Home » Video » ...

How to be tv writer Videos

A Successful TV Writer On Why Not To Write For TV

Josh Lieb worked in the writer's rooms of comedy successes from the Simpsons to the Daily Show, but he warns that the job is full of more frustrations than glory.

User Comments

FractalBolt commented on 19 Apr 2012

Nothingg new. Look, I'm an architect, and competition in architecture is insane as well. I haven't had a job in almost two years, as an architect. I'm also an aspiring writer and I know I am good at it, it's the only thing in my life I know I really have a talent for. I will study a masters in Scriptwriting for film and TV soon, I'm taking my chances, but at least it is more satisfying than architecture and at least I know I have a better chance to be something, as small as it might be. Scram!

harshlight7 commented on 28 Oct 2012

To all of the people who've commented that this guy is pessimistic or negative: he's been there and done it. This is the reality of trying to make it as a creative person in the world. Ask anyone who's been in Hollywood for a while for their honest advice and they will likely tell you the same thing: if there's anything else you can do, do that instead. And be prepared for a lot of rejection, frustration and plain old bullshit. It's looks like fun and glamour from the outside, but it's not.

Vera Nakhimova commented on 28 Jun 2013

I know most of u guys are disappointed that this video wasn't so positive and stuff, but i really like that he is honest. I've heard sooo many creative people say the same thing - that if u can do something else and enjoy, than do it instead. And those r ppl who work in the industry for decades and know what they are talking about. I don't think that he tried to make u not pursue tv writer's career, but too many aspiring writers think it's gonna be much easier than it actually is.

Epeolatry1 commented on 10 Mar 2013

What you just said, is possibly the stupidest thing I've ever read. It makes me feel more of an idiot for having just read it. Because you've not heard of someone, you don't recognize their name, they suck? Name everyone on the executive board of the Deutsche Bank in Frankfurt off the top of your head. Never heard of them? Because on their millions of euros, they don't need you to know their names. I can't believe how ignorant what you just wrote was.

Daetwan Williams commented on 17 Mar 2013

It's really hard to listen to someone who made their dream tell others not to go for their dreams. Imagine if Tom Brady was telling little kids to not play quarterback because they have zero chance of becoming a pro. Yes it's hard to get writing gigs, but I think it's a cop-out to tell people to not do something because it's hard. I'd rather him just say, "know the right people" because that's more likely true and is less pessimistic than "don't try".

j.max commented on 21 Mar 2012

Pessimistic...is what I thought of at first. Then I replayed it and applied it to myself. I write. I like it. But I don't know if I want to do it professionally. What I really want is for people to like my talents and effort, whatever and wherever it may be. It might be writing, it might not be. If you write to answer your calling or your passion, more power to you. Shit, I'll root for you.

GoCardinal2012 commented on 04 Sep 2012

Hey everyone! Don't listen to this lisping mumbling idiot! For such a "savant," he forgot that writing is not an exercise of cost-benefit analysis, it's about finding an emotional truth. He's only saying that because he can't fathom why he got a job as a writer, deferring it to luck. Well, only the untalented are lucky. Write and you will be heard! What a fucking downer this guy is!

jujuandjesus commented on 13 Feb 2013

He's right, if it is hard to do you should hang up your keyboard and go flip burgers. Don't go after your dreams, because people will hold you back. Don't stick to your ambitions, because others are more ambitious. This guy is optimistic like a graveyard is cheerful. Holy shit, don't listen to this guy, he is from American't.

DevCom666 commented on 15 Sep 2015

Since this was done in 2009, what he says about the decline of scripted TV doesn't apply any more. You think about the number of avenues, like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, etc., where there are more and more scripted shows, the pendulum has completely swung back. The problem is, the competition is also MUCH more intense now.

Karla Sheabon commented on 24 Dec 2011

right now there are a lot of people trying to do many things. not just writing. If you go to WALMARTS i'm sure there are tons of people trying to work there. Same with Acting, Nursing, being a police man, working in anything during this economy there are tons of people doing the same. thats reality

GudLuckCharmz commented on 11 Jun 2013

Lol I thought watching this would give me some insight and optimism but instead I find this guy telling me to give up on my dreams because he couldn't achieve his, what a shame... some of us are up for the fight.

drboogersnot commented on 11 Apr 2013

I know he's just trying to be frank, but telling someone not to do something because it's hard is never quality advice. But hey. If you're going to quit that easy, be my guest. Less competition for other people.

stlactor405 commented on 02 Apr 2013

look this guy is sincere and i totally agree with the point hidden in the middle of his diatribe...if you think it is hard or you can imagine yourself doing something else this is the wrong business for you!!

Dan Hammonds commented on 06 May 2013

I'm sure this is useful advice for someone in his shoes, but what about the rest of us who actually have some charisma, personality, imagination, creative ideas and determination?

Karla Sheabon commented on 24 Dec 2011

please there are so many lawyers who have NO money and there are some who do well. so not everyone can be a lawyer. this guy seems out of touch with REALITY

Dirk Ruddy commented on 01 Mar 2013

Who ever heard of a good joke written by this guy anyway? I am a huge simpsons fan but I did not recognize this guys name at all. He sucks.

FSrevolution commented on 18 Dec 2011

He says most writers are only good at writing, i think people are usually only really good at one or two things and it's not just writers

Film Magician commented on 08 Nov 2012

maybe he just sucks and has found failure, before a bit of success. now he`s jaded...that or he`s trying to weed out the competition.

cb9603 commented on 23 Aug 2010

If you want to be as discouraged as humanly possible on going into the business, watch this video and listen to this doucher.

helikestv commented on 24 Sep 2011

when even a jewish guy is telling you how hard it is to make it in Hollywood, you know it's an uphill battle.

dieterdengler commented on 27 Nov 2014

GTFOH. Poverty is wearying. Writing for TV is better than winning the lottery and twice as hard.

CornishRicky commented on 06 Oct 2012

Inspiring! If this guy made it while carrying that much self-pity on his back...

The Life Of A Television Writer Working On A TV Writing Staff by John Truby

BUY THE BOOK - THE ANATOMY OF STORY: 22 Steps To Becoming A Master Storyteller //amzn.to/1vqUJyS FULL FILM COURAGE INTERVIEW WITH ...

User Comments

Queue Snake commented on 08 Oct 2013

the best ideas, and by extension, the best thinkers/problem solvers don't necessarily rise to the top. Instead, people are held back by institutional gatekeeper blocks or someone's ego rather than the limits of their own talent. The horror stories of "the producer or studio exec or other head administrator that just doesn't 'get it,' or conflicts on set, etc." are so common now that it's become a cliche, from the Teacher's strike in Chicago last year to the Writer's Strike to the VFX strike to

Queue Snake commented on 08 Oct 2013

*gypped. Mozart and Beethoven (or at least I heard) were kind of the same way. They preferred to make their money by composing rather than instructing, and a lot of the instructors I've ever met were simultaneously working in the industry as well as instructing. Still, that kind of culture of being hesitant about sharing "trade secrets" does highlight a number of deficiencies with regards to the capitalist system. In a cloak and dagger environment where everyone is trying to outdo the other,

Queue Snake commented on 08 Oct 2013

Now, it's all reality shows and puppy videos. Which, I'm not going to lie, I'm starting to see the appeal. I've seen some really mean people on the planet turn into absolute sweethearts when confronted by a dog with doe eyes (shortly before making a flash video trolling blasting dogs into a new form of cafeteria mystery meat). Now, you tell me what that is worth, because whatever they're getting paid (a fourth of a penny per copy or download in residuals, or something equally pathetic like

Queue Snake commented on 08 Oct 2013

No wonder the instruction you get in school is sketchy at best. All the great writers are busy selling their darling to the highest bidder on cable networks, not spoon-feeding the next generation. Understandable. That said, what's the pay like. Because last I heard, the Writer's Strike left a rather bad taste in my mouth with regards to talk of getting gripped on royalties. If you're going to be operating "24/7," there better be a better incentive than "for the the passion," because as far

Queue Snake commented on 08 Oct 2013

Oh, yes, whatever they're getting paid, quadruple it, because it's not nearly enough. I think that's the Catch-22 of the whole paradox of "art appreciation." In order to properly value art, you have to actually take time to slow down and explain what when to making it. In other words, stop and smell the roses. You could have a hundred good ideas, but all of those ideas are useless when presented to someone who doesn't know how to make heads or tails of it. That's something I learned about

Queue Snake commented on 08 Oct 2013

Interesting. Fast and hard idea thought experiment evolution. LoL. 24/6-7, depending on the Showrunner, eh? Good thing I emptied all of my story ideas out of my head before approaching something new. Sounds a bit like entering a war room. Sounds like fun. ;) That said... is there a bunny hill? Because I don't think I'm ready to sink any shows so thoroughly into the ground that it can never recover. I've always wondered how the writers of 24 could sleep at night.

Queue Snake commented on 08 Oct 2013

art; it's only valuable to other artists, therefore, the best form of "advertising" is by openly sharing the ins and outs of other potential artists (a.k.a. fans). This is also a rather useful ego valuation, because it tells you, in the grand scheme of things, just how good you really are. If someone can rip off one or two or ten of your good ideas, and that's it, and you become a one-hit wonder bitterly spiting the hack that screwed you out of your

Queue Snake commented on 08 Oct 2013

And don't even get me started on the NBA, NHL and NFL lockouts... ... actually, I can't. I know nothing about sports lockouts, but the epic conflicts between the Bulls team and coach vs management during two epic three-peats more or less set the tone. Oh, those were good days. You could tangibly measure the effect the Bulls's championship runs had on the nation's GDP and foreign sales. Very few sports franchises can make such a similar boast. /rant

Queue Snake commented on 08 Oct 2013

your character and would actually be happy if you had the balls to kill your character off. How much more can a human being possibly face? Lord knows the audience can't take it any more. The people who write this stuff, and the people who consume this stuff, are as hardcore as it gets. Whatever laughable lack of a life these writers have, hardcore fans have a comparable lack of a life. Hell, you could go over plot-lines and get

Queue Snake commented on 08 Oct 2013

cops not getting paid overtime hours for keeping hippies from getting violent with their protests for the NATO summit in Chicago last year (and thus avoiding becoming like the violent riots of the 1968 Democractic convention), or how all the best filmmakers today had to work in spite of rather than because of the system, or how the head of the Sy-Fy channel voicing the opinion that she really doesn't like Science Fiction.

Queue Snake commented on 08 Oct 2013

Entertainment or Bungie or ReSpawn Entertainment (formerly the staff of Infinity Ward) from your average artists. You can have the exact same tools be available and still not be able to replicate the kind of invented prioprietary software/hardware and artistic statements/output that they do. Thus, gatekeepers can only screw you for so long. Eventually, people learn where the real value lies and go to the source.

Queue Snake commented on 08 Oct 2013

The interesting thing about TV shows, and why I think a lot of the best writers end up working in TV, is that in TV, you have to be a repeat success. If you manage to steal one or two good ideas from a fellow writer, good for you. You've managed to become a one-hit wonder. But in TV, you have to repeat that success over, and over, and over, and over, and over, until people are black and blue in the face with

Queue Snake commented on 08 Oct 2013

That said, I absolutely respect the Tolkien estate for not selling the film/TV rights to the property. Better to do what they did with Season 7 of 24 or the BSG series (-ish) or Doctor Who Series 3 and plot these things out with an actual overarching skeleton structure than pull a 24 Season 6 (waa, waa, depictions of torture are politically incorrect. Yeah, that may be PC, but it sure as heck ain't engaging

Queue Snake commented on 08 Oct 2013

new story ideas from some of these fans. The only reason Star Trek or Star Wars survives is because some fanatical fans *refuse* to stop beating that dead horse or give it up. They RESURRECT and zombify that sh-t so it goes on to haunt the dreams of entirely new generations. *That* is the power of a good idea. Or, at least, that's how it used to be. I assume comics fans were at one point just as fanatical.

Queue Snake commented on 08 Oct 2013

I oftentimes find that I need the trigger of an interesting hook. Staring at a blank page is death. I'm sure this is all infinitely fascinating, but I find that I'm a bit like Pyro in that scene from "X2-United," where Pyro's talking to Magneto about how he can shape the flames any way he wants, but he cannot create them. Damn. No wonder cover letters or getting started are so difficult.

Queue Snake commented on 08 Oct 2013

that?) Because you could make a TV series that lasts ten seasons based off of the Silmarillion (I assume. When have the production value of millions of dollars per episode on a series like Heroes, you're damned right the showrunner better apologize when every season after one seems to have no direction. BSG *went* somewhere.).

Queue Snake commented on 08 Oct 2013

Also, just by the fast-paced, endurance trial, marathon-like nature of television writing, TV writers end up exploring more branching permutations of the human condition more often and more intensely than writers of other mediums. In other words, TV writers (and video game designers) are just better because

Queue Snake commented on 08 Oct 2013

they practice their frenetic craft more often than everyone else. Hell, it'd be interesting to see some cross-pollination in either field. I have no idea what that would look like, seeing as how they both work entirely differently, but damn if it wouldn't be fun to observe.

Queue Snake commented on 08 Oct 2013

television. Television is where sh-t hits the fan. *hard* WIbbly, wobbly, timey, holey-sh-t!!! Just from a logical standpoint, there's no way someone can untangle all of this!!! And then they do. Maybe. That fricken' Tennant.).

Film Courage commented on 08 Oct 2013

Snake, in regards to how much money TV writers make, search "Show Me the Money: WGAW TV Writer Earnings Grow As Screenwriter Earnings Decline" which is a recent article on No Film School that showcases some numbers.

Queue Snake commented on 08 Oct 2013

Believe it or not, I have sketched all of this out. The back an forth of communication is a new thing for me. Anyways, off to create a creative blog! Thanks!

Queue Snake commented on 08 Oct 2013

as I can tell, the only guys that seem to properly value and appreciate the impressions left by passionate artists are people like me.

What Is a TV Comedy Writer's Day Like?

Michael Price, NCFL supporter and Emmy-winning writer and co-executive producer of The Simpsons, shows his Wonderopolis friends what it's like to write a ...

User Comments

blastywasty commented on 10 Aug 2011

Hey Michael, I really enjoy The Simpsons. In fact, it's because of the Simpsons that I want to become a TV writer myself. This video was really cool. You should make more vids about TV writing!

Dan Hammonds commented on 03 Jun 2013

Thanks for the tour of my future work environment. I look forward to working with you on revolutionizing The Simpsons. :)