About the Book
What does it take to go from being a fan to professional television writer? For the first time outside of the UCLA Extension Writers' Programme classrooms, TV writers whose many produced credits include The Simpsons, House M.D., and Pretty Little Liars take aspiring writers through the process of writing their first spec script for an on-air series, creating one-hour drama and sitcom pilots that break out from the pack, and revising scripts to meet pro standards. Learn how to launch and sustain a writing career and get a rare, intimate look inside the yearlong process of creating, selling, and getting a TV show made. Edited by writers' program director Linda Venis, Inside the Room is the ultimate guide to writing one's way into the Writers Guild of America. "Venis corrals an accessible and useful guide for anyone with the dream and the drive who needs to know, practically, what to do. An engaging and helpful how-to for hopeful TV writers or anyone interested in the nuts and bolts of this ephemeral art." - Kirkus Reviews
What does it take to go from being a fan to professional television writer? For the first time outside of the UCLA Extension Writers' Programme classrooms, TV writers whose many produced credits include The Simpsons, House M.D., and Pretty Little Liars take aspiring writers through the process of writing their first spec script for an on-air series, creating one-hour drama and sitcom pilots that break out from the pack, and revising scripts to meet pro standards. Learn how to launch and sustain a writing career and get a rare, intimate look inside the yearlong process of creating, selling, and getting a TV show made. Edited by writers' program director Linda Venis, Inside the Room is the ultimate guide to writing one's way into the Writers Guild of America. "Venis corrals an accessible and useful guide for anyone with the dream and the drive who needs to know, practically, what to do. An engaging and helpful how-to for hopeful TV writers or anyone interested in the nuts and bolts of this ephemeral art." - Kirkus Reviews
About the Author :
Over the past two decades, Linda Venis has guided the growth of the UCLA Extension Writers' Programme into the nation's largest creative writing and screenwriting program. She lives in Los Angeles, California, with her husband and their daughter.
Review :
"Even though my television writing students live far away from any of the writers' rooms in Los Angeles, the wisdom and experiences shared by the brilliant cast of series writer/producers in this book make those writing rooms seem just around the corner."
--Diane Walsh, Writing for Film and Television Program Director, The University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA
"A treasure trove of invaluable writing and career advice for aspiring television writer-producers, I recommend "Inside the Room" to my MFA students as a must-read."
--Stephen V. Duncan, Professor of Screenwriting, Loyola Marymount University School of Film and Television and author and writer-producer of Emmy nominated television drama and film
"I recommend "Inside the Room" to my students. The final chapter on the development of a pilot over a year's time is one of the best overviews I've read about the process."
--Georgia Jeffries, Associate Professor, USC School of Cinematic Art; award-winning writer/producer
"Venis corrals an accessible and useful guide for anyone with the dream and the drive who needs to know, practically, what to do. An engaging and helpful how-to for hopeful TV writers or anyone interested in the nuts and bolts of this ephemeral art."
--"Kirkus Reviews"
"Inside the Room" should be required reading for anyone embarking on or dreaming of a career in television. Like the classes I took at UCLA Extension when I was starting out, it demystifies the process of becoming a working television writer and tells you how to go about it. Most of all, it lets you know it's possible"
--Carol Barbee, writer/producer, Touch," Hawaii Five-O," Jericho," and Judging Amy"
"Aspiring television writers have found their bible in" Inside the Room." It is an honest, insightful and incredibly accurate depiction of how the modern television system works. No book can guarantee success, but this one will get you as close as any can!"
--Lee H
"A treasure trove of invaluable writing and career advice for aspiring television writer-producers, I recommend "Inside the Room" to my MFA students as a must-read."
--Stephen V. Duncan, Professor of Screenwriting, Loyola Marymount University School of Film and Television and author and writer-producer of Emmy nominated television drama and film
"I recommend "Inside the Room" to my students. The final chapter on the development of a pilot over a year's time is one of the best overviews I've read about the process."
--Georgia Jeffries, Associate Professor, USC School of Cinematic Art; award-winning writer/producer
"Venis corrals an accessible and useful guide for anyone with the dream and the drive who needs to know, practically, what to do. An engaging and helpful how-to for hopeful TV writers or anyone interested in the nuts and bolts of this ephemeral art."
--"Kirkus Reviews"
"Inside the Room" should be required reading for anyone embarking on or dreaming of a career in television. Like the classes I took at UCLA Extension when I was starting out, it demystifies the process of becoming a working television writer and tells you how to go about it. Most of all, it lets you know it's possible"
--Carol Barbee, writer/producer, Touch", Hawaii Five-O", Jericho", and Judging Amy"
"Aspiring television writers have found their bible in" Inside the Room". It is an honest, insightful and incredibly accurate depiction of how the modern television system works. No book can guarantee success, but this one will get you as close as any can!"
--Lee Hollin, Director, Drama Development, CBS Television Studios
"I recommend "Inside the Room" to my students. The final chapter on the development of a pilot over a year's time is one of the best overviews I've read about the process."
--Georgia Jeffries, Associate Professor, USC School of Cinematic Art; award-winning writer/producer
"Venis corrals an accessible and useful guide for anyone with the dream and the drive who needs to know, practically, what to do. An engaging and helpful how-to for hopeful TV writers or anyone interested in the nuts and bolts of this ephemeral art."
--"Kirkus Reviews"
"Inside the Room" should be required reading for anyone embarking on or dreaming of a career in television. Like the classes I took at UCLA Extension when I was starting out, it demystifies the process of becoming a working television writer and tells you how to go about it. Most of all, it lets you know it's possible"
--Carol Barbee, writer/producer, Touch", Hawaii Five-O", Jericho", and Judging Amy"
"Aspiring television writers have found their bible in" Inside the Room". It is an honest, insightful and incredibly accurate depiction of how the modern television system works. No book can guarantee success, but this one will get you as close as any can!"
--Lee Hollin, Director, Drama Development, CBS Television Studios
"Venis corrals an accessible and useful guide for anyone with the dream and the drive who needs to know, practically, what to do. An engaging and helpful how-to for hopeful TV writers or anyone interested in the nuts and bolts of this ephemeral art."
--"Kirkus Reviews"
"Inside the Room" should be required reading for anyone embarking on or dreaming of a career in television. Like the classes I took at UCLA Extension when I was starting out, it demystifies the process of becoming a working television writer and tells you how to go about it. Most of all, it lets you know it's possible"
--Carol Barbee, writer/producer, Touch", Hawaii Five-O", Jericho", and Judging Amy"
"Aspiring television writers have found their bible in" Inside the Room". It is an honest, insightful and incredibly accurate depiction of how the modern television system works. No book can guarantee success, but this one will get you as close as any can!"
--Lee Hollin, Director, Drama Development, CBS Television Studios
""Inside the Room" should be required reading for anyone embarking on or dreaming of a career in television. Like the classes I took at UCLA Extension when I was starting out, it demystifies the process of becoming a working television writer and tells you how to go about it. Most of all, it lets you know it's possible"
--Carol Barbee, writer/producer, "Touch", "Hawaii Five-O", "Jericho", and "Judging Amy"
"Aspiring television writers have found their bible in" Inside the Room". It is an honest, insightful and incredibly accurate depiction of how the modern television system works. No book can guarantee success, but this one will get you as close as any can!"
--Lee Hollin, Director, Drama Development, CBS Television Studios
