Ask a Mentor: How to Be You

Mentor Kenny Smith has advice for introverted writers who need a little help selling themselves.

While it might seem clichéd, there’s some truth to the idea that writers are more comfortable expressing themselves on paper than in person. For some, it’s the reason they gravitated to their chosen profession. Even writers, however, must occasionally sell themselves or their ideas face to face (or face to FaceTime). Self-professed introvert Kenny Smith (Black-ish, The Game) describes how he learned to loosen up and be himself in the room.

Send your questions about the craft, job hunting, your career, or Guild service to Connect (under 100 words, please) with the subject “Mentor,” and we’ll send them to an established screen or TV writer to answer. Questions might be edited for space or clarity and will be published anonymously. WGAW mentors provide informal career advice and are not expected to read scripts, give notes, hear pitches, or help find representation or work. Read more >>

FOCUS: P&H Contributions and Sale of Literary Material

Before you finalize that spec sale, there’s one key MBA provision you should know about when it comes to employer pension and health plan contributions on purchases of literary material: Pension and health contributions (P&H) are not made on purchases by employers unless the employer also hires you for at least one rewrite or polish connected to the literary material. Read more >>

WGAW Career Longevity Committee Pens Open Letter to Hollywood

Committee Chair Catherine Clinch speaks out on behalf of older writers.

On Wednesday, the eve of the 30th annual International Day of Older Persons, the WGAW Career Longevity Committee (CLC) released an open letter taking the entertainment industry to task for systemic discrimination against older writers. The mission of the CLC is to assist writers of all ages in planning for long, successful careers, by giving them the tools and information to adapt to changes in the marketplace. Read more >>

Entertainment Industry Town Hall

Join this upcoming event on unemployment benefits and eviction rights.

On October 7 at 4 p.m., in partnership with the offices of California State Assemblymembers Adrin Nazarian and Jesse Gabriel, The Actors Fund will host an Entertainment Industry Town Hall on unemployment benefits and eviction protection rights. Special guests include Cesar Valladares and Ken Gomez of the Employment Development Department (EDD), and Executive Director of the Coalition for Economic Survival (CES) Larry Gross. Read more >>

Written By Web Extra: Carl Reiner Remembered

Sybil Adelman Sage was Carl Reiner’s secretary for five years, and the late legend was a major factor in her becoming a writer (The New Dick Van Dyke Show, Maude, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Lily). Read her scripted tribute to Reiner (1922–2020) in the latest Written By Web Extra.