ScriptSuperhero.com

The 2007-08 WGA writer’s strike has officially become a migraine-inducing problem. While both the producers and the writers are part of the problem, the main losers in the whole fracas has expanded from production and tech crew and is now affecting audiences.

Sure, the networks are scrambling to pull together enough reality shows and short-run seasons of shows yet to debut to fool everyone into thinking things are OK for another couple months, but that won’t last much beyond January or February. After that, an awful lot of people are either going to be addicted to things like Iron Chef America and Mythbusters, or they’re gonna be up in arms and ready to tongue-lash both writers and producers.

Truth is, whenever this is settled, it won’t be much different than what the writers are asking for right now; so why not stop the posturing, sign a deal, and be done with it now? The rest of America will be considerably less grumpy in the coming months in the bargain.

One advantage the writing profession has over pro sports is that no one needs nutritional supplements to write well. Has anyone ever alleged that Stephen King was able to pump out so many best-selling horror novels only through the use of androsteen? Nope. Or that J.K. Rowling relied on steroid injections to finish her seven-book Harry Potter series on time? Absolutely not.

So yeah, we writers get paid far less, and are only public figures when the WGA decides to strike for slightly better pay once every 15 years or so. But at least writers can’t cheat to achieve greatness.

And no, plagiarism doesn’t count, since writers who engage in that type of cheating are almost always caught, and are almost never among the top writers.