Six TV writers -- all Canadian. All, strangely, working right now. From far flung Nova Scotian comedies to single girl in the city shows, to new plans & destinations & adventures and maybe even a little bit of Prairie heart.
The question is raised: "What's the single best bit of career advice that you'd give to a noob? We're talking the knowledge hardest won... not "advice on writing" or "how to write" or "process advice." Everybody's got that and you can find it everywhere you look if you take the time to Google.
More like, "what's the thing you know now you wish you knew then?" Some thoughtful chewing, and many nods, before the torrent starts:"When you're young, you're not as good as you think you are. When you get old, you're not as bad as you think you are."
Nods & chirps; dark rumblings of, "Hey, I resemble that remark." But we're just getting started.
"I don't think I knew how important tenacity was. There were people in University who were way more talented than me. They were better writers. But I kept at it. I'm better than they were then -- now -- but that's cause I kept going. Eventually you outlast people, if you stay focused. Keep showing up."
An insanely juicy piece of gossip squeaks out. A quick check to confirm for one and all that we are "under the dome." Ah yes. The dome of silence.
"Keep your mouth shut."
Everybody laughs.
Someone quotes a personal mentor: "So-and-so's line was always, 'never repay petty with more petty.'"
The group takes stock, mentally flicking through the cards -- instances where pettiness was met; the scorecard of how often it was repaid, and how often one managed to rise above.
"Your best writing will never make it to the screen." Nods all around. And, "the market has nothing do you with your talent."
A few nods, a few quizzical glances, "I'm just saying that process is more important than product. For all we do, to stay focused always on the commercial success, to fixate on that is ultimately meaningless. All this, 'will the show go?' It's more like, "How am I going to have a good day this week?"
"Having a show go doesn't excuse, condone, or ameliorate a situation if you're hating every minute, feeling abused, marginalized, belittled, ignored. The writing can't be a chore; you have to enjoy the process. You have to have quality of life."
After all, "it's just TV."
Sigh. Yes it is. Oh, TV. Bitch mistress to us all.
"Make friends with frustration. It's the precursor to change. Frustration shouldn't make you give up -- your dissatisfaction is telling you something. Keep at it and the breakthrough comes."
Sip of OJ. Crunch of toast. A slug of a mimosa. I pipe in with my contribution, "Learn to write fast. There's no sense spending six months working on that spec script if the job is how much can you rewrite on the fly. If you want to staff, you have to be able to crank pages out."
I get ragged, that's writing advice. I've broken my own rule. A heaving sigh. It's true. Too much blogging, I guess. The teat is dry.
A slide into shop talk.
"Isn't it fun to get premise-challenging notes at Blue?" Yes. Yes it is.
Everybody agrees that you get to a point where the "no asshole" rule is inviolable. It doesn't matter how talented someone is if they're a jerk. It sucks all the goodwill out of the room.
But there will be idiots. Oh yes. They're everywhere. Oh, the difficulties. The hours spent trying to keep your disbelief in check. What about getting through that? "You will survive the network executive who is making your life hell."
But how? How do you do all this? Stay tenacious, make friends with frustration, live through the assholes when they come, embrace process...never be petty -- it sounds great, but how? HOW? How do you do all this?
A beat. Then,
"Remember that everyone was an itty bitty baby once, that their Mama loved. If you can remember that, you can find the way to be kind."
Silence. Just so.
The check comes. Cash & the three credit card split. We write out the amounts to try and help the waiter. Tally -- the tip is generous. Deep down, we're service industry too. We know.
The sun's brighter now, even higher in the sky. It's going to scorch. Hugs & Last glances; stumble out into the day -- "Remind me of that TED talk you liked again?" And "How badly is the core fenced in?" And "how many more days you got?" And as the group breaks up, brunched, sated, talked out, happy -- one final riposte, tossed over the shoulder as we depart:
"Never, ever, ever admit your real age."
W. Profound thanks & respeck to badlady, Clooney, KMac, Escog, and Whitey McLegs4days.
3 rumbles:
Hope we'll be swapping tales again sooner than later. Good peoples all.
Safe trip. Knock 'em dead.
I haven't commented much on here over the years, but this is just one of example of the many kind of posts that kept me checking here daily. You're gonna be missed, man.
I'm probably not alone in hoping that, despite the countless blogs about writing in LA, you find a place for your blogging voice.
Good luck down south!
Oh so true DMC. Oh so true.
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