We are marking, incredibly, the 13th birthday of TV Calling!

This site, this community, this platform could not exist with you. You right here, reading this. As always, I want to give a huge THANK YOU for your support of TV Calling even through the hard times. I might say it every year, and it is still true after all this time.

We took a break from Paper Team a few months ago, however (much like this site) it isn’t the end. Just a little pause until we get our bearings straight.

Despite all this, the past twelve months have been, once again, our strongest on record. We achieved a new peak back in October and November with nearly 2,000(!) daily visitors on TV Calling. Paper Team also reached new milestones earlier this year, with over 350,000(!) downloads. Sublime.

It is true that I haven’t been as active online as I’ve been in the past. I’ve drifted away from social media. There wasn’t a spec list this year, in part due to fellowships moving away from specs. However, specs continue to make a comeback on the professional side, with showrunners reading more and more of them. So perhaps the spec list will make its return in the future.

We know how much you value our TV writing content, which is why we hope this little break isn’t stopping you from continuing your own journey. We’re in tough times, but (despite everything going on) know that you’re not alone.

Here’s to year fourteen, and even more beyond.

Write on.

The post Thirteen Years of TV Calling first appeared on TV Calling.

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: ask@paperteam.co

The post Paper Pause (PT212) first appeared on TV Calling.

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: ask@paperteam.co

The post TV Access, Financial Support, and Finale History – Paper Scraps Monthly (PT211) first appeared on TV Calling.

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: ask@paperteam.co

The post Paper Tease Revisited (PT210) first appeared on TV Calling.

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: ask@paperteam.co

The post Survivor: Hollywood – Emotional and Practical Realities of TV Writing (PT209) first appeared on TV Calling.