The animated TV show Family Guy, the brainchild of comedic Renaissance Man Seth McFarlane, is known for its irreverent, socially relevant and sometimes raunchy humor — typical of adult animation. Blending satire, slapstick comedy, and cutaway character fantasies, people have grown to treasure the fictional Griffin family over the last 21 seasons.
We’re excited to share that Family Guy’s current showrunners, Richard Appel and Alex Sulkin, are the grand jurors for the ScreenCraft Animation Competition. But before we task them with reading finalists’ scripts, we sat down with Appel and Sulkin to hear their thoughts about TV writing, as well as writing for animation.
Check out the full interview below and continue on for five of the most inspirational takeaways from that chat.
1. There Are Many Paths to Becoming a TV Writer
It used to be that if you wanted to be a TV writer, you had to write a spec script of an existing show, get representation and wait by the phone until your script got read by someone important. Nowadays, there are many ways to get noticed – especially if you write comedy.
Though Appel doesn’t have a lot of extra time to spend on social media, he does enjoy scrolling through Instagram to see what catches his eye.
“There are so many things that make me laugh out loud that people post!” says Appel, and admits that they’ve hired a writer to work on Family Guy based on his Twitter account. “Seth [McFarlane], who is on Twitter, was following a writer named Damien Fahey who kept sending me his stuff. We brought him in and he’s developed into a really strong writer and presence at the show. It’s not just that showrunners like me and Alec read things, I’ll get links sent to me. We’ll follow up.”
Appel adds that it’s important to just make stuff. “You have your phone, make little short videos, something is going to get out there if it’s really funny and really good or creative and just find that platform, that venue,” he says.
Got a great animation script? Enter it into the ScreenCraft Animation Script Competition!
2. The Secret to Your Spec Script is Revealing Your Voice
If you don’t get discovered on Twitter, you’ll still need to write a spec script to be considered for a TV job (and even if you DO get discovered on Twitter, having a spec ready to go can only help your chances!). But putting your own voice into that script is crucial.
Appel says when he plans to hire someone at Family Guy, it’s normal for him to read upwards of about 80 scripts, “Let’s say 60 are a ‘No’ and 10 are a ‘Maybe.’ Then you read one and it has a voice. There is a character in it who you think, ‘I couldn’t write that!’ The structure may not be sound. The story may peter off, but 99 out of 100 times, I’m going to want to hire the person with the voice because the truth is you can’t teach someone of the elements of writing.”
Appel goes on to say that having a voice, understanding stakes, making them earth-shattering and highly personal, and knowing how to escalate conflict, are all elements of a great spec.
Read More: How to Choose a TV Show to Spec
3. So, What Exactly is Voice?
Coming up with a universal definition of ‘writer’s voice’ is difficult and Appel gives an honest answer: “I’m not sure I know.” He likens it to that famous Supreme Court oral argument about pornography: I know it when I see it. It’s the same with writing.
“When you read something that makes you stop and take notice,” says Appel. “For me, often it’s a character speaking a certain way or with an observation or a line that seems so authentic and something that wouldn’t have come to me.”
Based on Appel’s answer, perhaps we can attempt to define voice this way: Voice comes from writing that is so authentic, so personal, that it couldn’t come from anyone else but you. But it’s also written in a way that is coherent and accessible to others.
Read More: How to Give Your Screenplay Your Voice
4. Advice If You’re Struggling on Defining Your Own Voice
Some showrunners like to read original pilots and some like to read specs of existing shows. Appel recommends writing the latter, especially if you’re not yet sure how to express your authentic self in an accessible way.
“I’m always happy to read a spec script for a Modern Family, or whatever the show is, because the job you’re being hired to do is to channel the voice of another creator with his or her characters and bring them to life week after week. And you can tell in a spec script of Veep or Modern Family, whatever it is, if the writer gets the characters and gets the voice of the show. To me, if you don’t yet know your own voice – and I’m not being facetious – write in someone else’s,” says Appel.
‘Family Guy’
5. How to Deal with Writer’s Block
So many writers struggle with either starting a project or more likely, finishing a project. Luckily, Appel says he can help.
“I have a trick that I’m proud of. Whenever I’m stuck, hit with writer’s block, which happens to us all – and [writer’s block] is a fancier name for the absence of ideas, laziness, exhaustion, whatever it is – I always do the same thing and maybe it works because I’ve been an A-type personality my whole life.”
Read More: 7 Tips to Stay Motivated When Writing Isn’t Your Day Job (Yet!)
Appel says he imagines he’s taking a final exam in college. “It’s nine o’clock. You have to turn in your blue book. I know they don’t do that anymore, but you have to hit send or whatever they do at noon and you sure as hell don’t want to turn in nothing because that’s a guaranteed fail. You’ve got three hours: go!”
After the three hours, he says to take a break and then open the computer and review what you have.
“Even if it’s shit,” says Appel, “get it on the page so you can come back to it and just see what’s there.” It may not be much, but it’s likely something will be usable or, at the very least, there’s half a scene or an idea to build on.
Read More: 6 Animated Shows That Changed the World of Comedy
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The post 5 Screenwriting Tips from ‘Family Guy’ Showrunners appeared first on ScreenCraft.
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Author: Shanee Edwards
