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11/05/2007: "Who Is John Galt? Writers Go On Strike. Productive People Revolt and Atlas Shrugged."

Writers. The mere word brings up all sorts of visions in people's heads. When I was very young, I would proudly tell someone that I was a writer. I'm sure their first thought was, "Oh, she's unemployed. Poor thing, can't get a real job."

Yes, all the while, I was proud to be a writer. I only made a penny a word. Like most writers, I started out spending years doing what I loved but being poor. But I kept at it. So few people can make words sing. So few people can give words a rhythm. So few people can do so much with words as a real writer.

Well, all that was before I became the envy of my family and friends and the richest of them all. How? I was a writer!

People pay writers because so few people can write.

So now Hollywood braces for a strike as those "awful", overpaid writers go on strike. The Writers Guild of America's New York and Los Angeles chapters have stopped work. Now we'll see just how important writers really are.

The Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers wants residuals of substance for those people who put the words in the mouths of all the stars.

Back in 1985 the guild did a deal that turned out to be less effective than it should have been. Why? The home entertainment industry was just emerging. But now, with the Internet, the writers and producers get but a small portion of the sales. Sometimes, they get nothing.

No one knew back then that videocassettes --- and later, DVDs --- would be so lucrative. Now, writers worry that they won't get their fair share in the Internet age.

So we'll be seeing lots of reruns for a long time. The strike will affect some shows immediately. Others have episodes in the can for a month or two. After that, who knows.

Writers are critical, not only to entertainment, but to all facets of politics and business. For example, do you think presidents write their own speeches. In most cases, no. They're written by professional speechwriters. The words are put in their mouths.

And who would make companies, large and small, rich and successful by the use of great and powerful sales material were it not for the great copywriters?

Who would fill the newspapers with features, editorials and even write the news in an effective way? Who would create the great material in the many magazines? Writers are behind so much of the important, creative and valuable things in most every profession.

Writers matter to all people even though they may not realize it. They entertain us. They inform us. They make us look good and look important. They sell things. They do so much more than most people will ever know.

I'm glad that the WGA is bringing attention to how writers are paid. Moreover, I think that all writers, including copywriters, should get residuals and part of the profit they help to produce.

Many people think we're overpaid. Well, let's see how they like it when writers strike.

Who is John Galt?