Episodes

Alex and Nick invite Gary Sundt, writers' assistant on SUPERSTORE and THE GOLDBERGS, to discuss the ins-and-outs of assisting TV writers in comedy. How do comedy writers' rooms operate and how do those experiences help your own writing?

Alex and Nick discuss how television viewing habits impact the writing and enjoyment of TV shows. How does the way you consume a show influence the audience? How have changes in viewing habits transformed television writing itself? What are some ways to use that paradigm shift in your own writing? The Paper Team binges in one sitting... SHOWNOTES Content 1 - How people consume TV today (00:52) 2 - How viewing habits impact the perception of TV shows (11:37) 3 - How viewing habits affect a...

Alex and Nick invite Steven Darancette, writer on Amazon's Tumble Leaf and Nick Jr.'s Lalaloopsy, to discuss writing for TV children's animation. How does a non-primetime animation writers' room work? What are some of the distinctions in TV age-groups? How strict are censorship and regulations for children's content? What are unique challenges in writing for young kids versus young adults? Are there any mandates on an educational or promotional standpoint? The Paper Team channels their inner c...

Alex and Nick discuss television procedural shows, from writing them to reinventing the genre itself. What kind of procedurals are there on TV? How do you juggle between the characters, the overall story, and the case-of-the-week?

Update: PT39 transcript now available Alex and Nick welcome Alison Tafel, staff writer on Netflix's BoJack Horseman, to discuss writing on an adult comedy animation TV show. What is the BoJack Horseman writers' room like? How different is writing for animation from live-action? How do writers interact with animators? How much is planned in advance of the season? How are episodes broken in the room? The Paper Team horses around... SHOWNOTES Content Starting out in Hollywood, getting staffed...

Alex and Nick go live at WonderCon to talk about TV writers and fandom. Panelists include Ray Utarnachitt (DC's Legends of Tomorrow), Jill Weinberger (Chicago Fire), Tenn Martin (Lucifer), Diya Mishra (The Tick) and Taylor Brogan (Shannara Chronicles).

Alex and Nick are joined by BUFFY expert Evan Schmitt to discuss visual storytelling in TV writing through the prism of two episodes, "Hush" and "Restless". How do you convey information visually? How can you use imagery to illustrate story and character?

Alex and Nick discuss the importance of themes and values in television writing, and how you can use them to your advantage in your own TV scripts. Why are themes and values important in television writing? What are some examples of both? How do you work them in scripts? How do you avoid preachiness in the writing? The Paper Team shares their motifs... SHOWNOTES Content 1 - What are themes and values? (01:20) 2 - How to write themes and values in TV (14:12) 3 - Avoiding preachiness in you...

Alex and Nick discuss how to make supplemental income and getting side-jobs while working in TV or breaking in. How do you stay financially secure before and after breaking in the entertainment industry? How should you balance work and writing? What are some freelance jobs worth pursuing as a writer? What are the benefits and drawbacks of being an independent contractor? The Paper Team files their 1099... SHOWNOTES Content 1 - Benefits and drawbacks of finding supplemental income or freelan...

Alex and Nick discuss the ins-and-outs of writing a TV spec script of an existing show. How do you pick the show? Why is researching the series beforehand important? How do you brainstorm ideas for specs? What are some dos and don'ts to break the mold? The Paper Team picks their spec... SHOWNOTES Content 1 - What makes a TV spec, a TV spec (00:29) 2 - Writing the TV spec script (08:15) Takeaways and Resources (25:39) Links TV Spec Script List TV Spec Test TV Writing Fellowships: The Bix...

Alex and Nick discuss their experiences with television writing competitions and whether or not they're worth participating in. Which TV writing competitions are out there? What should you consider before entering? What do you actually get out of them?

Alex and Nick welcome Jimmy Nguyen, executive producer of the documentary Showrunners, to discuss independent producing, collaborating with other creatives, and the lessons and tips he's learned over his years working in Los Angeles.

Alex and Nick discuss the basics of getting an agent or manager representation as a television writer (also known as "TV Lit" representation). What are the main differences between agents, managers and entertainment lawyers? What will they do for you, and what will you be able to do for them? When are you ready to be represented? Should you get an agent or manager first? The Paper Team makes some calls... SHOWNOTES Content 1 - What is representation for TV writers? (0:35) 2 - The artist/re...

Alex and Nick go over everything you need to know to get started on writing your new pilot script, as well as some dos and don'ts for each step. How do you juggle writing a compelling hour of TV versus writing the first hour of a television show?

Alex and Nick discuss strategies on getting your shiny new TV script read around town, and what to actually expect from your efforts. Who should you want to read you? How do you know when you're ready to be read? What should you send over? What if you don't hear back? The Paper Team has some recommendations... SHOWNOTES Content 1 - Who you should get read by (0:39) 2 - What to send and knowing when you're ready to be read (4:48) 3 - Expectations versus Reality (10:47) Takeaways and Resou...

Alex and Nick discuss how to turn an outline for a TV script into a fully-fledged draft. Where should you begin? What if you're stuck or don't know where to start in a scene? What should you tweak and improve when looking back at your first draft?

Alex and Nick welcome Sam Miller, writer on YouTube's Single by 30 and CBS' Mom, to discuss his own process for creating a web series (L.A. Beer), the state of the format, his TV writing work, and being involved in JHRTS and the WGA. How do you make and market your own independent web series? What are the differences between television writing and writing for a YouTube web series? What are the benefits of being involved in JHRTS and the Writers Guild of America? The Paper Team skips the ad and...

Alex and Nick ring in the new year by discussing how they manage their TV writing goals and resolutions. How can you prepare for a typical year in the TV writing industry? What tools can you use to track and manage your goals? What are some practical resolutions to have? What does Paper Team have in store for 2017? The Paper Team looks at the year to come... SHOWNOTES Content 1 - Goals and Resolutions (00:28) 2 - Mapping out the TV writing year ahead (7:08) 3 - Tools to track and manage g...

Alex and Nick celebrate the holiday season and the end of 2016 by taking a look at their favorite TV holiday episodes, the best media of the past year, and some stats about the first six months of Paper Team. What makes a TV Christmas special? What are some of the best holiday specials? What was the best thing of 2016? What gifts did Nick and Alex give each other? The Paper Team settles down in front of the fire and grabs a cup of eggnog... SHOWNOTES Content 1 - What makes a TV Christmas sp...

Alex and Nick take a look at exposition in television writing, from dialogue to prose and meta information. What should be revealed to the audience? How can you give exposition in an organic and entertaining way? What makes good or bad exposition?

Alex and Nick discuss the contentious subject of copyrighting and idea theft in television. From the WGA to the Copyright Office, we take a look at the basics of protecting your work. What does a copyright do? Should you register your TV spec script or pilot? Have there been cases of TV copyright infringements? Why is it important for TV writers to share their work? The Paper Team consults their legal team... SHOWNOTES Content 1 - What is copyright or WGA West Registry vs. Copyright Office ...

Alex and Nick welcome Simon Taylor to hear his experience being a comedian, writing jokes for late-night television, and the hard work it takes to be consistently funny. How does the stand-up circuit work? What was it like writing for the Tonight Show with Jay Leno? Why is performing comedy different than writing comedy? How is the process of writing comedy in a room compared to doing it alone? What can a writer do to be noticed and find a following? The Paper Team performs their in-depth set....

Alex and Nick welcome Franklin jin Rho (FOX's The Exorcist) to discuss the ins and outs of being a TV script coordinator. He shares with us his advice, anecdotes, tips, and tricks to understanding and getting into this vital TV position, set halfway between the writers' room and production. How do you become a script coordinator (especially when you have no experience)? What do showrunners look for in candidates? What are the interactions like between writers and production? What can you do to...

Alex and Nick explore the differences in what an episode looks like between episodic or procedural TV and serialized shows. How has the TV episode evolved over the years? What does an episode mean in the age of binge-watching? What are some memorable stand-alone and serialized episodes? The Paper Team offers a self-contained narrative... SHOWNOTES Content 1 - The Stand-Alone Episode (00:34) 2 - The Serialized Episode (13:23) 3 - What is a TV episode today? (35:34) 4 - Critical reception ...