5 Questions with a Comedy Showrunner's Assistant/Writers' Assistant

Jessica is the showrunner's assistant and writers' assistant for NBC's Sean Saves the World, which premieres on October 3. She was kind enough to answer 5 questions about her job:

How did you get your job?
I started working with Victor Fresco as a writers' PA on ABC's Better Off Ted. Over the course of the show, the other writers' office assistants were nice enough to train me in their respective jobs, so by the end of the second season, I'd had experience helping out as an Executive Producer assistant as well as in-room writers' assistant.  When Victor's assistant got staffed and moved on, Victor hired me as his assistant through his deal at ABC Studios.  From there, I took on the additional responsibility of script coordinator for the pilot of ABC's Man Up! and served as in-room writers' assistant when it went to series. And then when Victor made a deal with UTV, I went with him, which led to my position on Sean Saves the World.

What are the duties of your job/what is a usual day like? 
Victor's a pretty low-maintenance guy, so it's mostly just scheduling, communicating with other departments, and taking notes on calls for him. As writers' assistant, I'm in the writers' room typing the script or notes on a computer hooked up to two big monitors, trying not to make any real-time mistakes. I also help with proofreading and script distribution in my downtime. Annnd judiciously pitch jokes.  Since SSTW is a multi cam, part of my day involves going to set and seeing run-thrus or a shoot, which is always fun and allows time to socialize - something you don't get on single cam as much.

Do you have time to write at your job? 
Haha. No. While my boss was in development, I had plenty of time to make progress on my own samples, write for my sketch group, and freelance blog for two different comedy sites, but all that has fallen by the wayside for the time being. Every show I've worked on has been like this - you kind of have to give yourself over to the job and not look back, or you'll go nuts with guilt.

What kinds of things have you learned about writing or the industry from your job? 
Oh my gosh - it's like paid grad school. Watching the writers go through the writing (and rewriting and rewriting) process, I've learned that it's worth it to rethink every single joke...the best stuff doesn't come from the most obvious thought pattern.  And you want your main character to drive the story - that's a big one. Oh, and just say nice things about everyone all the time, even when shit-talking is justified.

Have you asked your boss to read your writing? How have you gone about navigating that?
Yes - it took me a long time to work up the courage to show my boss my writing, and he was very encouraging and gave me great feedback. I've also gotten to develop with an executive I met. I think most people want to help you to the extent that you enable them to do so, but you can't expect anyone to be your savior. It's important to be really, really confident that what you're showing them is your absolute best work, as first impressions can shape the way a person perceives your talent. But don't be such a perfectionist that you never show anyone anything. It's...hard, but worth it!

How to Pitch a Movie or TV Show

Pitching: all working writers have to do it at one time or another, but in the aspiring writer world, it's a topic often mentioned but rarely parsed. Which is a shame, because if presenting your ideas (or your take on an idea) is essential to the professional writing process, perhaps we should talk more about it. Luckily, there are few illuminating resources and demos available. This blog collected some good pitching links in 2011, but we felt it was time for an update. 

The Hollywood Pitching Bible, by Douglas Eboch (writer on Sweet Home Alabama) and Ken Agaudo (producer on The Salton Sea) is a no-nonsense, cut-and-dry examination of pitching movies and TV shows. Segmented into brisk chapters, the book covers everything from pitch structure, room etiquette, and even what ideas you should be pitching in the first place. Already boldly assuming that the reader lives in LA or NYC right in its forward, The Hollywood Pitching Bible feels like a sharp weapon by your side as you brave the intimidating arena of pitching. It's worth a look. 

Note from Amanda: If you're specifically looking to pitch TV, also check out Small Screen Big Picture by Chad Gervich. He outlines exactly what goes into a TV pitch - and when I pitched a show to a TV studio, the advice I received from my producer was exactly in line with what Chad wrote. 

I haven't pitched a ton, so the following is certainly not a list of rules you must follow (everyone pitches differently)...but in both TV and feature pitches I've done, I've structured them this way:

1. Intro - why are you the perfect person to write this? Why are you passionate about the idea? Embarrassing childhood and dating stories welcome. Don't be afraid to geek out - people respond to passion. 

2. The concept - what's the show/movie? What's the world? What's it ABOUT on a thematic and emotional level? What movies or shows are tonally similar? 

3. The characters - who are we following? What are their qualities? What's an example of how they would react in a certain situation on the show? What's their backstory? How do they interact with and conflict with each other? What are their arcs (over the movie, or the series?) - what do they have to learn or deal with? Where are they going to go? How will they change? What are they discovering?

4. The pilot story/plot - if you're pitching a TV drama or a movie, then you'll want to go through the plot (but not get SO specific that your pitch gets too long or that things get boring). This is hard. When I pitched a movie, I noticed some of the producers get bored, so I cut some things out on the fly. Keep assessing your audience. They might want to spend more time on one area and skip over another. If you're pitching a TV comedy, the pilot story is less important - you really want to sell them on the show/world and the engine for creating stories, rather than one single episodic story.

5. Episode ideas - for a TV show, have ideas about where the show is going or what some episodes might be (again, dramas and comedies are a bit different here). But I pitched three different stories that got into the areas I was interested in. Any of them could have been the pilot.

6. Questions - Ask if your listeners have any questions. You may get a lot, you may not get any. Once a producer told me he didn't have any questions, and "Quit while you're ahead." 

I like to write out my complete pitch (which should take about 20 minutes or less) in prose a Microsoft word document. For me, it ends up being about 8 single-spaced pages, or 4,700 words (I talk quickly). Then I'll memorize it, but also print it out (or write it out in shorthand) on 3x5 index cards. Some writers say you shouldn't read off of anything, and I don't really READ the pitch, but I bring the cards in case I have a brain fart and totally forget something. The cards are there more as a security blanket just in case I need to look down. Also, I think index cards are better than full sheets of paper, because if you DO end up reading off them a bit, you'll be forced to look up and make eye contact when you have to move on to the next card. If you're afraid you'll use the cards as a crutch, write out the pitch in shorthand instead of printing out the whole thing. I find that if you just write out the first sentence of each paragraph, it will jog your memory and make you remember what you wanted to say - but since all the words aren't on the card, you won't keep looking down. 

Keep in mind that this advice is for formal pitch meetings. Often, you'll go on general meetings where you're asked about your ideas or what you're working on - but you won't give formal 20-minute pitches in these situations. In these cases, you just need to say a bit about concept, characters and/or why you're interested in an idea (it could literally be a 30 second explanation to start off with). Think of it more as testing the waters. Is this the kind of thing the company or person would want to do? See if the person responds to your idea and has some ideas to add. A lot of my generals have been kind of like brainstorming sessions. Producers, execs, etc. might also tell you why your idea won't work, or how it's too similar to another idea - which can be a little soul-crushing, but also helpful. They might have some insider information that will save you time and energy. But it's good to spend some time on small talk and also have a few mini-pitches ready for your general so that if an executive immediately shits on your idea, you'll have something else to talk about. Luckily, you don't usually have to guide a general meeting - the other person will be asking you questions and telling you about their company. I did have one meeting where two executives just stared at me until I said "Okay, so here's what I write about..." but I'm happy to say that's more the exception than the rule. 

Again, for more accounts of how people pitch, check out the links I compiled in 2011. 

Okay, back to Rob:

We're able to read professional scripts, but unfortunately we can't sit in on professional pitches. Luckily, Max Landis (Chronicle) detailed pitching techniques on a recent(ish) episode of the Nerdist Podcast, and even offered his own take on a Peter Pan prequel live on air. Even A-lister Damon Lindelof (Lost, Prometheus, World War Z) just sat down with Vulture, and, after detailing the current climate of tentpole movie pitches, was challenged to pitch the legend of John Henry as a blockbuster film. Lindelof did. Four different ways.

In another Nerdist writers podcast, THE GOLDBERGS creator Adam F. Goldberg also detailed his TV pitching experience at ABC, which included showing real home videos of his childhood. Usually pros advise against using aids or gimmicks - but since the show is based on his family, the authenticity of the ancillary materials really helped execs to see his vision. 

But part of improving your pitching skills comes just from practice. You can do this on your own, with patient friends, or even to professionals willing to volunteer their time. Just this last year, The Great American Pitchfest celebrated its 10th anniversary and continues to be a yearly festival where hopefuls can go, pitch, and receive feedback on both their idea and their Don Draper game. [Amanda's note: I wouldn't necessarily count on pitchfests as the only thing you do to launch your career, but I do think it's good for people to get practice.]

So, yes: pitching can be scary, but resources are out there to study, demonstrate, and help you prep. Keep an eye out and remember them for that next time you realize that, in so many cases, before any of us will ever get the chance to be paid to write something... we'll probably have to talk about it first.

What was your first pitch like? Chime in!

The wrong way to network

Thanks to Justin Kremer for alerting me to Marc Ensign's amazing/horrifying article about a "semi-professional networker" who spammed a ton of people he had just met in the hopes that they could submit their poor female friends to his romantic advances. Some tidbits:

sorry about this mass email, but it’s more efficient on my end. i’m also kind of a “semi-professional networker” with 10,000 people in my gmail contacts list, 1,000 friends on my various FB accts (even though i don’t use FB myself), 1,000 followers on Twitter, and google will “auto populate” my name, so perhaps some of you “beginning” networkers will learn some tips of how i’m always trying to create a “win-win” (this skill set was stressed a lot when i got my MBA from NYU) 

These are my Hard (Objective) Dating Parameters which are NOT Flexible:
(this means I am only willing to pay for introductions if ALL these criteria are met)
(if you want to set me up w someone missing 1 of these criteria, I may accept, but will not pay for that)

• Age 27-35 (ideally 28-34)

• No kids, wants kids in the next 1-2 years

• College graduate, doesn’t have to be a great school, but needs to have finished the degree

• Skinny (i.e. dress size 0-2, if you don’t know what that means (many men don’t) it means very skinny)

• Caucasian (not black, not Hispanic, not Asian)

• Healthy lifestyle (defined as no smoking, no drugs, good diet, no hard drinking)

Where, where to begin?

First off, this guy may not actually be the most abhorrent dude looking for a woman this way. In case you want to feel even more hopeless about dating, be sure to read this Elle 'Ask E. Jean' column from last year about an entrepreneur looking for help finding a woman who's "very thin (but not because she’s starving herself or has food issues—I want someone who will be thin her entire life)" and has some anatomically improbable sexual abilities I won't repeat here.  

Dating facepalms aside, Mr. "Professional Networker" has provided an amusing launchpad for a discussion about networking - a necessity in the entertainment industry that most people hate or at least struggle with. A few years ago, I blogged about respectful networking - but it might be a good time for an update. Here's the basic rule: don't ask strangers for favors right off the bat. Stop thinking, "how can they help me?" Instead, ask, "how can we help each other?" Look at it like making friends. Ideally, you can all climb the ladder together and help people along the way. At the beginning, most of your contacts probably won't be able to get you an agent or buy your script (news flash: you're probably not ready for that, anyway), but maybe they can give you notes or tell you about assistant job openings. Slow down. Relax.

Also, don't be that person who shamelessly accosts big writers after panels. Why would they want to help you before their friends, loyal assistants, etc.? Make friends, because people want to help their friends. Don't be frustrated or discouraged by this; at some point, you're going to be the friend who's getting a favor.

(And this really should go without saying, but don't show up late to a networking event, spam a ton of people with a grammatically incorrect email, brag like an asshole and ask people to find you a fictional perfect woman. If you need a date, at least be self-aware, funny and generous with your money like this ad exec who's offering her friends $10,000 for a husband.)

Sometimes you will meet people who are farther along in their careers than you, and they might even be cool and nice - but be wary of asking for favors too quickly. If they want to help you, they'll offer. Many writers and producers in the industry like to be mentors - but not everyone does. You can't force it to happen. You might simply start by asking for advice, and see what develops after that. Tip 1: if you're asking things over email, be succinct. Too many new writers bombard people with rambling five-paragraph emails. Pros are busy. The shorter your email, the less likely people are to get annoyed and ignore you. Tip 2: be specific with what you ask for. When people say things to me like, "I want to be a writer, now what?" I think maybe they haven't done their homework, and I feel like it's a lot of work for me to figure out where to start. Being specific with my internship supervisor is what got me a job at an agency. Tip 3: don't ask a million questions or favors. Tip 4: remember that everyone likes to be congratulated on their successes. If you see someone pop up in the trades, you can send a super short "congrats" email without a question or request for a favor attached. Go Into The Story has some more good networking email tips here.

If you're really bad at networking or feel really nervous meeting new people, just remember that we all came here for a reason - and we all have a lot in common. Talk about your favorite shows or movies. Maybe even talk about (gasp!) something non-work-related for a second. I wasted a good fifteen minutes on Twitter tonight talking about the best burgers in LA. Be a human. If you go to a big networking event, you can also make an attainable goal for yourself, like that you're going to talk to at least two new people, or that you're not allowed to look at your phone for more than a minute at a time. Remember that there are probably a lot of other people dreading it the same way you are.

When you're new to the industry, I say go ahead and meet as many people as you can, whether it's forming a writing group or doing drinks with assistants you talk to on the phone at your job. But at some point, you'll probably let go of the "I have to meet everyone!!" mentality and just start hanging out with the people who have become your friends. You'll develop an aversion to all the well vodka, and you'll realize that you can't hit it off with everyone, anyway. It's just the natural order of things. Sometimes people you met once and didn't stay in touch with make a big sale or get a promotion, while other people you devoted a lot of time to end up quitting the industry to teach English in Cambodia, rendering them useless in your climb up the ladder. It happens. Gotta let it go.

26 Minority Screenwriters to Inspire You

In April, Amanda posted 30 Female Screenwriters to inspire you, which included female feature screenplay writers. I wanted to do a similar post, this time focusing on minority screenwriters. This 2013 report from the Writers Guild of America shows that just in TV staffing, the percentages still aren't great for women or people of color. But there are some minority screenwriters who have made a name for themselves both in film and television. This list includes some juggernauts, some up-and-coming writers, and writers who have been in the business for a few decades.

I hope these names can inspire you. As you'll read in her article below, Issa Rae, the writer/star of the Awkward Black Girl webseries, sent a "letter to Love & Basketball director Gina Prince-Bythewood nearly a decade ago. "That movie just changed me," she said. "It was a simple love story. I hadn't seen that. And the fact that it was written, produced and directed by a black woman made me think that I could do it, too."" Gina Prince-Bythewood is on this list and many other lists featuring women and minority screenwriters, and now Issa Rae is making her way on to these lists. You and I can be similarly inspired and one day we'll make it to someone's "list of inspiring writers," not limited by color or gender.

Shonda Rhimes (Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal)

Tyler Perry (Tyler Perry's Madea Series)

Mindy Kaling (The Office, The Mindy Project)

Spike Lee (Do the Right Thing)

M. Night Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense)

Issa Rae (Awkward Black Girl webseries)

Ryan Coogler (Fruitvale Station)

Yvette Lee Bowser  (A Different World, Living Single)

Shalisha Francis (Castle, S.H.I.E.L.D.)

Aisha Muharrar (Parks and Recreation)

Kasi Lemmons (Eve’s Bayou, Black Nativity [upcoming])

Gina Prince-Bythewood (Love & Basketball, The Secret Life of Bees)

Geoffrey Fletcher (Precious)

Mara Brock Akil (Girlfriends, The Game, Being Mary Jane)

Saladin Patterson (Psych) 

Felicia D. Henderson (Moesha, Sister, Sister, Soul Food, Gossip Girl, Fringe)

Barry Jenkins (Medicine for Melancholy)

Kriss Turner (Something New)

Dee Rees (Pariah)

Gregory Allen Howard (Remember the Titans) 

Rob Edwards (Treasure Planet, Princess and the Frog) 

Angela Robinson (D.E.B.S., Herbie Fully Loaded)

Sunil Nayar (Oz, CSI Miami, Revenge)

Sherman Alexie (Smoke Signals)

Sebastian Gutierrez (The Eye, Snakes on a Plane, Gothika)

Michael Elliot (Brown Sugar)

Who are your favorite minority screenwriters?

When is it time to quit my assistant job?

J writes: When is it time to move on to another position or leave a company? I've been at a small TV production company for about a year. I began as an intern and worked my way up to an executive assistant to the EP one of the highest rated reality shows on the air right now - but I'm over it... I feel as though I given everything I can, I find my daily tasks to be the same thing every day and it's just so boring. I want to write for scripted TV but the company I work for only produces reality television. When is time to move on and find the next job? How do I move on with out my boss hating me?

Good question! I think that when you're A) not learning anything and B) not making contacts, it's time to move on. Reality TV can be an especially tough place to get stuck, because I don't think you're going to be able to move into scripted as a result of this job. I also know people who got stuck in reality TV, got promoted and now feel like they're too comfortable and making too much money to jump over to scripted, where they'd have to start closer to the bottom. 

That being said, I don't think you should quit until you find a new job. Right now you're in a good position, since you're making money and can do your job pretty easily. You also now have that first assistant job under your belt, so lots more employers will consider you. In terms of your boss hating you: unless you agreed to stay for a certain amount of time and you're leaving sooner, your boss shouldn't be mad...I'm sure s/he realizes that you don't want to be an assistant forever. As long as you give notice (two weeks is usually standard) and help your boss find a replacement (it's customary for assistants to collect resumes and screen people - probably including the company's interns - before sending them in to interview with the boss), you're fulfilling what's required of you. Some bosses are whiny and unreasonable, and hate the idea that their life will be disrupted by this change, so you may face that... but you're not doing anything shady by quitting. Some assistants feel that they're not able to be open with their bosses about going out on job interviews; you'll have to decide if you want to come clean about that (other assistants within the company might be able to advise you about what former assistants did). Also, you may get offered a job and be asked to start in sooner than two weeks, and you'll have to figure out how to deal with that... but I generally feel that you need to fight for the job that's best for you. Don't miss out on a great opportunity because your boss will be annoyed. It can be an awkward situation (and you should see if your new employer can wait a bit longer), but someone can cover the desk and life will go on. 

Once you feel like you've made enough industry contacts and need to focus on churning out more scripts (it doesn't sound like you're there yet), you might find that it would actually be better for you to stay in a job that's just a job. [Here's a post with more about that.] In that case, you simply want the highest-paying job you can find that also allows you to write at work OR features short enough hours that you can write a decent amount on the side. You also want a job that won't completely zap your brainpower; the trouble with script coverage is that after a full day of covering scripts, I'm not always mentally able to focus on my own writing. 

What kind of internships do I need?

Ally writes: I’m college senior in New York City with six internships under my belt, three of which are administrative/ communications related, the other three in television and film. One of them was with a well-known film studio, the others two with independent, semi-well connected production companies. Basically, I’m reading a lot of scripts and running errands in the city. Since I want to be a script reader and television writer and I have a year left of school to apply for internships, I’m wondering: where should I go next? Should I continue applying for development internships with production companies, where I do coverage for free all day? Or should I apply to high profile film studios within other departments for the aesthetic sake of my resume? 

Also, I know you’ve addressed this before, but do you think its wise for an aspiring writer like myself to move to LA and apply for agency work? Or should I just take the HR job that pays well, work on my specs and hope I get selected for a writing fellowship/ miraculously find an assistant position posting online?

It sounds like you are doing everything right - and I don't think there's a "right" answer to your question. Six internships is a lot! If you want to be a writer, I do think it could be useful for you to be at an agency or management company, just to see that side of it, but don't think about it as the way to get represented there - it's probably just too soon for that. Really, any internship - development, studio, production company, etc., would be valuable. You just want to be A) learning something and B) meeting people who can help you get a paid job once you graduate. Variety on your resume is good, but since you'll be looking for entry-level jobs when you graduate, it won't matter all that much. Just HAVING internship experience is probably the most important thing, in terms of your resume, if you get job interviews on your own - but making connections with your internship supervisors can be crucial for hearing about jobs (this is how I got my agency job). Don't be afraid to ask your internship supervisors for help with your job search; even if there are no open positions at the company, these people likely hear about openings elsewhere. Read more about internships here, especially this post about evaluating whether an internship is worth it.

Yes, I do think moving to LA is necessary once you graduate, if you want to be a writer. Unless you have really strong connections to industry people in NY, LA will be an easier place for you to find a job. It's just a numbers thing. And when it comes time for getting a job, not internship, try to get one that will get you closest to writers - whether that means agency, development, PA on a show, etc. You can find out more about the job search here.

The long game of short films

Looking for a way to break into Hollywood? Pro writers have taken a variety of paths: Querying, interning, PAing, mailrooming, fellowshipping. But there's no guarantee that any particular path will work for you, and if you're itching to get away from the computer screen and make a movie, it might be time to consider a crazy option: actually making a movie.

It's expensive to produce an entire feature - so how about a short film?

Short films have been an avenue for aspiring filmmakers to showcase their chops - writers included. And now, with remarkable new and accessible camera technology, crowdfunding sites Indiegogo and Kickstarter, and web hosting platforms like Vimeo, YouTube, and the fledgling new IndieFlix (think "Netflix" for independent projects), there's never been a better time to get into the short film game. If you don't want to direct the script, you'll need to find a director, but beyond that - one short piece worthy of festival showings could become your calling card and do wonders for your exposure.

Here are two examples of writers who experienced success with the short film path:

--Dan Goforth and Margie Kaptanoglu jumpstarted their careers not with a hot spec, but with festival love their short films garnered.

--Kaleb Lechowski, a writer and animator whose sci-fi short, R'ha, has already attracted a crop of Lucasfilm talent ready to expand it into a feature.

Whether you write a gritty micro drama, comedy sketch, or a blockbuster-sized proof-of-concept, there's another factor to consider as a writer working and collaborating at the grassroots level: more creative control. Shawn Christensen, already a working screenwriter in the studio system, took a quick reprieve to write, direct, and star in Curfew, a charming dramatic short that won an Oscar last year. When asked why Christensen made a short after already having a feature career on the rise, he replied, "so I can have control over my writing."

So - where to begin? Sadly, writing a short film doesn't mean you can take a shortcut through concept, character, structure and story. Here are some resources to help you started writing a short film script:

7 Rules For Writing Short Films [Raindance Film Festival]

Sundance Institute ShortsLab NYC (July 14, 2013)

Sundance Institute ShortsLab LA (August 10, 2013)

5 Awesome podcasts for screenwriters

It took me a long time to get on the podcast bandwagon. How am I supposed to have time for podcasts while I'm also watching every show, reading every screenplay and cultivating Michelle Obama arms? Eventually, I realized that a lot of cool people say a lot of cool things on podcasts, and like Rebel Wilson, you can do your learnin' while hiking up canyons.

If you decide to go deep into the world of podcasts, you'll probably want a podcast manager for your phone. I tried out a couple free ones and hated them, so I invested in BeyondPod and have found it to be super user-friendly and worth the money.

Here are 5 of the best podcasts for TV and film writers:

1. Scriptnotes with John August and Craig Mazin
I'm sure you all already know about this one, but just in case: pro writers John and Craig tackle everything from the writing process and getting notes to the broader world of studio film, independent film, representation and more. They're also planning a live episode in LA July 25 (tickets should go on sale July 1).

2. On Story by the Austin Film Festival 
The On Story Podcast is the companion to Austin Film Festival's television show, On Story. Get an uncensored inside look at the creative process of film making through the eyes of some of the entertainment industry's most prolific writers, directors and producers. The recent episode with Bridesmaids and The Heat director Paul Feig was one of my favorites!

3. Here's the Thing with Alec Baldwin
Alec usually interviews actors, but their points of view about storytelling (and the entertainment industry) are both interesting and useful to writers. Also, Alec is a fearless and intuitive interviewer who delves into what's behind the impressive work of his guests. His podcasts with Girls creator Lena Dunham and The Wire creator David Simon are absolute must-listens.

4. Nerdist Writers Panel with Ben Blacker
Do you like Justified? Homeland? Key & Peele? New Girl? Breaking Bad? Lost? Parks & Rec? Ben Blacker has interviewed the creative minds behind all these shows and more - and since he's a writer too, he asks exactly what you want to know. Episode 85 with The Goldbergs creator Adam F. Goldberg was one of my favorites.

5. Comedy Bang Bang with Scott Aukerman
If you're a comedy writer, don't miss Comedy Bang Bang, which features all sorts of unpredictable conversation, music, improv and games. Recent guests include Paul Scheer, Seth Rogen, Lennon Parham, Jessica St. Clair and Adam Scott.

Inside the Writers Room with 'The Mindy Project'

Photo credit: Kristina M/Twitter

"Big, relatable things that happen in our dating lives" - that's what the writers of The Mindy Project think about when they pitch stories for the show, which just finished its first season on Fox.

Last night's Writers Guild Foundation "Inside the Writers Room" event at the Landmark Theater kicked off with a screening of the episode "Frat Party," followed by some insight into the writing process from creator/star Mindy Kaling and the show's writing staff.

Once the writers room opens, all the season's stories are broken collaboratively. Everyone pitches ideas and one of the "leader types" put them on cards. Eventually the ideas are whittled down to the best, and then writers are sent off to write specific episodes. A writer wouldn't be solely responsible for any big story turns; those are all figured out ahead of time, as a group. Also, it's okay if a first draft of a script doesn't yet have all the jokes figured out. When asked about writers' block (something the writers say can't exist when you work under the pressures of a show), Mindy suggested writing the "straight version" of a script, which only includes the main story beats. You can later "adorn" the script with the funny "ornaments."

Tracey Wigfield, a 30 Rock alum who wrote "Frat Party," says that being in a room full of writers is itself an antidote to writer's block. You can throw out an idea that's not fully formed and someone else will add to it. As all the writers chime in, ideas grow and improve. Really though, one writer says that the key to getting scripts finished is "just sitting down and doing it."

Mindy says she avoids fights in the room by being decisive. When she wrote for The Office, her boss would instigate arguments between writers and then sit back to watch the melee, but Mindy doesn't work that way; she'll say yes or no to an idea quickly so that everyone can move on. If anything, the writers will fight over YouTube videos. If you're going to interrupt work to show everyone a video, it'd better be funny.

The one other thing Mindy can't stand: slow renditions of "Happy Birthday." At one point, someone even printed out a picture of a cake and Usain Bolt to remind everyone to be speedy with their greetings.

Mindy isn't the only performer in the room. Ike Barinholtz, who plays goofy nurse Morgan, is also a member of the writing staff. "When I hire writers, I like theatrical people," she says, perhaps because she grew up in a house where children were expected to be seen and not heard, since nobody has anything worthwhile to say until they're 18.

When he joined the writing staff, Ike was pleasantly surprised to learn that he wouldn't be boxed in by a specific concept or structure. After seeing the pilot, he thought perhaps every episode would be a satire of romantic comedy tropes, but Mindy wants the show to do more than that. "People like when I'm on dates," she admits, but also says that the show can't be an endless parade of fun male guest stars. She also wants to "unlock the work dynamic," and Tracey is hoping that next season will see some kooky female patients, perhaps played by actresses like Anne Hathaway or Reese Witherspoon.

But even though character-Mindy has gone out with Seth Rogen, Mark Duplass, Tommy Dewey, Bill Hader, Ed Helms, BJ Novak and Anders Holm all in just one season, the writers are most intrigued by her relationship with fellow doctor Danny Castellano (Chris Messina). He's "deeply neurotic, masculine and repressed," Mindy says, while the character of Mindy can be mean and shallow. Mindy and Danny are both very defiant, and will sometimes stake out opposite positions just to be contrary. Danny, who is often the embodiment of things Mindy hates, takes "big, principled stances." The writers say that they use a white board to write lists of "Danny rants," like "the word Hawaii."

The writers say they haven't stalled anything romantic for the sake of teasing the audience - it's all about doing things in a natural way. Mindy says her only real experience writing romance was writing Jim and Pam on The Office - a couple that is very different from Danny and Mindy. While Jim and Pam are innocent and sweet, Danny and Mindy are jaded and have slept around - and at the beginning of the series, they can barely stand each other. As such, it would take them a while to get together (if that even happens). Despite the sweet near-kiss of the season finale, Mindy says that a Mindy-Danny romance isn't a foregone conclusion. "As humans we like to remember the romantic moment," she says - but with romance, a little goes a long way. Although you'll vividly remember Jim-Pam moments on The Office, the romance in an entire episode might only be four seconds of Pam leaning her head on Jim's shoulder. "It's better for Danny to look at Mindy than to kiss Mindy," she explains. Mindy likens the dilemma to putting a bit of cinnamon in your coffee. When viewers rave about the romance, writers can feel compelled to give the fans more of what they want - but they end up writing an entire cup of cinnamon instead of coffee.

Besides, multiple dates and guest stars are fun. "Dating banter is awesome," Mindy says. "I don't see that in movies. I'm luckier than Katherine Heigl...it's like, the best."

When it comes to the "rules" of writing The Mindy Project, the writers make sure to focus on Mindy's life, and make sure they're "always residing inside the main character's head." Ike also says that making scenes work - both on the page and in improv - is all about listening to each other, saying funny things, making sure everyone is affected by what's said, and being true to the character. Mindy also thinks about (and envies) how Michael Scott was always an "energizer" on The Office. At the beginning of an episode, he'd walk into a room and make a demand or announcement that launched the plot into motion. But while The Office would feature conference room scenes where every "weirdo" would get a joke, The Mindy Project focuses more on mining comedy from its core characters. Of course, Morgan is a bit of a weirdo - and Jack Burditt says he's a great way to end scenes.

Matt Warburton, who wrote on Community before coming to The Mindy Project, says that he continues to apply a lesson he learned from Dan Harmon: when you give your character something great, it needs to have the seed of something challenging. So if Mindy finally achieves something she wants in her dating life, she should immediately face some kind of difficulty in terms of what it means. Another writer says that finding "joy in the characters" is important. There's a balance to be struck between wish fulfillment and real life.

When it comes to forging a career in the industry, Mindy says that there's no one specific path. Tracey Wigfield started out as a writer's assistant on 30 Rock and moved her way up, but Mindy didn't really know how to get those kinds of jobs, so she wrote a play called Matt & Ben that got her attention and eventually led to her writing job on The Office. Still, "it's hard," she says. "I didn't even get a meeting with Rob Carlock on Joey." She agrees with Tina Fey philosophy about finding ways around the obstacles in your career: when she couldn't get a show going at NBC - the network that had employed her for so long - she went to Fox. An independent spirit also contributed to Mindy's success; "No one's gonna believe in you except you and your mom," she says.

When asked about sexism in the TV industry, Mindy says she's been lucky, since her Office bosses were incredibly progressive and feminist. (Similarly, Tracy says that she's only worked for Mindy and Tina Fey, so she's probably not the right person to ask about these issues.) Mindy knows that sexist writers rooms are definitely out there - and tend to make shows that do very well - but the people who run them probably wouldn't hire her, anyway.

The best thing we can do to support women in comedy is to watch The Mindy Project and spread the word.  "Tell a million of your friends," Mindy says.

---

For more info on Writers Guild Foundation events, check out the organization's website and Twitter.

Interview with Exec-turned-writer/EP Dan McDermott

5 Questions with a comedy showrunner assistant

Scott Brody works for comedy writer-showrunners Andrew Reich and Ted Cohen. He was kind enough to answer 5 questions about his job:

1. How did you get your job?

I think the same way most people end up getting jobs.  Timing, luck, having a good relationship with past employers, and a smidgen of balls.  I glued myself to the trades and created a spreadsheet of development and pilot news (something I didn’t realize at the time futoncritic.com was already doing for me).  I wrote down any connection to any pilot that I could possibly string out, no matter how remote, and started emailing friends and former colleagues.

One such connection was from my time working as an assistant at a production company that had developed something with Andrew Reich and Ted Cohen.  I remembered chatting with them and figured they might be nice enough guys to pretend they remembered me, too.  So, I emailed my old boss at the production company and asked if he might reach out to them on my behalf.  The assistant they had lined up had just fallen through and they happened to need someone urgently.  I got called on a Thursday, interviewed Friday, and started the next Monday.

2. What are the basic duties on a typical day of your job? Do you have time to write?

My job has changed in nature a few times.  When Andrew and Ted were doing two pilots at once, my job was a lot of scheduling and coordinating.  Then when Work It got picked up, I got to/had to read tons of scripts from writers at all levels for staffing.  That was also an opportunity for me to give some input and show that I have a brain.  Opportunities to prove you have a brain are important as an assistant.  You want to make sure your boss doesn’t end up just thinking of you as Assistant-bot 5000, or “that dude who fixes my iPhone.”

In series, my job was a lot of “shadowing": always following my bosses around so that I was there if they needed anything, but trying not to get in the way or generally say anything stupid.

Finally, when we transitioned to development, my job became more flexible and I’ve had to be game for anything from scheduling to proofreading scripts to picking up my boss from the mechanic when his car was getting serviced.

I have had time to write, and I’m sad to say I didn’t always take advantage of those opportunities.  But ultimately, I learned how to be productive in the stretches of down time I had and quickly shift gears when necessary.

3. Have your bosses read your stuff/helped you at all?

Yes.  And I think that probably most bosses, if you work hard for them and take the time to develop a good relationship, will want to help you out even if it is just in some small way.  Andrew and Ted have been amazing in this regard, and have mentored me through the process of writing a fresh spec.  They’ve been really hard on me at times, even asking me to do a page one rewrite at one point - but it has very much made me a better writer, and I was able to eventually get that script to a place where they were really happy with it (and so am I).  With any luck, it will end up being a good and useful writing sample for me.

4. What's something you learned about writing or the industry from your job?

Don’t pitch problems.  Pitch solutions.  You’d be amazed how many writers forget that.

Also, the thing that seems like the most important thing in the world to you is probably pretty low on the list for just about anybody else.

And make sure you earn your favors, whatever they are, through your relationships with people.  Nobody is going to help you if you haven’t given them a chance to get to know you (and ideally like you) first.

Along similar lines, as an assistant, make sure you are absolutely certain it’s okay for you to be pitching something before you open your yap.  It will be frustrating at times. (I know it was for me, as the former kid in class who always had his hand raised.  Shut up.  I liked school.)  But, pitching at times you shouldn’t be pitching is a big no-no.  Until you know for sure when it’s okay, better to play it safe and run your pitch by a writer on staff who you trust, in private.

Also, the other assistants are not out to get you.  That is in your head.  Probably.

5. When you had to read lower-level staffing submissions for your bosses, what did you look for? What were common mistakes writers made?

The most unbelievable thing was when a script had bad typos, weird formatting, or seemed just plain unfinished.  I don’t think there is anything worse than coming away from a script thinking that either the writer or the rep was lazy, or that some kind of mistake had been made with what file was sent over.

The most important thing in a script was just that it was good.  Funny, clear characters, clear voice, engaging story, well paced...you know, good.  I don’t think it’s as important to match the exact tone or style of a show you’re being submitted for.

One thing I think is important to keep in mind for low level writers submitting for network comedy in particular, is how difficult it is to execute a good original pilot script.  And the reality is that the skills involved in writing a good pilot aren’t necessarily the skills you’d need as a staff writer.  Whereas the job of writing a spec episode of an existing show closely aligns with what you’ll likely need to be able to do as a staff writer.  It will vary from showrunner to showrunner, but I know that during my experience, at a certain point we told agents to only send us specs for staff writer level submissions.  So, in the great debate of spec vs pilot, I think the only real answer is both.

If you are lucky enough to get called in for a meeting, be sure to show off your personality and really be yourself.  Probably 90% of the meeting at that point is whether or not you mesh with the showrunner and they could stand to be around you for 14 hours per day and until 3 am if necessary.

30 Female Screenwriters to inspire you

According to a recent study from the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film, of the 250 highest-grossing films last year, only 14 percent were written by women, while 38 percent of the films employed one or no women in roles such as producer, director, writer, editor, or cinematographer.

"There is inequality going on, and it's institutionalized, and it needs to stop," says Diablo Cody. She also covered the topic in a different interview: "I didn’t know it was that bad. I’d have to say visibility and representation are important. The women that have power need to be vocal and not complacent. I have seen very successful women and they don’t speak out because they don’t want to rock the boat and they simply want to stay quiet and be part of the boys’ club. I understand wanting to protect your career, but I’m willing to be outspoken and obnoxious."

In a recent Broken Projector podcast, writers and critics wondered if a lack of visibility exacerbates the issue. If women don't see a lot of women writing and directing films, does that discourage them from doing the same?

I think it does. Sitting at this year's all-male panel of WGA award nominees, I couldn't help but feel disappointed. Where were the women?

There are plenty of women writers and directors out there - but perhaps, like Diablo suggests, they're less outspoken, working hard under the radar. Ladies, you're not alone. What's encouraging to me is that it wasn't hard at all to find great female screenwriters to highlight. Get inspired by these 30 kickass women:

Lorene Scafaria

Tina Fey

Katie Dippold

Annie Mumolo

Gina Prince-Bythewood

Leslie Dixon

Lucy Alibar

Karen Croner

Robin Swicord

Mindy Kaling

Lena Dunham

Kourtney Kang

Dana Fox

Kelly Marcel

Julia Hart

Kirsten Smith

Karen McCullah

Dee Rees

Elizabeth Meriwether

Laeta Kalogridis

Vanessa Taylor

Nancy Meyers

Lisa Cholodenko

Sarah Haskins & Emily Halpern

Michelle Morgan

Melissa Stack

Diablo Cody

Jennifer Crittenden & Gabrielle Allan

Liz W. Garcia

Stacie Passon

5 Questions with a cable drama writers' assistant

Aaron is a writer's assistant on a cable drama. He was kind enough to answer 5 questions about his job:

1. How did you get your job?

Years back, I was an assistant at a TV production company and was able to make a good impression on a veteran writing team that was attached to one of our projects.  They were pitching the project to every cable and premium network in town within a matter of days, and I had to schedule all that, coordinate everyone in our pod, adjust for last minute changes, etc. Kind of a heavy plane to land, but it all went well.

Two years later, I had left the business to assistant manage a restaurant (more money, more time to write, etc).  It turned out being a restaurant assistant manager is a nightmare.  Everyone - customers, staff, vendors - everyone shits on you.  That's what you're there for.  So there I am, pack a day, trying to decide between buying a gun or starting Paxil, when I get an email from that writing team:

"Just wanted to know what you were up to and if you have any interest in being put up for an assistant to a showrunner?  If you are, send us your info..."

I hadn't had any contact with these people in almost a year...

So I met the showrunner, we hit it off, and I got the job.  Miracle.

I'm still working on the same show and have since been moved into the writers' assistant position.

2. What are basic duties you have to do on a typical day? 

I have two basic duties. My first and primary duty is to keep the room notes.  That's just about writing down everything the writers say and then organizing those thoughts into an easy to read document.  That organizing step can be time consuming.

The second big thing is research.  The show I'm currently on aims to be as realistic as possible.  So if someone pitches a crazy idea about a killer rapist dolphin, I pull up all the dolphin research I can to see if there are any facts to support the idea.  Or alternatively, the research is done as a first step and the room starts drawing story from the research.

3. Do you have time to write? 

Sometimes the work schedule/demands are very intense and sometimes they're easy, so it varies, but even if it's very intense, I make time to write every day even if it's just a half hour in the morning.  Have to.

4. What kinds of things have you learned from your job?

The coolest thing I've been shown is the value of immersing yourself in what you want to write about.  If you want to write about cops, but don't know anything about cops - call the cops.  Visit a police station.  Walk up to a cop on the street.  Find out if you've got a cop stashed in your social network somewhere and then go ask him/her questions.  Anyone - lawyers, paraplegics, local politicians - if you approach them and say, "Who you are and what you do fascinates me, would you please talk with me for a minute?", what are they going to say?  "Go fuck yourself"?  Maybe, but probably not.

5. What advice do you have for people who want to get a job like yours - and succeed?

It took me 5 years to get a job near a writing staff and I was pretty lucky when I did, so... But I think I got this writers' assistant job because I worked hard as the showrunner's assistant.  I got that job because I worked hard as an executive assistant.  I got that job because I worked hard as a receptionist, cleaning out the toaster and shit.  I got that job because of Craigslist.

A lot of my opportunities have come from unexpected people.  People I didn't realize were watching, were watching.  And luckily I was doing a decent job when they were.

So my advice has to be:
Let everyone know where you want to go.
Take pride in your work.

Screenwriting links: Tues, Feb 26

How 'House of Cards' Writer Beau Willimon Got the Inside Dirt on D.C. [The Hollywood Reporter]

From Script Reader to Warner Bros Latest Acquire: Meet Ashleigh Powell [ScriptMag]

Little change for Parks and Rec, says showrunner [Canada.com]

'The Walking Dead': Showrunner Glen Mazzara discusses the latest 'edge of your seat' ending [Entertainment Weekly]

God Is in the Details - Interview with David Magee, writer of Life of Pi [WGA.org]