George R.R. Martin defends Hollywood writers’ strike

George R.R. Martin has recently shared his thoughts on ongoing Writers Guild of America strike.

In his blog post, the Game of Thrones author revealed that the dissolution of the mini room is the “most important thing that the Guild is fighting for” because it enabled writers to gain experience through mentorship and production process, which is fundamental for career growth.

“There is no film school in the world that could have taught me as much about television production as I learned on ‘Twilight Zone’ during the season and a half,” wrote Martin.

Martin pointed out that the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) offered the WGA the “opportunity for some writers to be brought onto sets to shadow showrunners and producers”.

“Even that will not be an absolute right. Maybe they will be let in, maybe not. These are the people who wrote the stories being filmed, who created the characters, who wrote the words the actors are saying,” explained Martin.

Martin mentioned, “Mini rooms are abominations, and the refusal of the AMPTP to pay writers to stay with their shows through production is not only wrong, it is incredibly short-sighted.”

“If the story editors of 2023 are not allowed to get any production experience, where do the studios think the showrunners of 2033 are going to come from? If nothing else, the WGA needs to win on that issue. No matter how long it may take,” he added.