Is writing for TV more satisfying than screenwriting?

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  • Is writing for TV more satisfying than screenwriting?

    I read a really interesting column on WGA's web site ... It was an interview with Marshall Hershkovitz (SP) of Once and Again and Thirtysomething fame. He basically said that television writing is more fulfilling for the writer. That it enables you to actually 'see' what you write, rather than wait till it emerges from development hell. He noted that film development often rips scripts apart, while TV is more of a 'writer's' medium -- giving the writer more control over his or her words. That writing for TV is just more fun.
    Does anyone have a comment on this?
    AJ

  • #2
    Different strokes for... well, you get the idea.

    I would agree with the comments. Then again, I am pretty well set in TV land and have very limited experience in features. I have friends who work in that realm and I get to hear all the horror stories. I can tell you I am definitely NOT one of those Writers who is working TV until I get my big feature break.

    Television is much more of a Writer's medium. The reason is generally because of the speed of the medium. It has to be done quickly and creatively. And the Writer is more likely to be able to have the perspective necessary to make creative decisions quickly. It is, of course, also a meat market. It's advertiser driven, not audience driven.

    And, yes, there is that "instant gratification" issue. What it really means is that there is less time for others to putz with your work. There is an absolute time limit, the "script monster" (as Steven Cannell used to call it) MUST be fed every week. And the TV Producer (usually a Writer) is the last one to implement any kind of rewrite. More than that, as a Writer (if on staff) you are WELCOMED into the editing room and get a say in how things are cut. If you are an Exec Producer (still, usually a writer) you get to make the cut yourself.

    The respect issue (as it is) is much better in TV.

    Yeah, I'll take TV.

    steve

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    • #3
      Steve

      Do you find that sometimes writing for speed produces gems you would've never thought could come out of you?

      Recently, I've started just barreling through first drafts as fast as I can (instead of hemming and hawing over each little word). The results have been mixed. Some absolute trash but then some things which turn out really good.

      Does this happen a lot in the wild, wooly world of quick-get-it-to-the-actors professional television writing?

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      • #4
        Re: Steve

        The gems and the rocks are pretty well intermixed when you write for speed. You can only hope that the rocks get polished while they go through the production procedure. Believe, no one wants to write under a deadline. However, many people think their best work comes under that pressure. I think it's a combination of things. For one thing, you don't have a lot of time to outthink yourself "should I have done this? Would it be better if the character did that?" You just let it spill on the page. From that, a true honesty can appear. But, on the other hand, less attention to detail is a risk.

        One of the other things I have discovered is that I frequently forget what I wrote after time goes by. TV is not just about speed, it's also about volume. I remember being in an accounting office waiting for some information. Two of the assistants were having computer problems. And the two of them launched into a three phrase dialogue that was obviously taken from something they had seen. It sounded familiar and I said so. They told me that it was their favorite line of dialogue from a particular show. No wonder it was familiar, I had written it!

        Sometimes I will go back and read a script that I wrote and be amazed at what I wrote. Other times, I cringe.

        But, in general, I find obsessing over every choice of word as a detriment. Write the first draft FIRST. Then go back and nitpick if you have the time.

        steve

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        • #5
          Re: Steve

          Marshall (and his partner Ed Zwick) are probably my writing idols.. if I was going to select one (or two, but they are a pair, so they are like one)

          I think they have an amazing voice and vision...

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          • #6
            Re: Steve

            Scuba:
            Read the interview then. You'll love it. It's moving and interesting and funny and inspiring. As are their shows so that makes sense.

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            • #7
              AJ, is this an old article? I was trying to find it on their site, wasn't sure where it was.

              thanks!

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              • #8
                It's an old cover story. Marshall's pic. is on the cover. Go through back issues; you'll see it.

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