The Writing/Publishing Shelf

The Writers' Room Survival Guide
Niceole Levy
Michael Wiese Productions
12400 Ventura Blvd., #1111, Studio City, CA 91604
www.mwp.com
Dreamscape Media
https://www.dreamscapepublishing.com
9781615933464, $29.95, PB, 230pp

https://www.amazon.com/Writers-Room-Survival-Guide-Screw/dp/1615933468

Synopsis: A writers' room is a space where writers, usually of a television=
series, gather to write and refine scripts. The television industry has lo=
ng had a collaborative model for writing shows. With the explosion of scrip= ted shows, and the competition among the networks and streaming channels, a=
"fluidity has developed to the way shows are created." The writers room fo= llows no single formula; it is an open-ended process with a range of set-up=
s. Room sizes vary from two to thirty, depending on the budget and number o=
f episodes, each room with its own rules. "Mini-rooms" exist for limited se= ries and smaller shows, mostly those haven't gotten the thumbs-up. (Wikiped= ia)

Writers' rooms can be a heaven or hell, depending on a few things. The best=
rooms foster inclusive and productive creative flow. The worst create a to= xic stew of bad feelings and doubt. Both kinds and everything in between re= quire basic knowledge of how the room works. These fundamentals are best le= arned before you go in. The mystery box of the writers' room need not stay = sealed shut forever.

Critique: With the publication of "The Writers' Room Survival Guide: Don't = Screw up the lunch order and other keys to a happy Writers' Room" by experi= enced film and television writer Niceole Levy provides aspiring script writ= ers with a true insider's perspective on what its like to work on script de= velopments as a group process in a room with two or more additional writers=
working on joint writing projects. A unique, informative, insightful, and = fascinating read throughout, "The Writers' Room Survival Guide: Don't Screw=
up the lunch order and other keys to a happy Writers' Room" is a 'must' fo=
r all aspiring script writers and non-specialist general readers with an in= terest in the subject of how films and TV shows are made. While absolutely = recommended as essential additions to professional, community, and academic=
library Writing/Publishing instructional reference collections, it should =
be noted that "The Writers' Room Survival Guide: Don't Screw up the lunch o= rder and other keys to a happy Writers' Room" is also available in a digita=
l book format (Kindle, $22.49) and as a complete and unabridged audio book = (Dreamscape Media, 9781666626704, $22.99, CD).

Editorial Note: Niceole Levy (https://niceolelevy.com/about) studied acting=
at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts which eventually yielded the epip= hany that she preferred writing. She completed the Master of Professional W= riting program, also at USC. She is also an alum of the CBS Writers Mentori=
ng Program, NBC's Writers on the Verge, and the WGAw Showrunner Training Pr= ogram, Niceole has written on Ironside, Allegiance, The Mysteries of Laura,=
Shades of Blue, Cloak & Dagger, Fate: the Winx Saga, and S.W.A.T. She also=
co-wrote a feature, The Banker, with former Allegiance showrunner and dire= ctor George Nolfi, available on AppleTV+. Niceole is currently a co-executi=
ve producer on Graymail, which will air on Netflix, and has several TV and = feature projects in development.

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