The Writer's Advantage

by Laurie Scheer

  * Halloween and Nightmare On Elm Street featured films, novels, comic books, and TV shows during this time. Also, I am quoting only the films that appeared pre-1996, the time of Williamson’s writing of Scream, because that is when the bulk of these films appeared on the scene. There have been additional films made in these franchises since 1996, however, they would not have influenced Williamson and his writing in 1996.

  CHAPTER 8

  IDENTIFY THE MASS PRODUCTION HISTORY OF YOUR GENRE

  You have your quintessential text. You have your list of traits. Now let’s look at how history has treated your genre. Your research will take you down many paths as you’ll learn how books within your genre have been adapted into films and television series and some films and series are adapted into print — and why. This research assists you in knowing where you would best find an audience for what you’ve created.

  RUN THE HISTORY

  Take your genre and run the history of the genre. In other words, check at least three sources that confirm the definition of the genre and examples of said genre in contemporary media over the last 30 to 50 years (earlier if you wish). It would be time-consuming to watch every text within the history of your genre. A shortcut would be to go back to the highlighted texts you found for the quintessential text research in Chapter 6.

  For the sake of illustrating how to go about this search, let’s say that I have written a bible for a cop/detective drama series and I want to apply the work of The Writer’s Advantage before I begin shopping the project. I’m going to use the genre of cop/detective shows and run through the highlights of this genre in contemporary television history. You’ll see that we will incorporate our quintessential text element, along with the traits of the genre, as we analyze how the genre has been played out on television over the years.

  During television’s early years, the cop/detective drama genre found an audience mostly due to the gumshoe detective stories heard on the radio previously and found in pulp fiction novels and film noir movies of the 1930s and ‘40s. Sam Spade, the lead P.I. of the film noir movie classic The Maltese Falcon (1941), was perhaps the most well-known detective of that era. The Maltese Falcon itself originally appeared as a novel in 1930, written by Dashiell Hammett, and over the years had been adapted numerous times for film. And so, in the 1950s, when television was a new medium, there were many readers/viewers willing to invite these TV sleuths into their living rooms on a weekly basis.

  Dragnet (1951–1959, 1967–1970), featuring Jack Webb as Sgt. Joe Friday, was at first a radio series, then a television series, and eventually a movie (1987). Some might say that Dragnet in all of its forms is a quintessential text for this genre. The scripted show featured cases from real-life scenarios set in Los Angeles. The anxieties of the times shined through. For instance, the cops held a straight-laced law-and-order mentality when it came to the delinquent teenagers using/selling drugs and the rough-and-dirty bad guys. The youths were either set straight or taught a lesson (crime doesn’t pay). Dragnet found a loyal audience. Another cop-message show that played out as a junior Dragnet was Adam-12 (1968–1975). This early police procedural ran beyond the run of the original Dragnet and found the two lead cops dealing with more scandalous issues. The storylines became grittier. We’ll see that this is a characteristic of cop/detective shows as they mirror their places in time.

  Hill Street Blues (1981–1987) featured the Hill Street station in a nondescript city that served as the front lines of the chaos at bay that was going to destroy society. These stories, often two or three plots intertwined within one episode, reflected the worry of society about whether the world was going down the drain because of uncontrolled and exponential crime. NYPD Blue (1993–2005) offered a message of social redemption and fairness during the ‘90s, when the mood to feel good about ourselves and live worry-free after the Cold War ended translated into detectives always catching their villain and acting compassionately. By the ‘00s, The Wire (2002–2008) brilliantly gave us the message that after decades of losing the war on drugs and failing in attempts to improve education, the situation was hopeless. Our social institutions, such as the police department and schools, had become twisted into dysfunction beyond all hope of salvation (just as society had been doing in the ‘00s in real life). By looking at just five series from 1951 to 2008 we see a progression of realism that reflects the culture they played within and to.

  We have since seen the realism element taken to even deeper levels with the Law & Order (1990–2010) and NCIS (2003–present) police procedural drama series (to name just two of many) continuing to write weekly plots that feature storylines direct from current headlines. Along with those plots, violent, bloody visuals peppered with offensive language and sexual situations permeate this genre. As you view your genre going through its history, notice how basic elements within their storylines are treated at each step and make note of this.

  Next, after analyzing the style and execution of these shows, take a look at how the traits have been utilized. In the case of cop/detective shows, there is a strong emphasis on loyalty. The type of loyalty can vary, such as to one’s partner, to the squad, to the “job” as an institution, or to society at large. This loyalty works for both sides. The criminals, particularly gang members, never expose fellow members. The truth is another trait. All cop shows play with the meaning of “the truth” in various contexts — such as the truth of knowing someone is guilty but not being able to prove it, the truth as expressed in court by evidence, the truth twisted or ignored in interrogations, covering up the truth to sidestep institutional dysfunction and achieve some noble end, and the personal impact on officers’ lives when the truth is covered up, or conversely when some dark secret is revealed.

  Remember when we said that characters also have traits (Chapter 6)? Cop/detective shows are classic examples of this. Police are real, complex characters who are flawed in some way. Lead P.I. Columbo (1971–2003) wore a rumpled raincoat, smoked a cigar, and bumbled his way (usually knowing exactly what he was doing) through his murder-solving cases. Kojak (1973–1978) featured a bald detective with an attitude who always had a Tootsie Pop in his mouth and muttered the catchphrase “Who loves ya baby?” Barney Miller (1974–1982), a rare cop comedy, featured a collection of oddball cops inhabiting a Greenwich Village police station. Iconic cops such as Andy Sipowitz in NYPD Blue and Adrian Monk in Monk (2002–2009) embody the type of civil servant who excels at his work no matter what. Additionally, these main series characters often struggle with real-life issues. Alcoholism and family problems are a common symptom of the rough lives that cops and detectives lead. It seems alcoholism is accepted among the police more than it might be in other professions and almost excused because of the nature of the job. Identifying these traits within highlighted texts assists you as you gather information for your own project(s) on hand.

  Through this very brief search you can see the evolution of this genre and how the genre changed through time, and if I introduce a show like Dexter (2006–2014) into this mix, you can see how the genre has, in fact, moved from being a one-sided “good guys vs. bad guys” scenario into a situation where a real “bad guy,” a serial killer, is working within and employed by the Miami police department. Where will this genre go next? That’s up to you as you gather this information.

  Also note that I could also include in my search all of the cops and detectives found in literature and in films even though I am working with a television series. I would suggest going about doing this chronologically within each medium and then look at all of the information you’ve gathered before perfecting your own material. Arm yourself with as much knowledge about your genre as possible.

  HYBRID GENRES

  We have reviewed (in Chapter 5), how genres can be combined and the recent trend of merging genres into hybrids of genres. Also, establishing new sub-genres is on the rise.

  Hybrid genres play to crossover audiences an
d within different platforms of the transmedia universe and the result can be very lucrative. Take a look at the Dexter example previously mentioned. The series has attracted viewers interested in police procedurals along with those interested in psychological horror. Combining two successful genres is often a win-win situation. There is no end to how genres can be combined. The opportunities are wide open and there are no rules.

  Let’s take a look at the Dark Fantasy genre within the publishing world. This genre is the combination of horror and fantasy. Texts such as Stephen King’s The Dark Tower series (1982–2012) or Raymond Feist’s Faerie Tale (1988) fall into this category. The Dark Fantasy genre also runs the gamut of gothic fiction, horror fiction, occult detective, supernatural fiction, sword and sorcery, urban fantasy, and weird fiction, and carries over into the filmed and digital adaptations of the content within this genre.

  As a creator of a hybrid genre it is beneficial for you to know both (or more) genres well. Remember that you will be attracting audiences from all of your genres and you do not want to disappoint half (or a third, etc.) of your audience. Therefore, if you do work with a hybrid genre, the research you’ll be conducting will be for all the genres combined.

  MANUSCRIPTS VS. SCRIPTS

  As you conduct this research, observe the way the material first appeared on the scene, be it in print, on the radio, within the early television scenario, or via the large screen (in theaters) or small screen (via computers and mobile applications). It all boils down to content, no matter what the original venue is and making note of how, for instance, previously mentioned Dragnet transferred from radio to television to film will only enhance your chances of knowing how best to present your own material. In today’s market the options of writing a manuscript versus a script prevail. There are benefits to writing each.

  My experience has been that in most cases, it is difficult for a novelist to write scripts and equally as frustrating for a screenwriter to write prose. The formats differ greatly and the discipline involved in writing each require mastering the unique format required.

  Within screenwriting the “economic use of words” takes over. Within prose writing, the writer is free to write lavish description and narrative without any restraints. In other words, a novelist could take a complete page to describe a memorable, significant sunset within their plot, while a screenwriter must use only one word — SUNSET.

  There are very few truly talented writers who can write successfully in each discipline and flourish. I would advise most writers to choose the venue they wish to write within and stick with it. The only time that you may consider writing the “other” version of a script would be if a producer or development exec asks you to, or mentions that they’d like to see the material fleshed out in novel form. The reason for this is that they may not be able to see the scope of your idea within a 110-page script. If you flesh out your story completely through prose, additional subplots and characters will emerge and the overall effect makes the project bigger and more appealing to the potential buyer.

  On the other hand, if you have written a manuscript and submit it and the potential buyer asks you to adapt the material into script form, that is when you need to ask if they are seriously interested in buying the material. Do not, under any circumstances, adapt your manuscript to script form without a deal (option or buy-out) in place. Most writers will receive an additional fee (in some cases quite large), to write the script version of their material. Do not work for free in this case.

  If you wish to write both a prose and script version of your content before you begin shopping your material, that is completely up to you. Many writers have done this. This option gives you a higher chance at getting picked up by either the publishing world or the entertainment industry when you shop your content within both arenas. When one or the other expresses interest and buys your work, you’ll already have the additional adaptation ready. But don’t give it away, make sure your agent negotiates a deal when it comes time to writing the adaptation (script) or additional material (manuscript). Then present that “new” version in a reasonable amount of time and receive payment for your hard work.

  So if you feel you would like to market and shop within both the publishing world and the entertainment industry, then it would behoove you to write both versions. You increase your chances of selling your project.

  TOOLKIT SANDBOX

  Steampunk’d, Some Questions and Westerns, What a Great Combination

  CASE STUDY: Steampunk’d

  “Steampunk” is primarily a literary genre, a sub-genre of Science Fiction and a hybrid of Sci-Fi, Historical, and Fantasy. These works are alternative worlds that parallel the 19th century British Victorian era or the American Wild West in a post-apocalyptic/fantasy future where steam power is once again in fashion. The style of Jules Verne, H. G. Wells and Mary Shelley is copied here and the genre looks to Fritz Lang’s movie Metropolis (1927) as its quintessential text, along with H. G. Wells’ novel The Time Machine (1895) as a close runner-up. In this case, this cross-genre, even though it is embedded in history, isn’t identified until the late 1980s in America as a genre that would stand parallel alongside Cyberpunk. One of the best primary texts of this genre is the television show The Wild Wild West (1965–1969). Here’s an example of how the networks took on a series as competition to the spy dramas — The Man From U.N.C.L.E (1964-–1968), The Avengers (1961–1969), Get Smart (1965–1970) — that were hugely popular in the ‘60s, along with the James Bond films playing in the theaters, and combined them with the television westerns — Bonanza (1959–1973), Gunsmoke (1955–1975), The Big Valley (1965–1969) — that were just about wearing out their welcome with American television audiences. The result was The Wild Wild West, featuring two secret service agents working within the backdrop of the American West and utilizing technologically advanced devices to fend off their villains. Brilliant idea for the ‘60s, so brilliant that two television movies were produced with the original cast in 1979 and 1980, and a movie version exists from 1999 starring Will Smith. Watching how this genre shined in the ‘60s and slowly fell by the wayside in its subsequent versions (mostly due to the lack of interest among audiences — both spy dramas and westerns had played themselves out within the television landscape, leaving the original idea with much to be desired by 1999, the end of the 20th century) is a lesson to be learned regarding how genres resonate to specific audiences during specific time periods.

  There are two more movie projects that exhibit Steampunk energy and have garnered significant followings. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (1999 graphic series, 2003 film adaptation) and Sherlock Holmes (2010) each gracefully embrace all of the traits and elements of pure Steampunk. On television, The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. (1993–1994) had a short run on the CW network. The show had a small but dedicated following, although not enough to be renewed for a second season.

  As mentioned in the beginning of this chapter, this is a fairly new hybrid genre. It is, for the most part, untested and could either explode in popularity or move into pure cult status depending on where creators want to take it. In this case study, we’ve discovered a fairly new genre that holds much potential. Its elements are specialized, representing a niche of one popular genre — Sci-Fi — and one not-so-popular genre, the Western. Care to explore any more and move forward with your own version of the next big Steampunk property?

  QUESTIONING WITH THE WRITER’S ADVANTAGE

  How have the print, film, television, and web-based versions of your genre fare among audiences through the decades?

  Do you see a pattern emerge from your genre throughout the shifts within the genre?

  Did society and cultural influences help or hinder your genre throughout the ages?

  Did generational shifts play a part in how/why your genre did particularly well — or not?

  Does your genre hold up over time — why?

  Do
es your genre hold up over time — why not?

  Do you have a hybrid or cross-genre in mind?

  EXERCISE

  Go west

  Westerns have not stood the test of time, especially within the 21st century. Study this genre to understand why some genres shine consistently and others fade away. (Hint: The entertainment powers that be have attempted cross-genre versions of westerns to drum up appeal for this genre pay extra-special attention to these pieces of content, such as 2011’s Cowboys & Aliens.)

  CHAPTER 9

  ANALYZE AUDIENCE REACTION — MASS OR CULT?

  To help you in honing and defining your idea to ensure that it will resonate with your audience, you took a look at the history of your genre in Chapter 8. Now it is time to take another, deeper step into the genre and study why some texts become wildly popular and are thought of as mainstream, and others reach a more limited cult status. In order to best measure the popularity of a genre, one has to look at 1.) the social and political backdrop at the time of release/distribution, and 2.) the media measuring devices in place during the time of consumption, either initially or during the text’s long tail of consumption.

  In regard to pre-20th century texts that appeared originally in newspapers, magazines, and/or as books, one must gather material that is available through print-related accounts only. Upon looking at pieces of popular culture from the 1920s through current times, it is possible to find measures specific to each type of media, such as The New York Times bestselling books lists, box office receipts for movies, and ratings for television fare. Within the 21st century, the number of hits per video or webisode and the number of tweets surrounding a specific piece of media is the measure of popularity. Understanding how the text was received when it first appeared on the scene and later how it is remembered is also something to take into consideration. For instance, films such as The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) and Harold and Maude (1971) are considered cult classics, but so is The Room (2003). Economic, historical, and social factors play into why a text may or may not play well when it first appears on the scene and what its performance level may eventually reach after its initial release. So let’s look at the definition of mainstream versus cult and why some texts resonate and others don’t.