Blogs
by Television Writers Offer Insights Into Creative Process
Television writers are intriguing creatures. They labor
to craft fictional worlds with characters and plots designed to capture
our imagination, yet often all we ever know about these wordsmiths are
what lies within the realms of their mind’s eye; all we ever hear
from them are the dialogue they write for character-actors to recite.
That has
changed over the past few years as many television writers have created
their own web sites, both to promote themselves and offer tidbits of
information to their fans. Some have even gone so far as to create blogs
to express their viewpoints, share their experiences and talk about
their shows on a regular basis.
TV
Guide has taken the lead in this area, sponsoring “celebrity
blogs” on their web site. While the majority of these are by actors,
ranging from Jenna Fischer of The Office to Christopher Gorham
of Ugly Betty, there are television writers and creators sprinkled
in the mix as well: James
Duff, creator of The Closer; Dave
Levin, writer’s assistant for Dirty Sexy
Money; Nic
Wegener, writer’s assistant on Criminal
Minds; and the writing
staff of Brothers & Sister.
That last
one is specifically made up of story editors Peter Calloway and Cliff
Olin, as well as staff writer Jason Wilborn. This is their first season
of blogging, as creator Jon Robin Baitz handled commentary last year.
In addition to getting a sense of the personalities of these writing
craftsmen, one also gets a feel for the chaos of television production—“This
story is good…No, it’s awful…We’re gonna get
Danny Glover…No, we aren’t…Yes, we are!”—as
well as thoughts on the impending writer’s strike.
Baitz,
meanwhile, offered glimpses into the backgrounds of his production staff
and observations on how the creation and execution of a television show
is truly a team effort. Duff, creator of The Closer, does the
same on his blog, but while Baitz primarily focused on the most recent
episode of Brothers & Sisters, Duff dedicates his blog
to “topics” ranging from crafting storylines to explaining
how his show isn’t “retro,” but rather that crime
dramas like CSI are actually “futuristic.”
“Our
sets, for example, look like those of a public building because we used
Parker Center (LAPD’s actual headquarters) as a model,”
he wrote in July. “At Parker Center, you will find no lasers or
microscopic lenses or instruments that allow one to determine a single
French fry’s restaurant of origin.”
Interestingly
enough, considering that forensic shows like CSI focus more
on the crime than character development and are thus rarely credited
with writing accolades, the staff of CSI: Miami has a blog
on CBS.com.
Started during the 2005-2006 television season by producer Corey Miller,
it continued the following season with a different member of the writing
staff discussing specific episodes that they worked on. It’s “must
read” material for fledging television writers or anyone else
interested in the personal experiences of those who labor within the
industry.
Jane Espenson,
who has written for the likes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer,
Gilmore Girls, The O.C. and Battlestar Galactica,
has a blog as part of her own web site, JaneEspenson.com,
which is another great source on the business. Many of her entries revolve
around “how to write,” and Espenson even answers question
that have been e-mailed to her as well as regularly provides links to
other web sites of interest.
Espenson’s
blog has a large following, primarily because of her stint as a writer
on all three Joss Whedon television shows: Angel, Buffy
and Firefly. Whedon’s presence on the web cannot be overstated,
and many writers associated with his shows have garnered “rock
star status” among fans, including Drew Goddard, David Fury and
Tim Minear. Although none of those three have a blog, Fury and Minear
do have their own web sites.
Minear,
who moved on from Angel and Firefly to executive produce
the cult-classic Wonderfalls before creating two short-lived
series, The Inside and Drive, uses his web site (TimMinear.net)
to update fans on current projects via links to articles about them,
and also makes the shooting scripts of his shows available for download.
Whedon,
ironically enough, does not have his own web site or blog; then again,
neither is necessary as Whedonesque.com,
a community weblog with links and commentaries on his work, was created
by fans years ago and succeeds as both. More importantly, Whedon is
a semi-regular contributor himself, updating his followers on the coming-and-goings
of his professional life with both intelligence and wit. For instance,
over the summer he auctioned off on eBay the opportunity to join him
for dinner in order to raise money for Equality
Now, a charity that fights gender-based injustices
world-wide. He posted the following message at the time:
“First
of all, why the auction? It had been on my mind for a while, not just
as a chance to help a cause, but to create a really memorable, uncommon
fan experience. Uncommon not just for them but for me. Hear people talk.
Dive in, get silly. The cause is deadly serious, but mixing the serious
and the silly is more than my stock-in-trade: it’s almost a mission.”
Two other
prominent television creators have web blogs, namely Shonda Rhimes of
Grey’s Anatomy, under the moniker of Grey
Matter, and Ronald D. Moore of Battlestar Galactica,
located on SciFi.com.
Moore goes a step further, however, and also produces his own podcast.
Lost co-executive producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse,
meanwhile, do not blog at all but do post a video podcast after each
episode of their series at ABC.com.
Insights
into your favorite shows. News on your favorite creators. Thoughts on
the craft of writing television. Windows into the lives of television
writers. The aforementioned blogs, podcasts and web sites provide all
of those things, as well as make us better, more well-rounded fans of
the medium.
October
8, 2007
