tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7823625636675642409.post2604412636093899203..comments2024-03-14T04:07:39.792-07:00Comments on Earl Pomerantz: Just Thinking...: "Is 'The Writers' Room' A Contradiction In Terms?"Earl Pomerantzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16963705121297866334noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7823625636675642409.post-54717212062280683922017-05-11T11:37:26.317-07:002017-05-11T11:37:26.317-07:00In some ways, writing computer programs is similar...In some ways, writing computer programs is similar to what you describe here for writing for TV. One big difference, though, is that software is never really done. Because it's "soft", it keeps getting changes. Both to fix problems (bugs) in the orginal but also to extend it with new features or keep up with changing technology. Rarely does one person work on these projects and even more rarely does anyone stay on the project for very long. New people come in to fix the bugs you left in the program (of course you say, "that's not a bug, it's a feature.") or to add the new feature that the new head of the department wants.<br /><br />But every new programmer wants to add their own distinctive design so there is a ritual "trashing of the previous programmers" (as <i>Dilbert</i> once put it) to point out how anitquated the design is and how it could be improved by using the new Blue Squeegee Framework of program design (I made that name up). So, the new guy gets to rewrite everything and cram it into their design method and, of course, introduce a huge number of new bugs, er, features.<br /><br />Some programmers try to make their programs so intricate and hard to understand (to display their own brilliance with no comments of why they did things that way to guide the next programmer) that there is no other choice than to rewrite the whole thing. But a lot of the same ego is involved as with writing for TV. Or at least it seems like that from what I read from your blog.<br />JEDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07538398157297345338noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7823625636675642409.post-77045321901324586652017-05-10T19:34:20.528-07:002017-05-10T19:34:20.528-07:00Totally connect with the horrors of that room writ...Totally connect with the horrors of that room writing system. I never liked it. To assume that group-think is always better than the original artist alone with his carefully contemplated thoughts and not bombarded by others' thoughts, to me, does a disservice to the ultimate audience. Not that those final Marys, etc., weren't wonderful. But the Lorre joke machine is something to which I have a visceral negative reaction, to the point I race for the remote even when a commercial for a show of his comes on. <br /><br />Your acceptance speech for that episode of yours, had you put it up: "I couldn't have done this without all the other writers who rewrote me. Oh, wait... I've just been given a rewrite of this speech from the other writers... Wow, this is a first! They didn't change one word!"Why I Can't Look at Styrofoam To this Daynoreply@blogger.com