Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Rabb.
Michael, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I always wanted to be a writer. I wrote dozens of sitcom scripts just for fun. One day while at the dog park I asked a man that I knew worked in the TV biz to read one of my scripts and tell me if it was any good. He liked it enough to pass it on to a friend that worked as a writer at Nickelodeon. That was the beginning of an 18-year long writing career that’s still going strong.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Being a paid writer is like being an actor. You’re constantly trying to find work and there’s constant rejection. Ideally, you want to be a staff writer, sitting in a room collaborating with other writers. This is ideal because you have a real job (at least until the show gets cancelled.) You have a regular paycheck, health insurance and union benefits. But as of late, it seems the model is changing where studios are hiring one lead writer and contracting out the remaining scripts to freelance writers. This means you’re working from home, you get no benefits, no insurance and the checks are spread out over several months.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
I write to kids and family entertainment. I’ve written on almost every pre-school show that’s been on TV since the early-2000’s. I am also hired to develop new ideas, turning a popular toy or book into a TV series.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success is getting hired over and over by the same people. It means they liked your work enough to bring you back. There are so many experienced writers out there and new ones coming up all the time. It’s super competitive and easy to fall out of favor if you don’t continually deliver quality work. Success in this business means you’re working.
Contact Info:
- Phone: 818-681-1311
- Email: heymikerabb@gmail.com
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