# Depictions of writers on TV



## TakeWalker (Mar 16, 2009)

I just finished watching the second-ever episode of ABC's new series _Castle_. It's gotten me back into watching primetime, for shame! However, it's also gotten me thinking: do writers actually have a presence on the small screen?

Take _Castle_. It stars _Firefly_'s Nathan Fillion, aka Mal, as wise-cracking single father and bestselling murder writer Richard Castle, who ends up getting involved with the NYPD under the pretense of digging up material for a new novel (and because the mayor "is a big fan"). While he mostly just gets in the way and makes things difficult for our plucky cop heroine, he also displays an ability for figuring out what's going on in tricky cases, as he "follows the best story".

There's also _Californication_, which I think is on HBO and which I haven't seen. It stars _The X-Files_' David Duchovny as another writer, and my mom really didn't tell me anything more about it. You can probably just IMBD it anyway.

So my point is, what do these shows say about writers, if anything? Are they making a cultural impact at all? Do writers have some kind of mystique or idealistic and romantic nature about them? I really have no idea, so please, discuss.


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## Shouden (Mar 16, 2009)

Californication does star David, and it's mainly about sex and stuff. The sex is probably why you're mom watches it and didn't tell you any more about it.


I think it's a little awkward to have a writer on a TV show or in a movie...especally when the show or movie is based on a book. That's why so few shows and movies have writers in them.


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## Yorokonde2 (Mar 16, 2009)

Do those shows say anything about writers? 
No, not really. At least, I don't think so.

Are the shows making a cultural impact? 
Probably not. I doubt they'll shift anyone's perception of writers as a whole.

Do writers have some kind of ... about them? 
Well, sure they do. At least, I'd like to think so. Although I'm sure most kids don't grow up wishing to be a writer like they do an astronaut. Still, to create a character, put them in a world and tell their story in a way that's entertaining... that's somewhat of an enchanting idea, don't you think?

All and all, I don't think writers get a whole lot of credit anymore in this society. At least not ones that don't write about whatever is popular at the time. It's a lot like being an artist for a nation of blind people. Sure, you may have painted the most wonderful, touching, imaginative painting ever... but if no one can see it, does it really matter? I dunno. I don't mean to be so depressive. XD


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## ScottyDM (Mar 17, 2009)

I strongly suspect _Castle_ is a me-to show.

CBS has _The Mentalist_ which features a charming and roguish MMC who helps law enforcement, but isn't exactly in law enforcement. All the while getting under the FMC's skin, who happens to be an experienced, senior, and beautiful detective. Such wonderful chemistry in _The Mentalist_ and ABC just had to create _Castle_.

_NCIS_ turned one of their agents into an author last season to use that in a plot. Some psycho was stealing single-use ribbons out of the agent/author's trash and reading scenes at the first draft level, then killing people to "protect" the author because his books were essentially Mary-Sues. See, it's true. Mary-Sues are pure evil. And so are typewriters.

And the FMC in the movie _Romancing the Stone_ was a romance author. There was this cute scene where the FMC and MMC stumble upon some drug runners (I think they're in Columbia) and it's tense for a moment... until the MMC mentions the FMC's name. Then it's all hugs and kisses because the drug runners are major romance novel fans and they love the author's work.

I can't think of any more at the moment.

In _Romancing the Stone_, the FMC/author was nothing like the heroines in her steamy books. In fact I think she was still a virgin. There's a scene at the beginning of the movie where she's talking with her agent, but I don't recall if she was depicted as being rich from writing. Still, romance is the biggest market in the U.S. and it's possible to make a living at romance.

_Castle_ shows authors as being wealthy, interesting, dashing, having action-packed lives, etc., and all that from being authors. These things are seldom true and certainly none of them come from writing. In fact the wealthy part is the least likely of that list. There are probably more pro-<name-any-sport> players who make over a $-million per year than there are writers.

Should there be more authors as characters in fiction? Heck, why not?

Scotty


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## ScottyDM (Mar 17, 2009)

Yorokonde2 said:


> Sure, you may have painted the most wonderful, touching, imaginative painting ever... but if no one can see it, does it really matter? I dunno. I don't mean to be so depressive. XD


That's one of the reasons I'm not fond of self-publishing fiction. If it's good enough to pay money to read, then it deserves an audience--which is almost impossible to gain with self-published fiction.

S-


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## foozzzball (Mar 17, 2009)

YOU'RE THE MAN NOW, DOG!

Finding Forrester is _the_ 'Writer' movie.


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## TakeWalker (Mar 17, 2009)

Shouden said:


> Californication does star David, and it's mainly about sex and stuff. The sex is probably why you're mom watches it and didn't tell you any more about it.



I think it was more that she wasn't paying attention to me at the time. 

And I think Scotty has (unsurprisingly) wrapped up this topic nicely.


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