WGAW member Sera Gamble seeks to inspire and educate with online writer Q&As.

For some time, writer Sera Gamble (You, The Magicians) had been answering questions from aspiring writers on her Instagram account as an antidote to the negativity she saw on social media. When stay-at-home orders went into effect in Los Angeles, Gamble built on this practice and created her video series, Writer Q&A, Pandemic Edition, in which she interviews peers on the craft and career of writing, as well as staying productive during the pandemic.

Her goal is to bring valuable knowledge to a broader audience of aspiring and emerging writers, particularly those least likely to have industry connections. It’s an opportunity for Gamble and her subjects to be a resource to the community and help writers stay connected. In addition, each installment of Writer Q&A, Pandemic Edition ends with information pointing viewers to donate to a charity of the guest’s choice.


Steven Canals on Sera Gamble's Writer Q&A, Pandemic Edition

So far, guests have included Steven Canals, Tracy McMillan, Liz Hannah, and Felicia Day, with future conversations slated with Gloria Calderón Kellett, Melissa Rosenberg, and many others. In addition to TV and screen writers, Gamble seeks out poets, novelists, journalists, and playwrights to participate.

“Most of the writers I know are very generous with their time,” says Gamble. “They feel fortunate to be employed as writers, and that they have had some success, and they’re really eager to pay it forward.”

A popular topic on Writer Q&A is writing successful pilots, and Gamble’s guests have shared their strategies for making a pilot come to life, avoiding common pitfalls, and making them personal and specific. The overwhelming consensus: don’t try to do everything in your pilot; pick a lane and really dig in.

Naturally, aspiring writers who submit questions often want to know about the business side of Hollywood. This can be a complicated subject. “When we started doing these Zoom conversations, I acknowledged from the beginning that this is such a strange time to try to answer those questions because the pandemic is unprecedented—that’s an understatement—and there was already not just one way into the business. But I think there are things people are saying that will still be very helpful, about the ways they generated work and interest in themselves, maybe by unconventional means, that are applicable even when you’re at home.”

New editions of Writer Q&A, Pandemic Edition are available every Wednesday on Gamble’s YouTube channel (Sera Gamble Official), and excerpts are available on her Instagram account (seragamble).