Letters to the Editor
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'nother non-union writer in support of the WGA strike here ...
I also support the WGA strike ... not because I will directly benefit ... like another content developer who burns with jealousy over residuals, I'm never going to see a dime beyond my monthly paycheck for all the work I do in my current place of employment.
But UNLIKE that person I recognize that there are indirect benefits to the strike for all of us who write for a living.
A real discussion is happening about what writers *do* in my workplace for the first time, and the WGA strike is part of the inspiration.
Management in just about every industry I've worked in (radio, print and online journalism, magazine publishing, e-learning and PR so far) fundamentally don't understand what writers do. There is this regrettable notion that "anybody" can write, and that there is no difference between a kid with a BA in English and a 40 year old with 20 years' experience. They don't know how to manage us.
We also only make 1/3 of the salary of programmers and IT people in case anyone cares. When we're working.
These people carry on like we're a bunch of fruity artists, not hard working people with a *skill* worth compensating. They know a good script from a bad script, but not why one is good or one is bad, why one CD gets the clients coming back to us and the other doesn't.
(also Lestat1, don't harsh on Jane Espenson. Marti Noxon was in charge of Buffy Season 6).