Potential Writer's Guild Strike

Like anyone will notice.

Hasn't been an original idea from Hollywood in decades.

I'm with the Ferret on that ! All these remakes and rehashes make me nauseous. I'd almost prefer to see the writers get the sack, so new writers could be hired, with new ideas and new energy, to take Hollowood in a new, more exciting and inventive direction.

You know, like all of us writerly types.

But, I don't really advocate writers being fired . . . unless they suck and I could do better.

Honestly? No, of course not. I don't advocate any writers being fired, and I can sympathize with their predicament, though without knowing the facts about their pay and their situations, I can only speculate that I'd be on their side.

I do agree that this age of the Interwebs is putting a lot of licensing and pay issues into question, and I'm behind them 100% in getting that settled in their favor. It's way too open right now, and I'm sure writers everywhere are literally being screwed out of what's theirs by the networks.

But on a side note, I am sick of those shows. Even the ones I do enjoy, which are fewer and further between these days, are hit and miss. I find myself experimenting with entertainment (get your mind outta that gutter!) and looking outside this country and the regular networks for my enjoyment.

But that's not the issue of this thread - I'm sorry, didn't mean to go off. As to the writer's strike, my first reaction is to be behind them as a fellow writer. But I'd love to know the real story behind it. The real issues and ramifications. Since I'm not an insider in this situation, I don't know enough to form a strong argument either way - though my gut tells me the little guy's getting the shaft!

ChaosTitan said:

What about the writers of original shows, like House, Life, Grey's Anatomy, Brothers & Sisters, Stargate: Atlantis, Two and a Half Men, Heroes, Journeyman, Bones, Prison Break, CSI, L&O, NCIS, Criminal Minds, Ugly Betty, The Simpsons, Las Vegas, Numbers...etc...

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Name something I actually watch...

Heck, half of those I've never even heard of.

And any fresh batch of new writers that replace the old ones will all want to join the Guild anyway so... that's not much good.

Shadow Ferret said:

Like anyone will notice.

Hasn't been an original idea from Hollywood in decades.

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I think original ideas are impossible to find in any medium, let alone Hollywood.

I would certainly notice and I'm sure a hell of a lot of other people would too.

MidnightMuse said:

But that's not the issue of this thread - I'm sorry, didn't mean to go off. As to the writer's strike, my first reaction is to be behind them as a fellow writer. But I'd love to know the real story behind it. The real issues and ramifications. Since I'm not an insider in this situation, I don't know enough to form a strong argument either way - though my gut tells me the little guy's getting the shaft!

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I feel the same way. During any strike, I am inclined to side with those on strike, but sometimes, when I learn more, I might change my mind. For instance, there was a bus strike in my city, and I was at first inclined to side with labor. But then I heard their demands. They were asking for retirement with full benefits after ten years, just to name one. And while I do ride the bus, and respect and value their job, I didn't think it was reasonable.

ChaosTitan said:

I have no idea what you watch, Shadow, I really don't. But any show on television that employs writers (uh, all of them?) will be affected by a strike. Writers, directors, actors, gaffers, sound guys, script girls, effects people, best boys, crane operators, lighting technicians, craft services...thousands of people will be unemployed.

That was my point.

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And my point was, everything on TV now is pretty much crap and we'd all be better off watching reruns anyway. Or, hey! Read a book.

Sorry if because I'm a writer I don't automatically side with a group of writers.

And being a union member, I don't always side with labor. Like Celia said, without knowing the real story behind the headlines, it's not possible for me to form an opinion.

Shadow_Ferret said:

And my point was, everything on TV now is pretty much crap and we'd all be better off watching reruns anyway.

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Are you sure? You could get a job writing soap operas with sweeping melodrama like that.

Considering there was no melodrama, only hyperbole, I doubt if they'd hire me.

Don't sweat the semantics. Keep it exaggerated and they'll snap you up. Only problem is... they may want you to join the Guild.

Seems like there was a strike or the threat of a strike in the last couple of years?

Maybe its time for them to just dust off all the old classics and that way they don't have to bother writing new remakes.

well, my life doesn't revolve around TV, so I don't think it is a reason to panic. I mean, we watch a lot of TV, don't get me wrong, but it includes movies and dvds. I'm not concerned about missing shows. Some of them are not living up to their potential anyway. (*cough* Heroes) Or like Ferret said, READ. Half the time when I have the TV on I am doing other things anyway.

I'm with Muse, I am inclined to side with the Writer's but I don't know enough about it.

I am curious if any AW members are affected by this?

Can someone please explain this whole "Writer's Guild" thing to me? Cuz I'm definitely not a member. I don't get it. There are thousands and thousands of writers trying to break into Hollywood every day. How do these guild members get a monopoly? Why can't Hollywood fire them and go out and get some new writers? Heck, I'd write a show or two if they wanted me to.

It just seems to me that strikes and such are usually only effective for vital services: garbage men, bus drivers, teachers, etc. Stuff that makes life inconvenient for everyone if they stop. But writers for TV shows? Who the heck cares?

Don't hold back Jo, tell us how you really feel.

From what I understand, and I've only heard news snippets here and there, the WGA wants compensation for DVD sales and distribution on the Internet, etc. I don't know the specifics, but on the surface that sounds fair. I left LA partly becuase of the way writer's get treated. PErsonally, if I were still there, I wouldn't want to cross the line becuase a win for them now is a win for future writers too. But again, I don't really know the specifics.

I'm happy to stay here in Alabama writing my novel.

ETA: Here's an article posted on AW about it.

http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=83011&highlight=strike

Some speculate that the strike will affect those who write novels by causing in inrush of out-of-work screenwriters who have a novel in the drawer--in other words, a glut.

There is another thread on this here.

JoNightshade said:

Can someone please explain this whole "Writer's Guild" thing to me? Cuz I'm definitely not a member. I don't get it. There are thousands and thousands of writers trying to break into Hollywood every day. How do these guild members get a monopoly? Why can't Hollywood fire them and go out and get some new writers? Heck, I'd write a show or two if they wanted me to.

It just seems to me that strikes and such are usually only effective for vital services: garbage men, bus drivers, teachers, etc. Stuff that makes life inconvenient for everyone if they stop. But writers for TV shows? Who the heck cares?

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You would care if you made your living as a TV writer, no? I know there are plenty of people out there who don't like or don't watch a lot of TV but that doesn't mean it isn't a multi-billion dollar industry which supports and entertains countless billions more around the globe. The Guild provides its members with legal advice, it has a loan and credit union, residual collection service, credit arbitration as well as medical, dental and pension plans. For working screenwriters, it provides the protection and support they need to make ends meet.

But to use an analogy for non-screenwriters, how about this - you write a popular book and the publisher tells you that although they'll pay you for a hardback release, you're going to get nothing (or next to nothing) for paperback.

That's crazy. Why wouldn't you get paid for something you created and that the publisher is making money from? But that's pretty much what is happening. Just as paperbacks are the cheaper, mass-produced form of novel writing, so DVD and internet downloads are (or certainly will be) for TV and film writers. Don't you want to be fairly compensated for your original creativity that the publisher/studio is making an utter fortune from?

As to why the studios can't just hire new writers - it's because writing assignments are contracted and there needs to be oversight for that. The studios are signatories to the Guild and the agreements are there to protect them just as much as they are there to protect the writer. They certainly could hire new writers but there's not a lot of point in the long term because there really aren't many writers who don't want to join the Guild and any non-Guild writer working during a strike would almost certainly be denied membership once the disputes are resolved.

ColoradoGuy said:

Some speculate that the strike will affect those who write novels by causing in inrush of out-of-work screenwriters who have a novel in the drawer--in other words, a glut.

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A glut? Of what? More novels in the slush pile? How does that affect me? Good writing always rises to the top, it'll just take longer because the agents now will have this "inrush" of trunk novels from screenwriters to sift through.

Okay, sorry for sounding angry or whatever. I'm actually not, I'm just confused. I mean, normal novel writers and such don't have a union (do they?) so I don't get why writers of TV shows do.

This was the answer to my question I think:

clock_work9 said:

As to why the studios can't just hire new writers - it's because writing assignments are contracted and there needs to be oversight for that. The studios are signatories to the Guild and the agreements are there to protect them just as much as they are there to protect the writer. They certainly could hire new writers but there's not a lot of point in the long term because there really aren't many writers who don't want to join the Guild and any non-Guild writer working during a strike would almost certainly be denied membership once the disputes are resolved.

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I just find the whole idea of a writers union, in any context, weird. I guess maybe because I think of it more as an artistic venture. And I think of unions as being for trades.