In The Writers Room

There has been evidence over time to suggest that there's some amount of interest in what writers do and how they do it. Out of admiration for the writer and a desire to be one, I was as interested as anyone in these things. One of the first things that came to mind, in addition to more recent films and television shows depicting writers of various types, was the classic 'Dick Van Dyke Show'. It was a show that depicted a collaborative writing staff, not the lone genius writer whose exploits had held sway. Finally, I have had a experience that I would feel justified in placing somewhere in the ballpark of that experience.

It began with a session to generate ideas. With that, it felt akin to a day of work on a sketch writing staff. There were all the earmarks of it there. We had a head writer, an isolated place to work, and both a board and laptop to record the notes written upon the board. Most important, though, was the quality of people we had there in the room. Maybe we were neither the legends from shows like 'Get Smart' or 'Your Show Of Shows' nor the contemporaries from programs like 'The Office' or 'Saturday Night Live', but we had committed people with the intellect and imagination to call themselves writers. It feels special to be among such people and feel that you belong.

This past weekend, we got together for the next step: pitching the developed versions of ideas we each adopted last week. This was tougher. The consequences of a poorly received idea in the first stage are mild, as one has not the time to invest in their idea either emotionally or in terms of time and energy. One just blurts something out, and feels no pain if their blurting failed to strike a chord. There's no time for that: the conversation moves too quickly. This time, however, one was to have spent a week and really made an effort. From an expenditure of time, energy and attention one was bound to develop an emotional attachment. That being the case, approval this time around had the power to lift the heart, while criticism or outright rejection could sink it deep down.

One has to have a thick armor to protect the feelings. The writer's room is a place of friends, but it is not necessarily a totally safe place. There is criticism, and one must take it in the proper spirit. Now, I had emotionally invested in my work, but knew I had to send it out like a child going to school. That child may get hurt in some fashion, but it's all for the good as long as he comes home. My kids got tuned up pretty good this time, but they came out stronger. Next week, they'll be stronger and smarter and faster, and they'll do better.