Interview With Lynn
Barker
Interviewed by Jenna Glatzer
Lynn has sold film and television scripts (credits include Star Trek: Deep
Space Nine, Twilight Zones, and Amazing Stories) and worked for several
television networks and production companies. She is also a script
consultant available for hire.
How did you get involved with the film and television industry?
I majored in Journalism/Communications at the University Of New Mexico and went to San Francisco
out of college and found work in a T.V. newsroom. I worked my way up until I was an Associate Producer
there, then got sick of hard news being handled as entertainment, so I decided I
should just work in T.V. entertainment! I went back to New Mexico for a while and ended up in Los Angeles where I worked my way
up as a secretary and "assistant" to programming executives before running the Story Department at the
CBS television network. I read tons of scripts and started writing my own (various spec script episodes
for t.v. series). I got my first agent with the help of writer friends who were
already represented.
Is it easier for a new writer to break into television versus film?
Neither is easy. In television, it seems easier to work in the business in any way possible, meet the people, then
start submitting scripts to execs on various shows. For film, there seem to be more ways to go:
independent production of your script, filming a short "demo" of hot scenes in your script and shopping that way for an
agent... etc.
If a writer wants to write for a certain show, is it advisable to
submit a spec episode of that show?
It's better to submit a spec episode for a "similar" show. Writers and producers on a show think that only they
know how to write "their" show. Thus, you have better luck submitting a really good spec script
for a show in the same genre, i.e. a spec episode of "The Others" to "Roswell", etc. but you'll need an agent first.
Should a new writer bother submitting a pilot for a new
show, or is that an "assignment only" job?
Submitting a pilot as a spec to get you work, fine. It's almost impossible for a new writer to sell a pilot script.
You would have to interest a producer with a track record of successful shows and a
relationship with a network in producing your pilot and taking it to the networks under his/her wing.
What are some of the most common mistakes you see new writers making
in their craft?
Oh boy! If you mean the actual writing, newcomers don't seem to know the "show it don't say it" rule. They
have characters jabbering on forever in a one-room setting. Film (of any kind) is a visual medium.
Even a character-driven piece that takes place in one house needs movement. As far as mistakes in trying to sell
work, too many first-time writers think they can get everything for next-to-nothing.
They want to sell a "treatment" or synopsis of their work without ever writing the screenplay or teleplay. This might work for
an established writer, but not a beginner. No one can tell from a treatment if you can
handle a full script.
How does television writing differ from film?
Format, pace, structure, audience. If a series, sustaining and recurring characters versus. characters we may
only see once. etc.
How important are "industry rules" in evaluating a script? Do you
penalize writers whose scripts aren't formatted properly, or don't adhere to standard structure?
Most executives and "readers" I know prefer at least a basic standard format setting up scenes, dialogue and
character names. What a writer does within a scene varies. I would only "penalize" or become
frustrated reading work that hasn't been spell-checked or has no basic knowledge of grammar.
You've done coverage for several networks and production companies.
Can you give us the inside scoop on "tracking boards?" If one company pans a spec script, does that mean that word will travel and
make it difficult for that writer's work to get read elsewhere?
To a certain extent this is true but I don't think it's all that "official". Work gets traded, talked about, etc. I
would advise anyone with a new script to get an agent (I know it's hard) then, with that
person, carefully plan out who to send the work to first and limit those "first look" people. Don't "shotgun" your script everywhere.
Wait a while if it doesn't sell right away and try your second choices.
A common problem new writers experience is differentiating
character's "voices." How can a writer tell if all of his/her characters "sound"
the same, and what can be done to remedy that?
Know your characters inside and out. It's that simple. Dialogue is a reflection of the character's background,
birth, locale, and experience. A prostitute in a big city just doesn't talk like a
church-going farm girl.
How does being a member of the Writer's Guild affect your career?
The Guild helps with health and retirement and, most importantly, tracks residual payments and enforces
those payments. The Guild is also there to fight for you legally, if your rights are stepped on and there is
impartial arbitration by your peers when a credit is questioned. It's a good group. Members are considered
true professionals.
Where would you suggest that writers go to learn about the craft of
writing for film and TV? (Books, websites, classes?)
Ha! Go to my webpage and contact and hire me!! Other than that, classes involve a live-action exchange
where questions can be discussed freely. For me, a live action exchange is preferable to books and internet
although dealing with an internet consultant is close due to e-mail exchanges, etc. All three are very helpful and
should be explored BEFORE a writer tries his/her first script.
Why should a new writer hire a script consultant?
To get off on the right professional foot, to get EXPERIENCED feedback on all phases of their work
including basic premise, character, dialogue, structure, pacing, marketability, to let a totally objective
voice be heard. (Parents, friends and sometimes teachers who know you, might tend to be wary of "hurting" or
offending you with corrections, suggestions, etc.) Be wary and selective, however. Sometimes, people
call themselves "consultants" or "script doctors" when they've only been a reader for one producer for a
couple of weeks or have never set foot in Hollywood. Seek out a REAL professional with experience. The
process certainly isn't just for "new" writers, either. Many of my clients are professionals with previous sales.
Anything else you'd like to add for new writers?
Be prepared for rejection and lots of it. Hold tight to your dream but be flexible. People WILL touch your
"golden words". Learn how to be a team player without being an ___kisser. "It is a great thing to write.
To be no longer yourself, but to move in an entire universe of your own creation." - Flaubert
Visit Lynn's webpage here: http://home.earthlink.net/~lynbark/index.html.
