Room writing vs. real writing

Chris asked a Friday Question that became an entire Monday and Tuesday post.

I know you're a big believer in the writer's room, as is Chuck Lorre. However, he recently discussed the risk of losing one's one voice in that system with regard to going back on writing on his own for The Kominsky Method

He describes many frustrating moments during the writing of The Kominsky Method when he was ready to throw his hands up and quit, because he had thought he'd lost the skill of writing on his own. What's your take on that? Is it like riding a bike or is there a real risk there?

Well, first of all there’s no denying Chuck Lorre’s success with the gangbang method of writing of sitcoms.  No one writer does a draft.  Everything is room written.  And for Chuck it's worked out spectacularly.  So you can't knock success. 

But I hate it.

I certainly don’t mind room writing when rewriting scripts.  And considering the time crunch (you don’t go home until the script is finished because the cast arrives at 9 the next morning), it’s an effective and efficient way of working.

But not for first drafts.  You hope as a writer you’re more than just a room joke guy, and essentially that’s all everyone is reduced to in a gangbang environment.  The stories are flimsy at best and there is rarely any genuine emotion.  So it’s just a joke fest.  And Chuck Lorre shows are funny.  He hires good joke writers.

But to be a writer means you have to have your voice.  You have to wrestle and solve story problems.  You can’t just sit back and let the other 10 people in the room solve it. You have to come up with that big joke to button a scene.  You have to orchestrate that nice moment between your two leads that feels organic and earned.  When the draft is too long you have to decide what to cut.   When you hit a roadblock you have to navigate around it yourself. 

I remember when I was directing DHARMA & GREG, another Chuck Lorre show that was gangbanged, I talked to one of the writers at the wrap party and he was very concerned that after two years of this he didn’t know he could still write a script on his own.  It’s a real concern.  And no, it’s not like riding a bicycle.  You’ve got to tackle the script yourself and that takes a certain amount of confidence — confidence that is undercut by two years of doing nothing more than pitching jokes.  

There are some great room writers who excel at pitching jokes during writing sessions.  They’re fast and funny and prolific.  Some of them write horrible drafts.  (They’re like basketball players who can shoot but not play defense.)   And it’s great to have one or two on your staff.

But there are other writers who are uncomfortable in the room but turn out great drafts.  Shy writers like Neil Simon.  I also want two of those on my staff.   And if I had to choose of the two which was the more valuable — on my staff it would be the Neil Simon writer.   I’m liable to get more heart, and depth in their scripts.  Jokes we can add.

And the writers will grow and become better the more drafts they write.  Another part of my job as a show runner is to groom writers.  

Unfortunately, I don’t have a show and seriously doubt if I will in the future.  So it’s just one man’s opinion.  But you asked.


from By Ken Levine