Alex and Nick announce that they’re taking a break from Paper Team. From new content to COVID fatigue, we go over all the reasons behind our decision in this episode.

Plus, we discuss the future of the podcast and our Patreon campaign.

Links

Survivor: Hollywood – Emotional and Practical Realities of TV Writing (PT209)
COVID-19 and Hollywood: How We Adapt (PT177)

You can find Paper Team on Twitter:
Alex – @TVCalling
Nick – @_njwatson

For any questions, comments or feedback, you can e-mail us: [email protected]

Alex and Nick answer your TV writing questions about the usefulness of being an assistant, limited access for lower-level writers, and supporting yourself financially.

Plus, we discuss the latest TV writing news, including the Paramount+ presentation and a series finale’s oral history.

Content

Review shout-out (00:32)
TV Writing Questions: Usefulness of being an assistant, supporting yourself financially, and limited access for lower-levels (01:18)
TV Writing News: Paramount+ presentation, revivals, and the oral history of Lost‘s series finale (22:25)

Links

Dunbar’s number
James Hamilton’s Twitter thread on supporting yourself financially
Michelle Denise Jackson’s Twitter thread on diminishing lower-level access
TV Writing Incubators and the Evolution of Access (PT125)
Less TV, Less Opportunity (PT186)
WGAw’s 2020 Inclusion Report (PDF)
“ViacomCBS Bets on Big-Tent Strategy for Streaming Growth With Paramount Plus” – Variety
“Avatar: The Last Airbender To Expand With Launch Of Avatar Studios” – Deadline
“The Oral History of Lost’s Series finale” – Vulture

If you enjoy Paper Team, please consider supporting us on Patreon at paperteam.co/patreon! :)

You can find Paper Team on Twitter:
Alex – @TVCalling
Nick – @_njwatson
For any questions, comments or feedback, you can e-mail us: [email protected]

Alex and Nick follow up on past Paper Tease entrants to see what has happened with their scripts and their careers since their work appeared on Paper Team.

Links

Paper Tease: Hooked On A Story – July Session (PT180)
Paper Tease Reveals – November Session (PT158)
Paper Tease Returns – September Session (PT151)
Paper Scraps Monthly VI – Mentorship Announcement, November Paper Tease, Overall Deals & Executives (PT113)
Paper Tease: Microcosms – August Session (PT185)
Paper Tease: Context For Your Text – September Session (PT189)
Paper Scraps Monthly – March Paper Tease and Mentorship Winner (PT127)
Paper Tease Returns – September Session (PT151)
Survivor: Hollywood – Emotional and Practical Realities of TV Writing (PT209)
WyldCats Table Read – Paper Team Live (PT162)
Paper Scraps Monthly – February Paper Tease and Syndication News (PT123)
Paper Tease Returns – September Session (PT151)
Paper Tease: Clash of the Tightens – March Session (PT173)

If you enjoy Paper Team, please consider supporting us on Patreon at paperteam.co/patreon! :)

You can find Paper Team on Twitter:
Alex – @TVCalling
Nick – @_njwatson
For any questions, comments or feedback, you can e-mail us: [email protected]

Alex and Nick discuss the realities of sustaining a career as a TV writer, from financial and mental hardships, to professional and personal burnout.

What does “breaking in” really mean? What are the practical and emotional realities of being a TV writer? What are strategies we’ve found helpful for our own well-being? Why is taking care of your mental health so important for your work? How does social and professional burnout manifest? When should you quit the industry? How do you outwit, outplay, and outlast in the entertainment industry?

It’s time for Survivor: Hollywood.

Content

1 – Realities of sustaining a TV writing career (00:01:31)
2 – Taking care of your mental health (00:30:23)
Resources and Next Week On (00:59:45)

Links

Julia Yorks’ Twitter thread on career momentum
Finding Stability as a Nascent TV Writer ft. Julia Yorks (PT120)
Managing Finances as an Assistant & Staff Writer ft. Kiyong Kim (PT16)
Brittani Nichols’ Twitter thread on TV writer pay disparity
Positive Mindset and Resilience in the Writers’ Room ft. Rochée Jeffrey & April Shih (PT161)

Resources

WGA Career Longevity Committee
Mental Health Resources for Angelenos
“Happier in Hollywood” podcast

If you enjoy Paper Team, please consider supporting us on Patreon at paperteam.co/patreon! :)

You can find Paper Team on Twitter:
Alex – @TVCalling
Nick – @_njwatson
For any questions, comments or feedback, you can e-mail us: [email protected]

Alex and Nick answer your TV writing questions about ideal writing conditions, writing essentials, and predatory representation contracts.

Plus, we discuss the latest news, including the WGA/WME agreement, and problematic behaviors in our industry.

Content

TV Writing Questions: Ideal writing conditions and predatory contracts (00:32)
TV Writing News: WGA/WME Agreement, problematic behaviors, and a new OTT (21:14)

Links

WGA Agreement with WME
“Gina Carano fired from ‘Mandalorian’ after social media posts” – PBS News Hour
“More Voices Speak Out Against Joss Whedon’s Conduct” – Deadline
“ViacomCBS’ Paramount+ Campaign During Super Bowl” – AdWeek
“Frasier Revival Eyed at Paramount+” – TV Line

If you enjoy Paper Team, please consider supporting us on Patreon at paperteam.co/patreon! :)

You can find Paper Team on Twitter:
Alex – @TVCalling
Nick – @_njwatson
For any questions, comments or feedback, you can e-mail us: [email protected]

Alex and Nick take a look at the outlining process in television writing. Whether you’re working on your own TV sample scripts, or asked to deliver outlines in a writers’ room, we dig into everything you should watch out for.

Why is outlining a critical step in television? How do we approach outlines? Have there been times we’ve decided not to outline? How early in the process do we outline? How do outlines differ between your own work and what is expected in a writers’ room? Why has there been a push against outlines by some showrunners?

Content

1 – Outlines in your own work: TV samples, specs, pilots (00:28)
2 – Outlines in a professional environment: TV writers’ rooms and pushback (19:21)

Links

From Outline to (First) Draft (PT28)
Twitter thread on TV outlines

If you enjoy Paper Team, please consider supporting us on Patreon at paperteam.co/patreon! :)

You can find Paper Team on Twitter:
Alex – @TVCalling
Nick – @_njwatson
For any questions, comments or feedback, you can e-mail us: [email protected]

Alex and Nick conclude the 2020 Paper Team Mentorship with mentee Ben Warner, and his drama pilot THE PIRATE KING.

Final step of the process: strategizing on what to do with your new pilot script, from using this sample to attract representation, to using it as a TV staffing or selling tool, and much more.

Content

2020 Mentorship Recap and “The Pirate King” Script Updates (00:49)
Internal Strategies: Understanding your script and yourself (04:32)
External Strategies: What to do with your script? (19:54)

Links

2020 Paper Team Mentorship I – “The Pirate King” Overview (PT190)
2020 Paper Team Mentorship I – Ben’s Update
2020 Paper Team Mentorship II – “The Pirate King” Beat Sheet (PT193)
2020 Paper Team Mentorship II – Ben’s Update
2020 Paper Team Mentorship III – “The Pirate King” Outline (PT198)
2020 Paper Team Mentorship III – Ben’s Update
2020 Paper Team Mentorship IV – “The Pirate King” First Draft (PT201)
2020 Paper Team Mentorship IV – Ben’s Update
2020 Paper Team Mentorship V – “The Pirate King” Revised Draft (PT204)
Branding Yourself (PT86)
Branding Samples, Manager Opinions, and OTTs (PT145)
Tell Us About Yourself: Crafting the Personal Pitch (PT165)
TV Writing Competitions (PT33)
Script Readiness, Contests, and Career Detours (PT160)
TV Writer Representation 101 (PT31)
Networking 201: Cold Contact, Queries and Etiquette (PT121)
Putting Yourself Out There (PT75)
TV Staffing vs. TV Selling (PT182)

If you enjoy Paper Team, please consider supporting us on Patreon at paperteam.co/patreon! :)

You can find Paper Team on Twitter:
Alex – @TVCalling
Nick – @_njwatson
For any questions, comments or feedback, you can e-mail us: [email protected]

Alex and Nick answer your TV writing questions about pitching with a script, and pivoting towards a screenwriting career.

Plus, we discuss the latest news, including productions halting in LA, and pilot season during a pandemic.

Content

Editor Goodbye and Shout-Outs (00:31)
TV Writing Questions: Pitching with a script, pivoting towards a screenwriting career later in life (02:56)
TV Writing News: Warner Bros, Alex Trebek, and production shutdowns (17:58)

Links

Networking 201: Cold Contact, Queries and Etiquette (PT121)
Protecting and Over-Protecting Your TV Script: Copyright, Ownership and Idea Theft (PT23)
Breaking in as a TV Writer Later in Life ft. J. Holtham (PT92)
“Warner Bros will stream its 2021 films” – The Ringer
“HBO Max Planning Original DC Content for International Markets” – CBR
“The Hidden Depths of Alex Trebek’s Banter with Jeopardy Contestants” – The New Yorker
“SAG-AFTRA, Producers Guild & Advertisers Urge Temporary Shutdown” – Deadline

If you enjoy Paper Team, please consider supporting us on Patreon at paperteam.co/patreon! :)

You can find Paper Team on Twitter:
Alex – @TVCalling
Nick – @_njwatson
For any questions, comments or feedback, you can e-mail us: [email protected]

Alex and Nick continue the 2020 Paper Team Mentorship with mentee Ben Warner, and the revised draft of his drama pilot THE PIRATE KING.

Step five of the process: revising the first draft of the original pilot.

We share our thoughts on Ben’s revised draft.

Content

2020 Mentorship recap (00:00:45)
Discussion of “The Pirate King” revised draft (00:02:05)

Links

“The Pirate King” revised draft
2020 Paper Team Mentorship I – “The Pirate King” Overview (PT190)
2020 Paper Team Mentorship I – Ben’s Update
2020 Paper Team Mentorship II – “The Pirate King” Beat Sheet (PT193)
2020 Paper Team Mentorship II – Ben’s Update
2020 Paper Team Mentorship III – “The Pirate King” Outline (PT198)
2020 Paper Team Mentorship III – Ben’s Update
2020 Paper Team Mentorship IV – “The Pirate King” First Draft (PT201)
2020 Paper Team Mentorship IV – Ben’s Update

If you enjoy Paper Team, please consider supporting us on Patreon at paperteam.co/patreon! :)

Special thanks to Alex Switzky for helping us edit this episode.

You can find Paper Team on Twitter:
Alex – @TVCalling
Nick – @_njwatson
For any questions, comments or feedback, you can e-mail us: [email protected]

Alex and Nick discuss tips and strategies on how to deal with work-life balance in the television industry now that it has moved to a remote model. How has “work-from-home” had an impact on the industry? What are strategies we’ve worked on to manage both remote work and life? What are some resources for time and productivity while creating healthy boundaries?

Content

1 – Life and Work-From-Home Balance in the TV Industry (00:31)
2 – How We Manage a Work-From-Home/Life Balance (07:36)
Resources and Next Week On (38:28)

Links

Fun Habit (FKA Loop Habit) App
The TV Writer’s Mindset: Dealing With Procrastination, Blank Page, and the Muse (PT17)
Staying Productive During Hiatus (PT126)

If you enjoy Paper Team, please consider supporting us on Patreon at paperteam.co/patreon! :)

You can find Paper Team on Twitter:
Alex – @TVCalling
Nick – @_njwatson
For any questions, comments or feedback, you can e-mail us: [email protected]

Alex and Nick celebrate the end of 2020 by taking a look back at the year for Paper Team and TV writing, plus celebrating our fans and announcing our 2021 plans for the podcast. What were the most popular and discussed episodes of Paper Team in 2020? Did we hit our 2020 goals for the podcast? What were our favorite shows, movies, music, books of the year? What are our 2021 Paper Team goals? What virtual gifts did Alex and Nick get each other? Content 1 - Paper Team Shout-outs (00:00:47) 2 - Paper Team 2020: A year in review (00:02:30) 4 - Best of 2020: TV, episodes, movies, music, books (00:13:39) 5 - Paper Team Goals for 2021 and Gift Exchange (00:50:02) Links 2020 TV Writing Program Updates – CBS/NBC/WB (PT176) Nickelodeon Animation Writing Program ft. Katherine Wells – Inside the TV Writing Programs (PT179) TV Pilot 301: Scope, Beginnings, and Ends (PT184) Tips and Tricks for the TV Industry (PT171) Showrunning Duncanville & The Simpsons ft. Mike Scully (PT172) COVID-19 and Hollywood: How We Adapt (PT177) Tell Us About Yourself: Crafting the Personal Pitch (PT165) The Mandalorian Baron Noir Devs The Good Place How to With John Wilson Harley Quinn (TV Series) Love on the Spectrum Legendary The Voice Australia "What I Know" (The Boys - 2x08) "One" (I Know This Much Is True - 1x01) "Whenever You're Ready" (The Good Place - 4x13) "And The Pandemmy Goes To..." (Happy Endings Special) "The View from Halfway Down" (BoJack Horseman - 6x15) "On the Run" (What We Do in the Shadows - 2x06) Aunty Donna's Big Ol' House of Fun The Chase "Something For Kate" by The Modern Medieval "Punisher" by Phoebe Bridgers Boygenius Onward The Invisible Man (2020 Film) Happiest Season Hamilton (2020 Film) "Death of a Salesman" by Arthur Miller "The Dynasty" by Jeff Benedict The Paper Team 200th Episode Special (PT200) Being a Black Writer in Hollywood ft. WGAW Committee of Black Writers Chairs (PT181) How to Give Script Notes (PT196) TV Staffing vs. TV Selling (PT182) 10 Myths About TV Writing (PT195) 10 Myths About the TV Business (PT197) Less TV, Less Opportunity (PT186) TV Writing Incubators and the Evolution of Access (PT125) Knowing Your Worth as an Assistant: Expectations, Opportunities, and Negotiations (PT168) Baba Is You King Pins If you enjoy Paper Team, please consider supporting us on Patreon at paperteam.co/patreon! :) Special thanks to Alex Switzky for helping us edit this episode. You can find Paper Team on Twitter: Alex - @TVCalling Nick - @_njwatson For any questions, comments or feedback, you can e-mail us: [email protected]