How the current writers strike helps writers. Plus, some helpful writing resources for you.
The month of May usually marks the season endings and series endings for TV shows.
But this May is already different for TV show writers and viewers.
You may (no pun intended) have heard about a recent writers strike that started almost a week ago.
What is the Writers Strike?
This writers strike is a labor dispute between the Writers Guild of America (WGA) labor union and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.
Here are two major parts of the writers strike dispute:
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Writers not receiving fair pay for their work presented on streaming media (like Netflix, Hulu, etc.) and
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Writers’ concerns about AI (artificial intelligence) tools (like ChatGPT) replacing them.
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So, what does this have to do with the rest of us, who also write, but aren’t writing for a popular TV show or big-budget movie? Contrary to popular belief, the average TV show/movie writer is not living in a Los Angeles mansion with a 6-figure income.
Finding a steady writing income is tough and there are still no guarantees even after you find a seat at a writers table for a show or movie.
And the huge success of streaming services hasn’t helped writers, either.
Brittani Nichols, a writer for the TV show Abbott Elementary, recently summed up the problem with services like Netflix and Hulu.
“The amount for a re-air on the network is $13,500 and the amount that you’re paid for that episode being on new media – streaming – is $700,” she said.
And remember, those amounts are split up among everyone who worked on that episode.
Now, add in the quick rise of ChatGPT and other AI tools being used for seemingly everything from school assignments to script writing for shows and movies.
This represents the concern many writers, inside and outside of show business, share about losing paid work to AI programs.
An Important Reminder for All Writers
The writers strike represents something I deeply believe.
Writers deserve to get paid.
We deserve to receive fair payment for the work we do, just like all other professionals.
Many writers enjoy writing.
But all of us have to remember that the average person thinks writing is hard. Many people hate writing.
When it comes to writing, most people are like the lady in a popular TikTok meme who says …
“Mmm. Mmm. Get somebody else to do it.”
– lady from TikTok meme
And when you’re not willing to do something yourself, you should be willing to pay somebody else to do it at a fair wage.
So, what should writers do?
Next Steps for Writers
We move forward. We continue to create.
And this is important: Join writing communities.
Network so you can learn about new skills and writing opportunities from other writers, bloggers, and content creators.
Writing communities helped me restart my writing career and learn new skills. I found a recent writing opportunity from a fellow writing group member about two months ago.
Also, I attended an amazing YouTube 101 masterclass presented during a local content creators group meeting last weekend.
I hope the WGA writers strike is successful for the writers directly affected by leadership decisions from TV, movie, and streaming services.
And not just because I’m a longtime TV/pop culture fan who wants her fave shows to come back.
My main hope for the writers strike is for writers to receive fair pay for the work they do.
This writing life isn’t easy.
If it was, everyone would write. And no one would be looking for somebody else to do it.
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