25 - How to Write For Film, TV, and Tie-Ins (with D. V. Bishop)

Publishing Rodeo: The Good, The Bad, and the Bloody Ugly

If you've ever been curious about alternate or adjacent writing careers, this episode is for you! David "D.V." Bishop got his start 30 years ago writing for comics and IP franchises, before later moving to tv/film scriptwriting. These days, he's back to books and is now an award-winning historical crime novelist.

Bringing to bear years of varied experience, he walks us through the trenches and pitfalls of an industry that makes trad pub look like child's play--including the kind of working conditions you can expect, and the kind of money you might be able to earn.

Oh, and Scott gets to ask his burning question at the end: why do some big-budget tv franchises turn out so crappy?!

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Full notes:·

• 30+ year career.
• Started out writing for comics, then moved to tie-in novels, then wrote for film and television· Is currently an award-winning historical crime novelist·
• David has worn a LOT of hats·
• How do you get started as a screenwriter?
• David talks about the paths into that field for television versus film.·
• Explanation of a brutal, competitive, cut-throat industry·
• How does film and TV compare to trad publishing? Much harsher!· Limited negotiation and power in script writing / IP work·
• Rights and creativity and anything created is signed over forever·
• How has the landscape of publishing changed in the past 30 years? Mostly good or mostly bad?·
• The advent of self publishing, the rise of electronic submissions, the accessibility of information·
• The financial side of script-writing: what does it make, what can you expect?·
• Wait…. You guys make HOW MUCH?! O.O·
• Good pay if writers can endure the crushing pressure and difficult environment·
• If you want to break into film, you need an agent, and probably also a lawyer, and a manager.·
• Tie in novels: how much they earn (enough to support you, not enough to retire or quit)·
• Novelisations of films: Tough gig, potentially good money·
• ALWAYS sign a contract first·
• The pitfalls of trying to learn screenwriting / doing your own book adaptations as an author·
• Scott’s burning question: why are some big budget shows SO awful? What went wrong?·
• And finally: Why David is happy to be back writing novels, why he enjoys it, and why he genuinely aspires to be a well-supported midlist writer.·
• “Either you're the skyrocket and then the hope is you can sustain that thereafter, or else you have to be the little engine that could and you just have to keep chugging away and putting out the books and raising the quality and raising awareness and getting out there and pimping your book and hustle, hustle, hustle.”