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Okay folks, here& #39;s some practical advice about being a new writer in a writers room - especially for introverts (like me). The first thing to realize is that you& #39;re not doing as badly as you think you are! Really. You& #39;re not. Stop worrying. It& #39;s going to be fine.
Secondly, no one& #39;s keeping score of how many pitches you land or how often you talk (or don& #39;t talk). Showrunner& #39;s are focused on breaking the season and getting the room working well and a million other things. You& #39;re the only one keeping track of your performance this early on.
Yes, ultimately, you& #39;ll need to talk enough to contribute, but not so much that you& #39;re disruptive. Figuring out that balance can be difficult, but you& #39;ll get it eventually. There& #39;s time. Figure out the dynamics of the room, the rhythm of it, and learn to improvise.
Realize that you can& #39;t really hide your strengths and weaknesses when you& #39;re in a room with the same people day after day breaking story. So don& #39;t try. But that also means you& #39;ll learn what you& #39;re great at. And that& #39;s incredibly valuable to know.
Some writers are great at structure, some have strong voices, some can break season-long arcs, others can break your heart with a line pitch. Success comes from figuring out what you do well, and doing it often. That& #39;s also how you earn your voice in the room.
But if you& #39;re focused on your own performance, trying to get pitches on the board, or worried that you haven& #39;t spoken enough, trying to think of something - anything - to say, you& #39;re not helping the room do what it& #39;s meant to do - collaboratively break story.
You& #39;re not being of service to the show. And ultimately, you& #39;re doing yourself no favors. Because you will be seen. And you will slow down the process. And that& #39;s pretty much the worst thing you can do as a staff writer in the room.
And yes, I& #39;ve fallen into all of these traps. I know how hard it is, especially when it feels like so much is riding on your performance at that moment. "The showrunner& #39;s here - I have to land a pitch now!" You don& #39;t. There will be countless hours in that room. It& #39;ll be fine.
