Why Should I Care About the Writer’s Strike?

I’m not a big television watcher. My tastes usually run toward documentaries on the History channel, and I have a favorite soap I like to watch occasionally. At one point I was a die hard Law and Order fan, but I can only take so much murder for so long. To be honest, because of my crazy schedule, if I want to watch any entertainment programs, I usually go to YouTube or I watch it online via the network’s website (I do this often with Ugly Betty).  I rarely go to movies because most of them aren’t worth the money. So, since I’m not a big consumer of TV or cinema, why should I care about the writer’s strike?

A great post at The Writer’s Resource Center convinced me I should. Since I’m not a member of WGA, I didn’t really understand exactly what they’re fighting for. I knew they wanted a bigger slice of revenue, which I think is fair. What I didn’t know is that screenwriters don’t own the rights to their work. The post is a good explanation of why all writers should support the strike. Even though screenwriting may seemed far removed from novel writing and freelance, we’re all part of the same writing family.

 Happy writing,

kathy