Darci Interviews TV Writers

Home Town: Youngstown, Ohio Current Town: Los Angeles, California What are you working on now?: I just wrapped season 1 of the 4400 on the CW. I'm working on a second draft of a YA feature I wrote a few months ago and I'm also in the beginning stages of a historical drama pilot.  Tell me, if you will, a story from your childhood that explains who you are as a writer or as a person: Storytelling has always been important to me. I used to get so engrossed in books growing up that I would take them with me everywhere -- even on a five minute drive to the grocery store. My mom sometimes got annoyed with me, because all I did was read. If I wasn't reading books, I was watching TV. That love for storytelling continued to grow and eventually I decided to pursue a career as a TV writer.  If you could change one thing about television, what would it be?: As a Black writer, I'm interested in more accurate representations of marginalized groups. I want television to ref...

Home Town:  Norfolk, Virginia Current Town:  Los Angeles, CA What are you working on now?:  I’m working on a very fun very gay show for netflix — pickup isn’t official yet so I don’t wanna jinx it by spilling the beans... but you’ll be the first to know when it is!! Tell me, if you will, a story from your childhood that explains who you are as a writer or as a person:  Do you remember the movie Harriet the Spy? I was obsessed with spies when I was a kid — everyone from Harriet to James Bond. I did all this research on how I could become a spy FOR REAL… then it became glaringly obvious to me that the logistics are very complicated when it comes to becoming a spy. I was like, what’s close enough to satisfy my urges to trick people into thinking I’m some woman of mystery and play pretend for a living? then it came to me… writing. If you could change one thing about television, what would it be?:  MORE FEMALE ANTIHEROES. Who are or were your television heroes?:...

Home Town: I was born in Wisconsin and raised in Texas. So I appreciate the Packers and the Cowboys (go, football!) Current Town: The Greater Los Angeles area – specifically, Glendale, CA – for many (!) years. What are you working on now?: Here’s what every writer will tell: I’m either working on a project or hustling for the next one – it never ends. But specifically, I was fortunate to write on X-Men: The Animated Series (yes, the 90’s one), and the show will be celebrating its 30 th anniversary next year, so I’m working on ways to celebrate the show; cons, fests, etc. But I also have episodes on series currently now on Netflix and Amazon Prime, and the internet. Tell me, if you will, a story from your childhood that explains who you are as a writer or as a person: I’m going to say that being a voracious reader as a child played a big part in my desire to be a writer. For as long as I can remember, I always had a book I was plowing through (Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein’, any and a...

Home Town: Berkeley, CA Current Town: Valley Village, CA What are you working on now?: Currently chasing a couple books to potentially develop into a series and/or feature, developing an original The Ring-esque pilot about a haunted high school play, and trying my best to stay on this side of sane through these last 5 years. Oh and still trying to staff after being off through the pandemic. The hustle never ends. Tell me, if you will, a story from your childhood that explains who you are as a writer or as a person: Well I didn’t realize I was a writer until I moved here to LA. I did always know I wanted to be in the industry as I’ve loved TV and movies my whole life, just didn’t know in what capacity. But once I started working, I realized quickly that I was a creator. I wanted to be the one to dream up the world and the characters and the story. So I tried writing a script and it was hard, and that script was bad, but I had found my thing and there was no turning back. If you coul...

Home Town: San Gabriel, CA, home of the best Asian food in SoCal in my opinion  Current Town: Los Angeles, CA  What are you working on now?: I’m staffed on a streaming cable one hour historical drama. I’m also doing a fantastic job on procrastinating in terms of developing new ideas to sell and also addressing notes on a holiday rom com I wrote during the pandemic. I hope my reps don’t read this.  Tell me, if you will, a story from your childhood that explains who you are as a writer or as a person: I grew up “working” at my parents’ bakery. I subsisted on an inventory of baked goods, comic books, and every book I could possibly order from the Scholastic newsletter. It was my time being the world’s worst worker at the bakery that I fell in love with storytelling and then I started writing down my own stories, whether it was a bakery box or store napkin. This is where I fell in love with writing. Soon the lighter storytelling from Sailor Moon to comic books became darker...

Home Town: Mechanicsburg, PA Current Town: Los Angeles, CA What are you working on now?: Currently writing for a Netflix series (it's unannounced so apologies for the vague cagey mysteriousness!) and about to start a copywriting gig. It'll be my first time in the advertising space so very excited/nervous to tack on yet another industry in which I get to experience imposter syndrome! Tell me, if you will, a story from your childhood that explains who you are as a writer or as a person: In second grade you got to publish a book (the word "publish" is doing a lot of work there. And also "book"). They were these 10 page-ish hardcover books with an illustration on one side, and on the other side those lined pages with dashes you'd practice cursive on when you first learning. I spent months poring over my story and coming up with this super high-concept snowman factory, JACK FROST meets WESTWORLD, something truly worthy of being forever immortalized in glos...

  Home Town: Brooklyn, NY Current Town: Brooklyn, NY Tell me, if you will, a story from your childhood that explains who you are as a writer or as a person: It's really not so much a story, per se, as it is having discovered different types of writers across a variety of media who lit a creative spark in me: There were authors skilled in both whimsy and rhyme like Dr. Seuss and Shel Silverstein, and sharp-minded comedy writers like those who wrote for "MAD" Magazine. Also in the medium of print, t here were the clever-minded writers of tangible fads like "Garbage Pail Kids" cards and "Wacky Packages" (for you young'uns, the latter were collectable stickers that spoofed branded products... see pic below). In other areas of media, t here were brilliant television writers, like those who wrote whip-smart sketches for "The Electric Company" and "Square One Television." And on the music front, there was one of the greatest song...