Write for the Entertainment Industry
Would you like to write for TV? In 2017, I attended Comic-Con International, the annual popular arts extravaganza held every summer at the San Diego Convention Center. This is what I learned at a panel called “The Writer’s Journey: Breaking In and Managing a Career In Hollywood,” featuring advice from four industry professionals: Brandon Easton, Geoffrey Thorne, Ubah Mohamed, and Tony Puryear.
The Experts
Brandon
Easton was nominated for an Eisner Award in 2014 for Watson and Holmes by New Paradigm Studios. His writing credits
include Marvel’s Agent Carter and
IDW’s M.A.S.K.
Geoffrey Thorne
is a TV producer and has worked on TNT’s The
Librarians and Marvel Comic’s Mosaic
as well as USA Network’s Law & Order:
Criminal Intent.
Ubah Mohamed
has written for DC’s Legends of Tomorrow
and ABC’s The Whispers.
Tony Puryear
is an artist and writer and he worked on the Schwarzenegger film, Eraser and Dark Horse’s graphic novel, Concrete Park
Find Your Muse
Tony Puryear encouraged the audience to find their muse: “Being
a writer is a holy calling. You must get in a quiet place and listen. It’s like
joining a cult of one.”
Other panelists added: Never chase a trend because it leads
to a brick wall. Instead, go after what you feel passionate about.
Decide what kind of writer you want to be: TV, motion
picture, comics and graphic novels, or novels because they are different. Then
research the business thoroughly. Find out everything you can about that
industry—the roles, the terminology, the people, the ins and outs.