus I get the experience of being in a writer’s room and contributing to the process. Now don’t get me wrong, it would be great if they liked what I wrote and used it, but if not, I’d be fine because the show isn’t mine. You do what you want with your show. I’m there to serve your vision, not impose my own.
If, however, it’s my show, and I’m being told to change things, then I would have a problem.
But anyway, I don’t know if, when or how I would get an opportunity to write on a show – and perhaps that’s not the attitude to have if that’s a goal of mine, though it’s not a big goal, it’s a tiny goal. However just in case. I’m writing a spec script. I’ve read that you need to have a spec script if you want to write for a TV show. A spec script is basically a sample script you’ve written for an original show idea you have. I’ve also read that in addition to that spec script you should also have a spec script that features an original idea for an existing show. Those two scripts are the least you should have. Though I hear most people who get these writer’s room jobs have many more.
Just for fun, I decided I would write an original spec script. I did a little research, then came up with an idea that I ended up liking so much I would actually like to see it as a show. As soon as it came (I felt like God downloaded it in my brain, leaving it for me to flesh out) to me I wrote the whole story idea out, but I haven’t turned it into a script with dialogue and such yet. I imagine it wouldn’t take too long to write given it’s only going to be 30 mins.That shouldn’t be too hard…I think. Maybe I’ll try to write it before January…we’ll see.
Continuing in the spirit of “just for fun,” here’s a list of existing shows I wouldn’t mind writing on for a season:
- Abbot Elementary (ABC) I’ve only seen this show a couple of times, and was not really interested in it. That style where they break the fourth wall or third wall, I think it’s called, where they talk to the viewing audience directly is not really my cup of tea. But I’ve been seeing a lot of YouTube shorts of it lately, especially the relationship between the principal and the maintenance man which makes the show seem more appealing. So I have to give this show another chance. Plus it’s a comedy. It seems wholesome. I think it’d be a good fit for me.
- Forever (Netflix) One of the things that’s not so appealing about this show is that it’s centered around teens. It’s a teen love story. I haven’t really been interested in stories that focus on teen affairs, well, since I was a teen decades ago. The only time I watch shows with teens now is if the show is reruns of a show that came on when I was a teen like “Saved by the Bell.” Other than that, I just can’t get into it. But I’ve heard some great things about this show, even from people who are my age. Plus it’s a Mara Brock Akil show. While I take issue with some of her storylines – think “Girlfriends,” “The Game,” there is an undeniable cultural relevancy that her work can display that I still wouldn’t mind being associated with. I don’t have Netflix though, so I’ve never seen this show.
- Nobody Wants This (Netflix) This show was all the rage last year. I know it started it’s second season this year, though I don’t hear as much about it as I did the year prior. But it seems like it’s a romantic-comedy, or dramady that’s a show instead of a movie – aka right up my alley. The whole concept of this Jewish guy (I believe he is) dating this girl who isn’t of his faith, or doesn’t have faith at all is interesting to me. It reminds me of that movie that I think came out in the late 90s, called “Keeping the Faith” starring Ben Stiller, Edward Norton and Jenna Elfman. Again, no Netflix, so I haven’t actually seen this one either.
- Severance (Apple) Speaking of Ben Stiller, I believe he’s the executive producer of this show. I know he’s affiliated with it in some way. But anyway, I remember back in 2022 I was hearing a lot of buzz about this show at these Hollywood events I was attending. Everybody was saying how it was so good and I had to watch it. Then one day I attended an Apple event and the creator of the show, Dan Erickson, was there. He was telling a story about how he used to drive for Postmates before creating the show, or while writing the show, and how he came up with the concept. I actually met him and chatted with him a bit at that event. He was so nice, I decided to take advantage of Apple TV’s free trial to watch the show. I watched the entire first season, on my tiny iPhone SE no less, and I must say, I was riveted. At the time, I was in another one of my unemployment eras and had just came off of a creepy job interview, so I thought hey, I’ll just shoot my shot. I followed him on Instagram then DM’ed him about being a writer on the show. I know, the delusion was real. I did hear back though…it was the sound of crickets. I was so embarrassed all by my damn self. No hard feelings though. I’m pretty sure the show has come out with it’s second season, but I haven’t seen it since. But when it comes to workplace craziness, I have stories to tell.
- The Morning Show (Apple) Quiet as it’s not kept, because I’ve mentioned it here before, one of my dream jobs used to be (and if I’m honest sort of still is) to be a co-host on the Today show. I love that show. As a matter of fact, one of my favorite shows on-air right now is the Today Show with Jenna & Friends, soon to be the Today Show with Jenna & Sheinelle starting January 12th. That show is so fun and light-hearted, it brings me joy. Then the earlier version of the show that starts at 7am, you get a bit of everything from hard-hitting news to home décor – it’s just my kinda TV. So of course The Morning Show would pique my interest. I’ve only seen bits of this show, maybe the first episode or two. It gives me a television version of the movie “Broadcast News,” which is a favorite of mine.
- Loot (Apple) I went to the premiere of this show back in 2022 where I saw the first two episodes. I haven’t seen it since, so maybe my concept of what it is about is completely off, but I kinda like the idea of this bougie, billionaire philanthropist who wants to help people out, but is also out of touch. It’s giving “Troop Beverly Hills” vibes (another one of my favorites) in a way. I think there is a lot to explore with someone unintentionally thinking their better than people who have much less than them financially and then circumstances arise in life that shows them that they’re not, all the while trying to help those people. Again, I’m not sure if that’s the premise of “Loot,” but I think it would be a good storyline.
- A Different World Revival (Netflix) The original version is one of my top three all time favorite shows. I’m also a fan of Gina Prynce-Bthyewood who worked on the original show and wrote and directed “Love and Basketball.” So, working on this show would be a dream on so many levels.
Finally, there is a show that doesn’t exist, but I would love to speak it into existence and that I would love to work on – nay, not just work on, but create and be the showrunner of and that is a “Sister, Sister” sequel. I must admit I wasn’t a huge fan of the show back in the 90s. I mean I watched it, but it wasn’t must-see TV for me. I’ve seen reruns of it and really like the last episode. I was a much bigger fan of Tia and Tamera’s reality show they had on the Style Network, back when they (and I) were in their thirties. If I were to take charge of this show, I would watch all the episodes of the original season, then create a storyline for their age now. That I think would be so much fun.
Well, for someone who doesn’t really want to write for TV, I sure have put a lot of thought into this. Maybe that’s because I really do want to write for TV as well. Maybe I’ve been slow to admit it because I’ve just been scared.
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