Sarah Allen's TV Guide for Writers

[This is a re-post of an entry from 2009. I have new shows I could add here, definitely, and I may sometime later, but its amazing and awesome how much I still love all these ones]

I wanted to do this for two reasons. First, whether you're specifically writing in the TV script genre or doing other stuff, I think all writers can learn a few things from what works in certain shows and what doesn't. One of my goals here is to look at some great shows and see what makes them work. Second, there are just some delightful and awesome shows out there, and talking about them makes me happy.

So here is Sarah Allen's TV Guide for Writers. Hope it helps:

-Frasier-

For me, I can sum up the best thing about this show in three words--David Hyde Pierce. His portrayal of Niles Crane is honest, poignant and frankly adorable. Mostly I am referring to his infatuation with Daphne. One lesson I take from Niles is that quirky characters who are madly in love with someone they don't feel they could ever get are pretty much always totally loveable. The best parts of Frasier are the moments when Niles' love for Daphne becomes uncontainable and he almost spills the beans. So lesson from Niles is: quirky lovesick characters=good.

Another lesson from this show came from the fact that I actually don't really like Frasier himself. I don't know if this is the character himself or Kelsey Grammar, but I just think Frasier himself can be conceited and annoying. What is interesting about this is that I still adore the show, even though I don't quite connect with the main character. This makes me think of Harry Potter in some ways, particularly book five, when Harry himself becomes particularly obnoxious. Its all the characters around Harry (Ron, Hermione, Hagrid, Dumbledore, Neville, Lupin, Snape) that make the books particularly worth reading. This seems to say to me that your main character can be almost dislikable as long as there is at least one other character thats worth rooting for.

-The Big Bang Theory-

This show is simply delightfully written, and all the cast does such a great job. Again, the arguably main character, Leonard, is whiny and one of the more annoying characters, yet he is also a quirky character in love with someone he thinks is out of reach, which makes him likable. What is awesome about this show is watching a group of guys who don't fit in try and fit in. You see the characters struggle through awkwardness, waiting for moments when they get what they want. What I think we can learn from this show is that even characters that you may not think you can relate to (i.e., genius scientists with doctorates working at a university) can be made very accessible through real life, very human emotions like wanting the beautiful girl next door, and the struggle between wanting to be yourself and wanting to fit in.

-The Office-

In many ways this show is like Big Bang Theory in what it can teach us writers; most of these characters are awkward, average or just plain weird, and yet they have very human wants and hopes that help us relate to them. We watch the show, waiting for these very awkward, quirky characters to have moments of poignancy when they get what they've been wanting for a long time. At points this show is almost too awkward to bear, but those poignant moments when things work out are so satisfying, and are thrown into relief by the surrounding awkwardness. For example, Steve Carrell's portrayal of Michael Scott is brilliant; he is one of the most awkward yet lovable characters on TV. Most of the time he is being ridiculous, making the audience shake their heads and say, "Oh, Michael." But then he gets emotionally beat up and abandoned, and then we cut to a downtrodden and lonely Michael handing out Halloween candy to a bunch of kids, and then we feel deeply for him, and say "Oh, Michael" in a very different way. Those moments make us love him, and want him to be loved, even though most of the time he can be really frustrating.

Those moments are one thing that work for The Office, but look at it this way too; what if we related to those characters not because of their moments of niceness and poignancy, but because of their awkward loneliness? Which one is it? I think its probably both.

-Star Trek: The Next Generation-

Ok, I'm admitting my geekiness on this one, but I had to get something scifi out there, didn't I? And this show actually does have some great creative lessons. This show has a sense of awe for the universe and humanity that gives it scope and makes the viewer feel somehow grand. What I take as the best lesson from this show, (spec fiction writers take note), is that they use non-human characters to explore humanity. The best example of this is Data, brilliantly portrayed by Brent Spiner. Data is an android intrigued by humanity, and he explores human characteristics and what makes someone truly human. Again, this gives the characters and show scope. But it doesn't have to be speculative fiction in order for this principle to work. Think of Ebenezer Scrooge in Christmas Carol; he's an "inhuman" character who finds his humanity. This is what Star Trek does best.

-Lost-

There are so many things to learn from this show. Obviously action/adventure shows like this rely more on plot then on character, but I think I want to start with the latter. Like Frasier and Harry Potter, the main characters like Jack and Kate can often be frustrating and annoying. There are a couple awesome characters (Hurley) but actually, most of the characters on this show are not that memorable, and in all honesty a lot of the acting is just ok. With one ginourmous, incredible exception: Michael Emerson, i.e. Benjamin Linus. Every time he opens his mouth I am blown away. His line delivery and intensity are stunning. But despite my bias towards his superior acting, there are other reasons why I think Benjamin Linus is the best character on the show. It goes back to the moments of poignant humanity thing. As a character, Ben does some awful things, like killing his father and an entire town of people. He is manipulative, dishonest and makes things hard on everyone around him. But here's the thing; he is also very conflicted and confused, emotionally and physically beaten up and tossed aside, desperately lonely and in love. All this, brilliantly portrayed by Michael Emerson, creates one of the richest somewhere-between-villain-and-anti-heroes ever seen on television.

As for plot, the obvious lesson comes from the season three mistake; because the directors and writers had so much time to stretch out this story, it was stretched out too far. Questions weren't being answered and things weren't moving along. Once they got a deadline and started making things happen again, the show got back to its awesome old self. So never let your story lapse, always keep it clipping along. On a more positive note, the complications and story and intertwining of characters on the show is frankly genius, and just plain awesome. Any book would be made more intriguing with the complex, involved kind of plot that Lost has.

Anyway, there's some of my favorite shows and what creative writers can learn from them. I'm sure I'll be writing about them in the future, but this is a good start.

Hope it helps!
Sarah Allen

Dr. Linus: Michael Emerson is genius...again

I just bought the episode on iTunes, and while I'm waiting for it to download I thought I might as well write about how genius and creatively inspiring Michael Emerson is.

And the iTunes ratings validate me. This episode has a way higher popularity then any of the other episodes this season. Anyone keeping up on the tweets about it will realize how many people were touched by Michael Emerson's performance. There were many people saying how they didn't ever expect to like or feel sorry for Ben, but that Michael Emerson pulled it off.

His speech with Ilana at the end was stunning. I was on the treadmill at the gym watching, and I had to keep myself from crying so I wouldn't freak anybody out. "Because he's the only one that'll have me." Brilliant.

It seems like Ben always has the best lines. It's probably the combination of Ben being such a brilliantly written character, as well as Michael Emerson's genius portrayal. "If your talking about time travelling bunnies, then yes." "How many times do I have to tell you, John. I always have a plan." "Oh, so after all these years you've decided to stop ignoring me." And thats just the beginning. And what about all the non-verbal brilliance? Sharing a candybar with Hurley. Seeing his daughter shot in front of his face. I could go on. In fact, I will.

Ben is such an intriguing character because we have seen him do all these horrible things, but we have moments where we realize that at his core he is a desperate, lonely, devoted, good man. That makes us like him. To add to that, Michael Emerson's portrayal is incredibly vulnerable, poignant and honest. This creates the best character on Lost, perhaps on television as a whole, and most definitely deserves an Emmy. Or 12.

If you are a Lostie and familiar with Michael Emerson's genius, learn everything you can from him. If not, you're missing out. I'm sorry this is a less analytical, more gushy post, but thats what I've got right now. And we wanna create things people will gush over anyway, right?

And by the way...if any of you see Ben, tell him I'll have him.

Sarah Allen

Lost Premiere Part II: Ben Linus/Michael Emerson is still genius

Ok, sorry for the delay, but I am here now to emote with all you Losties about the season 6 premiere. Which was, may I say, FREAKING AMAZING!!!

First of all, the alternate reality thing is genius. It took me a while to get everything straight, and I probably annoyed my friend who I was watching it with half to death, but I think I get it, and its brilliant and fascinating! Its one of those moments of creative genius that make other creative's want to do something similar. Didn't it make you want to write an alternate reality book or something?

What I'm realizing with Lost is this: everyone has their own quirk/reason for participating in something like being a Lost fan. When you read or watch something like this, you become a part of it for a very specific reason, almost waiting for something very specific to happen. For example, I watched Frasier waiting for Niles and Daphne to get together. I'm watching the Office waiting for Holly to come back to Michaels life. And with Lost, I am waiting for Ben to have something good happen in his life.

That's what I think is brilliant about his character. He may be manipulative, dishonest, and a murderer, but its more complex then that. Remember when Sayid shot young Ben and the boy was taken to "the others" who said they could save him, but he would never be the same? And thats only the beginning of the crap that has been thrown at Benjamin Linus. Think of it: his father was a jerk, every girl he has feelings for disappears or outright rejects him, he got cancer when it shouldn't have been possible, his daughter was gunned down in front of him, and he has spent his whole life working loyally as almost a pawn for a man/spirit/thing that has just sort of ignored him. Look at his situation as it stands right now: he has absolutely nothing. Everything has been taken away from him. So what I'm waiting for is for something good to happen to him.

And Michael Emerson portrays this brilliantly. This episode we really saw the confused, desperate, and lonely side of Ben, and those are my favorite moments. It makes you feel like, even though he has done some crappy things in his life, its more situational then anything else, that he really has a good and passionate heart, and that despite the crap he deserves something good to happen to him. I think this is a combination of a brilliantly written complex character, and its genius, stunning portrayal.

Here's my big Lost question right now, and it has to do with the alternate reality thing. We know that in the crash version, Ben is on the island with Sun and a being who looks like John Locke. But where does Ben come in if the plane doesn't crash?

I'll leave you with that. Again, more rambling then clear analysis, but thats kind of all you can do with a show that is basically complexity and excitement. What are your thoughts on this?

Sarah Allen

LOST Premiere Part I: No Ben=No Lost, or the genius of Michael Emerson

Less then 24 hours until the premier of the final season of one of the best dramas on television. I think the premise, writing, and directing are particularly brilliant on Lost. I will admit, I think season 3 was kind of a let down, but things have picked up, and this final season promises to be stunningly brilliant.

Ok, so here's the real reason I am a lostie: Michael Emerson, aka, Benjamin Linus. Something about him just draws you in. The crooked smile, the blue eyes...and the stunningly brilliant incredible acting. What I think it is about him, is that he is utterly and completely vulnerable. That seems weird to say about one of the most successfully manipulative characters on television, but its true. Especially recently, when his character has been losing his power. Moments like when he sees his daughter killed, when he confronts the smoke monster, when he confesses his feelings for Juliette, and when he confronts Jacob all reveal how truly vulnerable and lonely is Benjamin Linus. And it wouldn't work nearly as well as it does if it weren't Michael Emerson playing it brilliantly. His character is much more complex then any of the others, at least in my opinion, making him more interesting.

So what are the lessons to take from Michael Emerson as Benjamin Linus? Complex, imperfect, vulnerable, desperate and lonely characters stick with you. They make for exciting and intriguing stories. But another awesome trick is to have sort of "foil" characters, like Hurley. Ben and Hurley are the best characters on the show, and completely different. They are both very vulnerable; in fact we've seen both of them romantically vulnerable, which, for me, is the best. This is why we love characters like Snape and Linus Larraby. Because under their exterior, they are utterly alone and vulnerable. That makes us feel for and hope for them.

I hope this rambling makes sense. What do you think? What about Lost do you like the most?

And tune in tomorrow for LOST Premier Part II, a review of tomorrows show. I'm expecting a lot!

Sarah Allen

Sarah Allen's TV Guide for Writers

I wanted to do this for two reasons. First, whether you're specifically writing in the TV script genre or doing other stuff, I think all writers can learn a few things from what works in certain shows and what doesn't. One of my goals here is to look at my favorite shows and see what makes them work. Second, there are just some delightful and awesome shows out there, and talking about them makes me happy.

So here is Sarah Allen's TV Guide for Writers. Hope it helps:

-Frasier-

For me, I can sum up the best thing about this show in three words--David Hyde Pierce. His portrayal of Niles Crane is honest, poignant and frankly adorable. Mostly I am referring to his infatuation with Daphne. One lesson I take from Niles is that quirky characters who are madly in love with someone they don't feel they could ever get are pretty much always totally loveable. The best parts of Frasier are the moments when Niles' love for Daphne becomes uncontainable and he almost spills the beans. So lesson from Niles is: quirky lovesick characters=good.

Another lesson from this show came from the fact that I actually don't really like Frasier himself. I don't know if this is the character himself or Kelsey Grammar, but I just think Frasier himself can be conceited and annoying. What is interesting about this is that I still adore the show, even though I don't quite connect with the main character. This makes me think of Harry Potter in some ways, particularly book five, when Harry himself becomes particularly obnoxious. Its all the characters around Harry (Ron, Hermione, Hagrid, Dumbledore, Neville, Lupin, Snape) that make the books particularly worth reading. This seems to say to me that your main character can be almost dislikable as long as there is at least one other character thats worth rooting for.

-The Big Bang Theory-

This show is simply delightfully written, and all the cast does such a great job. Again, the arguably main character, Leonard, is whiny and one of the more annoying characters, yet he is also a quirky character in love with someone he thinks is out of reach, which makes him likable. What is awesome about this show is watching a group of guys who don't fit in try and fit in. You see the characters struggle through awkwardness, waiting for moments when they get what they want. What I think we can learn from this show is that even characters that you may not think you can relate to (i.e., genius scientists with doctorates working at a university) can be made very accessible through real life, very human emotions like wanting the beautiful girl next door, and the struggle between wanting to be yourself and wanting to fit in.

-The Office-

In many ways this show is like Big Bang Theory in what it can teach us writers; most of these characters are awkward, average or just plain weird, and yet they have very human wants and hopes that help us relate to them. We watch the show, waiting for these very awkward, quirky characters to have moments of poignancy when they get what they've been wanting for a long time. At points this show is almost too awkward to bear, but those poignant moments when things work out are so satisfying, and are thrown into relief by the surrounding awkwardness. For example, Steve Carrell's portrayal of Michael Scott is brilliant; he is one of the most awkward yet lovable characters on TV. Most of the time he is being ridiculous, making the audience shake their heads and say, "Oh, Michael." But then he gets emotionally beat up and abandoned, and then we cut to a downtrodden and lonely Michael handing out Halloween candy to a bunch of kids, and then we feel deeply for him, and say "Oh, Michael" in a very different way. Those moments make us love him, and want him to be loved, even though most of the time he can be really frustrating.

Those moments are one thing that work for The Office, but look at it this way too; what if we related to those characters not because of their moments of niceness and poignancy, but because of their awkward loneliness? Which one is it? I think its probably both.

-Star Trek: The Next Generation-

Ok, I'm admitting my geekiness on this one, but I had to get something scifi out there, didn't I? And this show actually does have some great creative lessons. This show has a sense of awe for the universe and humanity that gives it scope and makes the viewer feel somehow grand. What I take as the best lesson from this show, (spec fiction writers take note), is that they use non-human characters to explore humanity. The best example of this is Data, brilliantly portrayed by Brent Spiner. Data is an android intrigued by humanity, and he explores human characteristics and what makes someone truly human. Again, this gives the characters and show scope. But it doesn't have to be speculative fiction in order for this principle to work. Think of Ebenezer Scrooge in Christmas Carol; he's an "inhuman" character who finds his humanity. This is what Star Trek does best.

-Lost-

There are so many things to learn from this show. Obviously action/adventure shows like this rely more on plot then on character, but I think I want to start with the latter. Like Frasier and Harry Potter, the main characters like Jack and Kate can often be frustrating and annoying. There are a couple awesome characters (Hurley) but actually, most of the characters on this show are not that memorable, and in all honesty a lot of the acting is just ok. With one ginourmous, incredible exception: Michael Emerson, i.e. Benjamin Linus. Every time he opens his mouth I am blown away. His line delivery and intensity are stunning. But despite my bias towards his superior acting, there are other reasons why I think Benjamin Linus is the best character on the show. It goes back to the moments of poignant humanity thing. As a character, Ben does some awful things, like killing his father and an entire town of people. He is manipulative, dishonest and makes things hard on everyone around him. But here's the thing; he is also very conflicted and confused, emotionally and physically beaten up and tossed aside, desperately lonely and in love. All this, brilliantly portrayed by Michael Emerson, creates one of the richest somewhere-between-villain-and-anti-heroes ever seen on television.

As for plot, the obvious lesson comes from the season three mistake; because the directors and writers had so much time to stretch out this story, it was stretched out too far. Questions weren't being answered and things weren't moving along. Once they got a deadline and started making things happen again, the show got back to its awesome old self. So never let your story lapse, always keep it clipping along. On a more positive note, the complications and story and intertwining of characters on the show is frankly genius, and just plain awesome. Any book would be made more intriguing with the complex, involved kind of plot that Lost has.

Anyway, there's some of my favorite shows and what creative writers can learn from them. I'm sure I'll be writing about them in the future, but this is a good start.

Hope it helps!
Sarah Allen

What writers can learn from Project Runway

I'm sitting here watching Project Runway, and thinking of what I can learn from this show that will help me in my own work. It may not seem like a reality show about designers and real life creative writing may have much in common, but here are some things to keep in mind:

-Be ready to push through sickness, time constraints and surprises. These designers get things thrown at them all the time, but in order to make it, they have to be ready to deal with it. So do writers.

-Be dedicated. Work as hard as it takes to make deadlines. The difference between you and your competition is how hard you work.

-Be professional but also unique, both in your writing and as a person. The girls have to follow the rules and create pieces that fit modern style and the tastes of the judges, and writers do too. Our readership is our judge. We can't create something so out there they just don't get it, but we don't want to create something that just blends in with the crowd either.

-Be teachable. From what I've seen the girls who make have the most success are willing to take advice from professionals. Again, you can't give up your own unique voice, but don't discount advice from people who have made it further than you have.

-Be observant and attune. Get inspiration from everything around you, especially things that other people might not notice. This is one situation where I can imagine it would be helpful for writers to carry around a camera, and just practice seeing the world through a photographers eye. But don't just observe visually, be aware of sounds, insinuations in things people say, smells, the way things feel under your fingers. Let it all inspire you.

Hope this helps. Happy writing!
Sarah Allen