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I spoke to a young man who was interested in a career in tv writing. He asked about the value of a spec sample as opposed to an original sample, and I realized my thoughts on that issue had changed after getting to run a show and hire young writers (1/8).
Original samples are great and can be very helpful in establishing your voice. But as someone who is hiring you, it doesn’t tell me you can necessarily write my show. More established writers with credits, I can trust you can write someone else’s show because you’ve done it (2/8)
A young writer with a solid spec has just proven they can write someone else’s show. If it’s the same genre as my show (cop, lawyer, etc) it tells me you can structure an episode with act outs, etc. But it can potentially also tell me you can write on a deadline. (3/8)
A spec of a current show, something still airing its first or second season, tells me you watched the show, absorbed it, and wrote a spec in a relatively short amount of time. That is more impressive to me than an equally good original you may have been tweaking for years (4/8).
Now that means youd need a new spec sample every year to stay current. Yup.
Feels like a lot of work, I know. But I’m hiring you to write my show when the goal is to give you 10-14 days to write a shootable draft (When everything’s going right.) (5/8)
Feels like a lot of work, I know. But I’m hiring you to write my show when the goal is to give you 10-14 days to write a shootable draft (When everything’s going right.) (5/8)
The point being, getting used to writing someone else’s show on a schedule that moves faster than you’d normally prefer is a good thing. It’s the job you’re applying for. (6/8)
And replacing your old spec doesn’t mean it was a waste of time. Every spec you write is a chance to improve; to write new voices and flex different muscles. And it’s a good thing to focus on if you are stuck on an original idea. It might jar something loose. (7/8)
Every showrunner is different; this is just one persons opinion re: specs. But the young man I spoke to hadn’t thought of it that way, so perhaps someone reading this will feel the same. Happy writing! (8/8)
