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Inside the Room: Writing Television with the Pros at UCLA Extension Writers' Program
What does it take to go from being a fan to professional television writer? For the first time outside of the UCLA Extension Writers' Programme classrooms, TV writers whose many produced credits include The Simpsons, House M.D., and Pretty Little Liars take aspiring writers through the process of writing their first spec script for an on-air series, creating one-hour drama and sitcom pilots that break out from the pack, and revising scripts to meet pro standards. Learn how to launch and sustain a writing career and get a rare, intimate look inside the yearlong process of creating, selling, and getting a TV show made. Edited by writers' program director Linda Venis, Inside the Room is the ultimate guide to writing one's way into the Writers Guild of America. "Venis corrals an accessible and useful guide for anyone with the dream and the drive who needs to know, practically, what to do. An engaging and helpful how-to for hopeful TV writers or anyone interested in the nuts and bolts of this ephemeral art." - Kirkus Reviews
- GenresWritingNonfictionTv
272 pages, Paperback
First published August 6, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
August 21, 2022
Another book down for my MFA i am just posting my rough annotation. If you are into screen writing its worth a read.
One aspect of television writing that sets this book apart from the others is how each chapter author shares their own personal experiences working in the writing room. Exploring sitcoms, procedural and the one-hour drama and how each is different. Whether creating or working on an existing series this book set up how to write each. Unlike a novel, scriptwriting hangs on the outline and how important planning a TV show is a necessity with the dialogue being some of the last elements to be written in the process. Chapter Four touches on revising and the steps to take to do effective rewrites. What to do if a scene is working, combing of characters, and making sure the main characters appear in each act are just some of the major problems to address in the rewrite. Section two discusses how to write comedy spec and pilot scripts giving a checklist of what to consider before writing the sitcom script. There are plenty of examples for popular shows that demonstrate how each writer’s techniques have worked. There are plenty of script samples to reinforce what each chapter author illustrates.
One aspect of television writing that sets this book apart from the others is how each chapter author shares their own personal experiences working in the writing room. Exploring sitcoms, procedural and the one-hour drama and how each is different. Whether creating or working on an existing series this book set up how to write each. Unlike a novel, scriptwriting hangs on the outline and how important planning a TV show is a necessity with the dialogue being some of the last elements to be written in the process. Chapter Four touches on revising and the steps to take to do effective rewrites. What to do if a scene is working, combing of characters, and making sure the main characters appear in each act are just some of the major problems to address in the rewrite. Section two discusses how to write comedy spec and pilot scripts giving a checklist of what to consider before writing the sitcom script. There are plenty of examples for popular shows that demonstrate how each writer’s techniques have worked. There are plenty of script samples to reinforce what each chapter author illustrates.
March 11, 2016
Great book! I skipped part 2 about writing comedy, because that's not what I'm aiming for, but I feel like I know a lot more of the TV writing lingo, have a good idea of how to break into the industry, and how to get an idea of what to write for a script (spec or original).
March 18, 2023
It's difficult to rate this book, because I have no intention of moving to LA and becoming a television writer. I'm not even sure why it made it into my TBR piles, since it's more of a reference book - and again, a reference book in a career that I have no intention of having. (Although I wish I had seriously considered it and worked for it when I was young, and willing to move cross country on a whim, and starve to death for a dream.)
It *felt* like good advice on how to write spec scripts and spec pilots, etc, etc. And the last essay is so much fun - a year in the life of an aspiring television writer. If i was just rating the last essay on pure readability, this would have been a 5. But, it is a reference book, in something I have no idea if the references are true or not. :P So... I'm giving th book a 4 star rating in good faith.
Read for a PopSugar Reading Prompt - Read a book set in Hollywood.
It *felt* like good advice on how to write spec scripts and spec pilots, etc, etc. And the last essay is so much fun - a year in the life of an aspiring television writer. If i was just rating the last essay on pure readability, this would have been a 5. But, it is a reference book, in something I have no idea if the references are true or not. :P So... I'm giving th book a 4 star rating in good faith.
Read for a PopSugar Reading Prompt - Read a book set in Hollywood.
August 14, 2019
While this collection of essays by seasoned television writers is a must-read for anyone interested in the industry, the book as a whole suffers a bit from redundancy. You will read the same advice repeated by different writers, which emphasizes the relevancy of that advice, but also makes it feel like the book can no longer offer you any new advice the further you read it. This is a book that works better as a handbook to reference piece meal while you're in the process of writing a spec script or pilot, rather than a book to read straight through. The last chapter in particular, which chronicles the process of getting a pilot approved from the perspective of a fictional aspiring TV writer, is worth reading alone just to give you an idea of what you're in for when entering this field of work.
June 4, 2019
As a TV Producer/Writer I like to read books on craft at least once a year to stay fresh.
Inside The Room was engaging and filled with lots of tips.
The final chapter is worth its weight in gold - it outlines the journey of writer and script during a year of being picked up by a network. All the highs and lows and the outside factors beyond a writers control as the script moves to pilot greenlight.
If you're not familiar with the industry, this is a great primer.
Inside The Room was engaging and filled with lots of tips.
The final chapter is worth its weight in gold - it outlines the journey of writer and script during a year of being picked up by a network. All the highs and lows and the outside factors beyond a writers control as the script moves to pilot greenlight.
If you're not familiar with the industry, this is a great primer.
December 3, 2020
Some chapters are quite good, others so so, and a fair amount of repetition. Best not to read cover-to-cover as I did but to pick and choose the topics you care most about.
February 12, 2021
Critical Score: 3.75
Personal Score: 3.75
Total Score: 7.5
Personal Score: 3.75
Total Score: 7.5
July 28, 2014
In comparison to the plethora of books available about screenwriting, books about writing for television are in short supply. Inside the Room fills a needed void. Although basic in places and occasionally repetitive, Inside the Room does a nice job of explaining the industry and offering useful advice. Extra points for the format and having several different writers tackle the subject. Although aspiring writers could pick and choose which chapters to skim, the entire book is worth reading, regardless of genre.
Said aspiring writers might still want to check out a screenwriting book or two, but Inside the Room is a must – and not just because it’s the only game in town. Recommended.
Said aspiring writers might still want to check out a screenwriting book or two, but Inside the Room is a must – and not just because it’s the only game in town. Recommended.
September 21, 2013
Informative, but because it was written by multiple people is often repetitive.
January 12, 2016
An absolute must-read for screenwriters. One of the best books on writing series, if not THE best book I've encountered.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews