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In show business, they say that its all about who you know.
Well, youre in luck because now you know Priyanka!
Id like to write for TV someday (soon).
But what are showrunners looking for (specs?
), and how are they getting submissions right now?
Is the diversity push real?
What do I do if Im lucky enough to meet on a show?
And revamp your personal website!
Make it easy for people to find and recommend you.
For an aspiring new writer putting a portfolio together, what would you recommend?
But whatever the writer feels showcases their ability best.
Liz Flahive and Carly Mensch:We only read original samples pilots, plays, even screenplays.
Wont even read specs.
Neither really tells you about whether a writer can handle herself in a room.
Its more about the writers voice and POV.
Mike Schur:I prefer original work pilot, short stories, whatever.
(Sometimes a spec of an existing show only tells you whether the writer is a good mimic.)
What do you look for when you read a new writer?
Jokes, structure, character development of course, but to what degree?
:I mean, yeah, those are really the primary things Im looking for.
I guess an offshoot of structure would also be story flow?
I really enjoy reading material that just flows its definitely a skill to make something feel effortless.
- you might learn story structure and plot mechanics and stuff like that, but you cant learn uniqueness.
We look for character development, emotional tracking, and our kind of humor above other skills.
They just have a special something and you want more.
Were also aware that not everybody has the full package.
We need the writers room as a whole to be able to do everything, but not every writer.
- So if youre really good at one particular aspect of storytelling, that sample script should really showcase that.
I think theyre two different skill sets.
That applies to pitching as well.
Someone can be great at pitching but then not able to deliver a draft and vice versa.
A lot of writers are good at all the elements, but yeah, theyre all definitely different.
:All the time.
Breaking story as a room is a specific skill.
And the room is not for everybody.
But not being a dynamo in the room doesnt mean a writer isnt meaningfully contributing to the show.
- When you meet a new young writer for staffing, what are the qualities youre looking for?M.S.
Kindness, talent, empathy, and curiosity, in that order.
Is this someone I would want to spend hours and months in a room with, stuff like that.
L.F. and C.M.:Enthusiasm.
Someone who has something new to add to the room that we dont already have.
What are a couple of the best samples youve ever read, and did you hire them?
Is there anyone you havent gotten to hire that you wish you did?N.K.
Or if you dont, then I know who you are!
Agents are the gatekeepers, and its important for showrunners to be explicit about who they want.
- We also reach out to theaters weve worked with and ask them for up-and-coming playwrights they love.
Make it a priority to value those stories.
Plus, you must be bored of just hearing from the usual suspects by now, arent you?
As for the question Is the diversity push real?
Its often conscious and unconscious sexism mixed with laziness.
Racial imbalance offscreen remains pervasive in Hollywood, and the pace of change is glacial.
Fortunately, the explosion of number of platforms and shows has helped increase demand for stories from different perspectives.
So it has become good business to break bad habits.
It took a decade from Donald Glover getting hired on30 RockuntilAtlanta.
Aziz Ansari and Alan Yang had seven seasons atParks and RecreationbeforeMaster of None.
If they hadnt gotten their first jobs, how could they be bosses?
The message for talent is [to] be ready.
MTV gave Aziz a show just out of college.
Donald was still at NYU when hired by Tina Fey.
Now Aziz and Donald do the hiring.
Have the material on the page or on the stage ready to go.
The financial incentives are there for buyers and reps to break the chain of laziness and look harder.
