Why talking "theory" in the writers room will get you fired
Advice from a TV writer/showrunner
I’ve worked in a lot of writers rooms over my 28 year career, and I know this sounds crazy, but if there’s one thing that will get you fired it’s this:
Talking too much about theory.
When I say theory, I mean pitching things like this:
The kinds of stories the show should tell
The types of emotions the character should feel in a scene
The kinds of feelings the viewers should experience
To be clear, the showrunner can talk about this stuff in the writers room. It’s their show, they can do what they want.
But anyone else on staff should do this at their own peril.
So why can’t writers talk about theory?
