Are writers the forgotten entity of entertainment?

Yes, I think that’s true, and for the most part, writers are okay with that. Writers don’t usually have a problem being behind the scene out of the limelight. Perhaps it’s part of our DNA. Crafting and creating is indeed our existence and watching a script eventually come to life is most times reward enough. Sure, a nice thank you or an occasional award wouldn’t be bad either. (Or some monetary gain. Most writers won’t refuse that either.) But audiences care little about writers. Actors don’t care much either. Directors care more. Who cares most about writers? Other writers, I suppose.

As audiences talk about the season-ending cliffhanger, anticipating what will happen in the next season, the writers are already working behind the scenes to make it a reality. The off-season is the on-season for writing. That’s the case in television, motion pictures, and even the theatre, where I do my writing.

I’m currently in the midst or writing a brand new Christmas show which will be performed at the local performing arts centre in December. It’s for my drama group, The RLT Players, who are just about to start rehearsals for the new show even though they haven’t seen any of the scripts yet. The RLT Facebook page remains idle. Hasn’t had a post in months, but it doesn’t mean that it’s dead. It’s merely idle. It’s in the dormant season. It’s winter, but beneath the frosty sheen of this drama group’s veneer, a bustle of activity is happening on the keyboard. Characters are being created. Plots are being twisted. Humor is being added, and poignancy is rounding everything into shape. Soon these characters will be released to the actors, and they will shape and mold them into a new show which will thrill hundreds of people.

Off season is peak time for the writer. It’s glorious, actually. The audience may never know what truly goes on underneath a production, but we writers know. That’s what make us pretty awesome.