Why ‘Elementary’ Writer Robert Hewitt Wolfe Won’t Read Your Script

It doesn’t take the mind of Sherlock Holmes to figure out why an established writer doesn’t want to read an amateur writer’s unsolicited treatment or script, just a working knowledge of how show business functions.

Almost without exception, unless that writer is an immediate blood relative or a very close personal friend — and maybe not even then — they won’t even glance at it.

A large reason for that is because of our litigious society. Anyone who follows entertainment knows there’s a strange gestalt thing that happens where, one year, everybody’s doing spy shows, or everybody’s doing hospital shows, or superhero shows.

That’s not because people are running around rampantly stealing other people’s ideas. It does happen, but generally, especially if you’re working with an idea from a new writer, it’s easier to buy them off and send them packing than to risk being dragged through court.

Writer/producer Robert Hewitt Wolfe (CBS’ “Elementary,” Syfy’s “Alphas”) offered a March 9 mini-lecture on Twitter at @writergeekrhw about why, if you’re going to get your work looked at, you’re going to have to go through channels.

Here it is, edited into paragraph form (and for grammar and punctuation):

Here’s a longer answer regarding why pro writers don’t want/need/read unsolicited ideas from non-pros. #TVWriting

Imagine you are an architect. Someone says, hey, I have a great idea for a house. Here’s a sketch. But they know nothing about building. A sketch of a house is not an architectural plan of a house. Frankly, it’s useless. Also, if you’re a pro architect, you can come up with plenty of ideas for houses. It’s your freaking job. You’ve dedicated decades to it.

So you don’t need that sketch. Worse, person who drew it probably incorporated many common architectural ideas they believe to be unique. Because they never studied architecture, they don’t realize their ideas aren’t original. But usually, they’re not.

So the architect continues to build lots of houses. Inevitably, they build a house with some of the same common elements the amateur used. The amateur sees the house, says “HEY! You ripped off my idea!” Architect can explain how that’s not true, but amateur may never believe it.

So there’s absolutely no upside to looking at sketch, only possible legal nightmares down the roadBetter to never see the sketch at all.

The short version: If you want to contribute a story to popular consciousness, write it yourself. Put it out there. Do the work.

I genuinely wish you all the success in the world. But I can’t/won’t do that very hard, very intense work for you.

Here endeth the lesson.

One last thing on TV Writer/Architect analogy worth thinking about. Average 1 hr network TV episode is 10x the labor & cost of average house.

Image: Jonny Lee Miller, “Elementary,” courtesy CBS