Tempers are starting to fray in Hollywood, and it’s only Week 2 of the Writer’s Guild Association strike.

Showrunners, the creative directors of most televisions shows who simultaneously wear both hats of writer and producer, are under pressure as they are squeezed by both sides. CBS/Paramount has sent “breach of contract” letters; WGA members vow solidarity with the union.
Ellen DeGeneres, WGA member, crosses the picket line after one day and goes back to work.

Obituaries for television shows are hitting the op-ed pages.

And the fallout continues. Theatre stagehands on Broadway have gone on strike, putting pressure on NYC entertainment industry. Novelist associations are weighing in. SFWA has pledged support to WGA members. Late night shows like Conan and Leno are in hiatus because their writing is topical and to-the-minute.

The pressure is mounting. And I repeat, it’s only Week 2 of this thing.

Stay tuned. Or maybe instead of watching reruns,support the WGA and read a good book. At least the author was paid a royalty for it.

Kathleen Bolton is co-founder of Writer Unboxed. She has written two novels under the pseudonym Cassidy Calloway: Confessions of a First Daughter, and Secrets of a First Daughter--both books in a YA series about the misadventures of the U.S. President's teen-aged daughter, published by HarperCollins.
Kathleen Bolton
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