There is a strike going on that is halting TV shows and the production of movies. A strike is when a group of people (usually employees) stop work and demand something out of their company. A strike could be about pay, fewer work hours, or better working conditions. But, how is a simple strike doing this much? Well, it is doing this because it is a Writers’ strike. The last time writers went on strike it lasted for over a hundred days and halted TV shows and movies. But, how can writers on strike do this, and what do they want?

A Writer writes scripts for TV shows and Movies. A writer is important for movie production. They work closely with the producer so they can create the perfect script for the show/movie. Success for writers comes when the writer is skillful at writing about a situation so the audience has a better understanding of what is going on in the movie. A writer is important for movie production because the writers develop a storyline for the show. They think of each character’s background and story. They make plot twists and new ideas. Even after every script and storyline is done, they read it again multiple times to make sure that it is exactly what they want it to be.

To be a writer is really hard, which is why writers are saying that they aren’t being paid enough for all of the work they do. “writing is considered one of the most difficult jobs in Hollywood because it requires an understanding of both storytelling as well as technical expertise about how films are produced.” says Filmlifestyle. Writer’s pay has been slowly falling past the year. The pay has dropped to a certain limit and now writers are on the picket line. The picket line is when strikers are outside and holding signs about what they want. While the movie budget is going up, writer pay is falling down. Writers are only being paid minimum wage, and they can’t keep up with their bills. They want to be paid more and even if they are not needed that day they still want to be paid for that day. Some writers were living in apartments with no heating, AC., or good electricity.

Writers are struggling with pay and they want more salary. They can’t pay their rent with the money they have. But, the writers and WGA (Writers Guild of America) haven’t negotiated since March 31st and there are no negotiations scheduled. This strike may go on for a long time like the last one. If WGA and writers can negotiate a deal you can start watching funny TV shows. In the meanwhile, you’ll have to stick with the show repeats.