Strike One, Strike Two, Strike Three.

Who doesn’t want to get paid what they are worth? As an author of eight novels in the early 2000’s, I’m aware of the tipping-point moment for writers of TV and Film participating in WGA writer’s strike (and subsequent SAG AFTRA, actor’s strike). In my era advances and royalties were solidified through contracts mailed to you, signed, and sent back. Any other material based there on or derived there from, in any manner or media whatsoever ( whether now known or hereafter devised), during the term, for the purpose. This is a phrase from a typical creative’s contract. I‘ve seen a similar clauses in performance contracts as well. My contract considered the audio and movie rights of each book. In my case, the unknown media then was digital or eBooks. Kindle readers weren’t conceived or considered in my contract at the printing of my first book, Soon and Very Soon in 2007. I have an email dating back to 2010, asking me to address an addendum in letter format negotiating eBook terms at 15% to the author, later to find out 25% or more would be more industry standard. Either way, digital reproduction of books single handedly revolutionized the book industry. It sent bookstores reeling and many brick-and-mortar stores crumbled. Success of a book no longer had to depend on the tenacity of a self- published author or the validation of a publishing house to print, market, store and/ or distribute a book. There could be a limitless print run with print-on-demand and digital downloads. We could liken it to the streaming debate within the SAG- AFTRA (actor’s) contract where streaming sites store television shows and movies. The public can consume their favorite program a limitless amount of times, but who is to account for the residuals actors are used to receiving from having that same work go in syndication. Another point that is up for debate is AI. Artificial Intelligence is the known and unknown. It’s the monster that Mary Shelley wrote about in Frankenstein that can turn on us all. It’s the here and now, but it’s also the future. The writers and actors are asking that the use of it be reined in. Fran Drescher, the president of SAG AFTRA ( and, yes, I’m talking, TV’s The Nanny, Fran Drescher) pointed out it is imperative to revisit a business model that has been drastically changed by evolving media technology. If you don’t believe us, check out episode one of season six of Netflix’s Black Mirror: Joan is Awful and be afraid; be very afraid. This is not a chicken or egg debate; we know what comes first – the story. Writers are the essential contributors that make the TV/Film industry run. Networks executives are flirting with the idea of eliminating the role of writers/ writer'sroom to let producers experiment with a story premise and a Bot like Siri to mass produce your favorite shows. And if we don't win the war over who owns the right to our AI generated likenesses, your favorite characters will be cloned like Tyrone into rigid lifeless scenarios imagined by Chat GPT. I cannot speak for actors; I'm a writer. Writer’s contract should be renegotiated. Intellectual property should be protected Writers should be paid for every derivative or iteration of their work, and in some cases in perpetuity.