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Friday, November 8, 2013

The Game of Chance when writing for a TV Series

Defying Gravity. Firefly. Moonlight. Invasion. The Event. Grosse Point Blank. Threshold. Most people may never know what these phrases mean. Perhaps one or two of the words hit home, causing a cascading awareness. These titles are a list of great one season shows cut in their prime, for no good reason. And I have to ask just one question. Who are these decision makers, axing programing as if they know what viewers want or what our entertainment palates crave to savor? They take great writers, shelving them by turning them into one series wonders. This is no different than writers whose talents are ignored by people who have the influence to thrust their talents on a grander scale. Am I ranting? You bet I am. It gets my goat to read a story backed by a huge publishing house from beginning to end; feeling ripped off, because the story falls short thereby leaving me frustrated due to the theft of my time. Okay--now that I've purged my annoyance, it goes without saying, yet again, I've witnessed the unfairness of studios and their programming executives. Without giving characters time to flourish and the plot time to develop; another one bites the dust. I'm frustrated mainly because, as a viewer, when I invest my time in a series, I would like that series to properly have an ending. I applaud the network that hosted Threshold; even though the series didn't return for a second season, the viewers were rewarded with an ending that at the very least told us how the story would end. The same can be said for Firefly, and partially for The Event. But man oh man, do I get peeved when I watch Defying Gravity. This clever and engaging story gets me every time because "I get it". I really get the story and I hate that the network failed to understand that many viewers enjoy being challenged by the usual instead of the inane, which most programs possess. If I had the opportunity to write a series, there would be truth in my words. The characters would grow in ways that are real, and true to the development of the character and the direction of their storyline. There are no shortage of creative writers, but unfortunately the same cannot be said for programming decision makers. I feel strongly about this and recently while writing a series, I realized that the story read more like a soap opera, instead of the typical contemporary novel. At every turn, I didn't feel compelled to quickly wrap up a storyline primarily because, in life not every situation resolves itself like a one hour movie drama. I gave myself license to write, giving the readers more detail, realizing that for some characters their journey may not be resolved until the following book, or far later in the series. This is me being true to my characters and my writing. This is me not cowering under the pressure of fast-food, hurry up and get your kicks on. This mindset has led me to more challenging decisions and I have pledged to my readers to continue other series that due to other projects, remain tabled. I am one writer not afraid to let the characters lead the way. In this approach, I experience the story with the reader and the outcomes possess a genuine flavor more akin to the continuity of the real world.