TV writers are like sailors. Let's picture them as prisoners on a putrid, infested ferryboat; on which they have to tie resisting knots with the dryest, thinnest, thorny vines. All in order to secure that the huge garbage boat doesn't drift away and sinks down with their jobs and salaries.
I mean this with the most sincere and heartfelt empathy for TV writers. Because creatively you couldn't face a major oppression than to be subjected to the working boundaries rich asshole owners decide to impose and execute to accommodate their latest whim. Even against all known functioning laws of the universe.
TV writing is a painful exercise of creating transitions between the most idiotic scenarios, in such a way that it gives the illusion of reality and rationality to these committee-approved advertising chinese finger traps.
But staying only on the craft level, it is hard, tortuous work. To compromise your own principles of integrity and pride for your work. To allow yourself to betray science, or to betray your own values. I guess one way to go about it would be to be bad at it.
I'd take that road, I'd suck at it; I couldn't possibly bring myself to come up with clever, devious workarounds. Seeing my name, or just thinking of my name displayed on the end credits, after a poor, poor and stupidifying story would kill my soul and ambitions. But I might do it, just to survive and pay the bills, and dedicate myself to my hobbies or my own writing, it doesn't have to be gloomy, friend. It can be a way to deal with the surviving part of life and then actually enjoy the rest. As it is, anyway nowadays, a job is more of a burden than a career. So why not milk this easy ride? I'd do it.
Another road would be to try to excel at it. To see how seamlessly I could amalgamate those blocks of pure white moron. See if I could weave my pen through the fabric that constitutes this offence against progress; to do it in such an elegant, inspiring, magnificent way that the blinding lights prevent the viewers from pondering about the ebb of shit behind it all. It will most definitively be a challenge, a taunting exercise just waiting for someone to take it down. That could be fun too. Plus it has an amazing perk, this road is the one chosen at the awards.
Critics love this kind of writing. They throw awards to these hallmarks of the writing muscle. You could actually get rich doing it! People ARE getting rich like this! It's crazy, but it's an option. Of course you'll have to forfeit the romance that comes inherit to writing. You won't get to stand up for what you believe, you won't be able to write about love the way you see it, your characters will not speak with all the power you could infuse in their fiery speech and their point won't be made. You'd have millions though, you can always give it a go at buying happiness, maybe you'd be the one to succeed at it.
This is why there are always "teams of writers". Have you ever heard of a great book written by a team? Other than technical books, wise guy. I'm talking, short stories, novels, poetry, graffiti. The written word as my expression of mankind. Big TV has writers in kennels, they have guidelines, limits, censorship on every working level, interior and exterior. And they feed them their story directives on a crusty pewter plate, slid under the cell door.
So next time you catch yourself standing up and introverting for a second about why should you believe something that clearly makes no sense to the story (be it bickering, jealousy, wrong answers, explosions, one-liners, judgement; it has different patterns for different genres), or why the dialogue is always over the top sassy or risqué when it's not being as subtle as ninja phytoplancton. Then, remember you can choose to enjoy the smokes and mirrors and shiny lights, it can be fun; or you could get up and try to create something. You, yourself; anything you enjoy will do: a doodle with coal, rearranging some objects, a painting, anything is actually perfect.
This is about the act of creation, a sense brought to us by the tool of art, in it's infinite forms. At least go out and try to find something new, something real to get inspired by or to just to think about for a while, creation doesn't have to be expensive or physical (external), but it is a very rewarding exercise that we should all try for our own sake as a species.
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