Episode 14: Working Your Way Up the Writer's Room on a Hit TV Show w/Alex Fernandez

In this installment of The Hollywood Dream podcast, Johanny delves into Alex's journey through the unpredictable world of television writing. Starting as an assistant, Alex climbed the ladder to become a staff writer on the hit ABC show Station 19.

While initially pursuing a career in production, Alex discovered her true passion for screenwriting while in college. She further honed her skills by attending grad school at Stevens College, where she studied under the guidance of the esteemed Ken Lezepnik. Alex's program at Stevens College offered a low-residency option, allowing her to simultaneously work full-time and pursue her studies.

It was through her mentor at Stevens College that Alex landed her first job in TV, as she was recommended for a writers PA position on Station 19. From there, she steadily worked her way up from a PA to a researcher, then a freelance writer, and eventually to a well-deserved spot as a staff writer.

Alex reflects on her first year in the staff writer role, highlighting the fulfillment she experienced as she was finally able to delve deeper into storytelling without the added pressures and responsibilities of an assistant position. Tune in to this captivating episode as Joani and Alex explore the challenges and triumphs of pursuing a career in the writer's room on a hit TV show.

Transcript

Please note: This transcript is auto-generated, so there may be spelling and grammar mistakes.

Hi, everybody.

This is Johanny. Just a quick FYI before we start this episode. My guest for today's episode is a TV writer, and she met with me before the Writers Guild of America went on strike. I stand in solidarity with her and all the writers that are currently on strike, fighting for fairness and a livable wage. Going on strike is never easy, but sometimes it's necessary, and right now is one of those times. So enjoy today's episode with Alex Fernandez.

Hello, and welcome to the Hollywood Dream podcast. The podcast where we talk to film and TV professionals about their journey in Hollywood while pursuing their own Hollywood dream, whatever that dream might be to them. And in today's episode, I'm chatting with TV writer Alex Fernandez. Alex is a writer for the ABC show station 19, and in today's episode, she's sharing how she went from assistant to staff writer and everything she learned in between.

My name is Johanny. I'm a filmmaker and a writer here in New York City. I filmed this podcast from my studio apartment here in New York, so please excuse any background noise, any sirens that you might hear. I try my best to block them out and clear the background noise as much as I can, but somehow they always find their way into an episode, too.

How are you?

Good. Enjoying? Hey, it's now. Thankfully. It's all over now.

I know. Thank you so much for talking to my friend. I have to tell you that you are the nicest person I've met in this industry. It's so hard to meet someone that genuinely wants to help you and follows up and replies to your emails. Thank you. When you talk to Amanda, she texted me. She's like, Alex is so nice. It's so hard to meet genuine people like her here.

That's nice. Thank you. Yeah.

So how did your career start and what inspired you to pursue a career in TV writing?

I guess? Well, when I was an undergrad at UC Riverside. Shout out to UC Riverside. I was taking more production, like a production route, so I was looking to be kind of a set hand or what have you, still trying to gauge what my skill set was in that area. There's just so many departments, more so that I know about now than even before. And I took a screenwriting class because it was just a prereq, and I took it with Ken Lezepnik, and he was kind of like, hey, your writing was not bad. Have you ever considered submitting your work to contests and stuff? And then I was like, nah, the one in a million chances to be like, a TV writer is insane. So I decided at the time, I was like, no, I didn't want to deal with the financial instability of trying to make it in. And so when I graduated, I was looking like I didn't even really do anything with production because it just didn't fall into my path or I didn't find the thing. You know what I mean? That spark. Even though I did have a lot of fun in the screenwriting class, and the only reason he approached me for that is because I was giving really good feedback to people around me, and I would take their notes and really internalize them. And that's one of the most important things about being successful in all this, is actually knowing how to take notes. And I didn't have an ego about it or anything, which is why he thought there was kind of potential there. But I didn't find my spark in production. And then I went on to do paralegal work and other OD jobs here and there, and Ken found me again. He's like, Are you sure you don't grad school is there you could do screenwriting? And I was like, okay, fine. So I went to grad school with Ken in his program for Stevens College MFA program. And then I rewatched Buffy the Vampire Slayer. And I was like, this is so good. This is insanely good writing. Watching it older, especially, and that, plus being around other people who were really excited about this made me realize, yeah, I think this is my spark. This is what I want to do.

How was your experience in grad school? How is that program at Stevenson? I know. I study with Ken . So I'm curious to hear if it's, like, a similar setup or how does your

for us, it was low residency, and that was kind of the only way I would have ever been able. To do grad school because it's a lot cheaper. And I say only lightly, but compared to other grad programs, it was 16 at the time. It was sixteen K a year, and it was low residency, so I was able to work throughout the entire year, full time. While this was not intrusive in my life, it was more like the weekends. And then we'd get together for two weeks and talk to industry professionals, and they'd give us advice, and we'd talk to the screenwriter from Wonder Woman, or we talked to Laura Brennan, who did, like, a pitch session. And those people kind of would come to us and talk to us and answer our questions. And now I've gone a few times also to Stevens, to kind of give back. This is my experience. So it's a cool little cycle, I guess, that they got going on.

So, Stevenson, is that for TV or screenwriting?

It's for screenwriting. Yeah. It's a fantastic program. I love it so much. And it's perfect for anybody that wants an MFA program that doesn't live in La. Or that needs to work full time or multiple jobs or have families or like, it's such a rich program that doesn't single out the big fish. They really pay attention to everybody. And then also you can go live your life and get your degree. So it's pretty cool.

Yeah. Our program, we were on campus. Well, no, we went at the Steiner Studio for the first year here in Brooklyn a full day from 09:00 A.m. Until 10:00 p.m.. A weekday. So I was able to still work and go to school because I wouldn't have been able to do that if I couldn't work. And how did you get your first job on TV?

I know you were an assistant first, and I know it's hard getting those type of jobs. How did your job come to be?

Yeah, so, Stevens, in your second last year, they pair you up with a mentor to write a thesis, screenplay, whatever the project is, so you can come up with a podcast, you could come up with a web series, a new pilot, or a feature, et cetera, or a play. And I wrote a feature and I got paired with Lijia Villa Lobos, who is the writer of under the Same Bone. So she helped me with my thesis. And then after I graduated, she asked what I wanted to do and I told her that I wanted to be a TV writer. So she got my information, my resume and everything. I'd kind of done, like, administrative work already previously to that. So it wasn't like I had the qualifications to be an office PA, which almost everybody does, right? And so a few weeks passed by and she told me, look, like, no promises. I'm also submitting resumes to this job that I heard about on a Shondaland show. And I'm submitting other students, my other students from USC and Cal State La. So it's kind of a fair know. And I was thrown into that pile. And I got called to interview about two weeks after that. And then I hit it off. It was a showrunner's assistant and another assistant from Grays. They interviewed me and I thought it went well. And it did because then I think four or five days later, they asked me if I would like the job. And it was for writers PA for Station 19.

And that's the show you write on now, right?

And now that's the show I write on, yeah.

So you kind of, like, worked your way up.

Yeah, quite literally worked my way up. Yeah, it was PA. And then I moved up to Researcher, which is a very unique assistant job for procedural shows. I don't know if every procedural has them, but many do. We could talk about that afterwards. So then I did researcher I did. Writer's PA then researcher the next season. And then the next season, I was Researcher with the script, with the freelance script. And then the year after, right now, I just finished my first year as a staff writer.

How was your first year as a staff writer?

It was amazing because I realized how much more free time you have to really think about the show and stories instead of doing that. And also your assistant job, it was kind of eye opening, like, whoa, I could really just focus on coming up with stories because before, when I was an assistant, I'd be doing my assistant gig late into the wee hours. Sometimes I'd see the sun come up and then also have to come up with pitches for the room or what have you, and really be ready to contribute still so that you're not seen as just an assistant, you're seen as a writer or somebody with potential.

So they allow you to pitch stories as an assistant?

Yeah. It's obviously not a requirement, but it's super valuable, especially in this room, to hear out support staff, and they may or may not take your idea, but I will say it's one of the best practices I got to be able to pitch because when I first started, I was so nervous. Like, I couldn't talk, my voice would shake and my hands were getting sweaty and I couldn't look anybody in the eye. And then I couldn't even form the pitch correctly. I had it in my head. I just kind of say it all discombobulated and everybody would be like, yeah, okay, thank you for that, Alex. I don't know what you said, but that's the beauty of pitching as an assistant. There's not that much pressure. Everybody kind of expects you to not know how to pitch, so it's like a safety net. And the more you pitch, the more you get better at it. That's like my superpower in the room right now, pitching.

Yeah, because you had a lot of practice.

Yeah. You really got to fall face for so many times to figure it out. And I did. Yeah, there was a lot of awkward moments.

You said, now you have a lot more time and it's easier for you. Do you feel like when you were an assistant, that was the hardest job for you in the room or through your journey from going to office PA to a staff writer? What has been the most challenging?

I think the multitasking as an assistant was really tough, especially on the spirit. It's just really exhausting using your body, your mind, your spirit to put what you can into the show in the hopes that it pays off one day. The sleepless nights definitely didn't help either. And also trying to write your own stuff, I mean, it was a three way killer triangle to go through, just having to do all the assistant stuff. And then you go home and it's not over. You're not off the clock, you're not off the hours. You're still getting texts and emails. You got to do this and that and production emailing you too. It's a lot of departments to kind of handle and then also be ready to contribute in the room. And also you still have to be working on your own scripts. So yeah, it's super challenging.

And you also produce an episode, right?

Yeah, in our show, most network shows, the writers produce their episodes. I don't think it's very common anymore in the streaming world. I've never been in the streaming world, but that's what I've been hearing. And it's a point of contention right now for the WGA and the union and all that stuff. But as far, like, for me and my experience yeah. We produce our own episodes on our show.

How do you produce TV as opposed to writing? What do you do as a producer for your episode?

Yeah, and I'm going to talk about my first experience because that's where I made the most mistakes. And I think that one's worth hearing. When you're writing, you're thinking about the character and the story, and then you get to your prep meetings, which are the meetings right before going to set and producing the episode, you're getting all these questions that you never thought about. At know, if you write, like, she I don't like, here's an example of an unrelated script. I'm just going off the dome, but like, if I wrote something that said nancy's walking to her car, she gets in, slams the wheel, crying, and then drives off. And you're going to get like, a million questions. Well, what is she wearing? How much has she been crying? How long was she crying? Is she wearing makeup? Because all that matters. How long is she crying? That means that her face is going to be puffier. That's for makeup. Or if she just started crying, she's still going to look put together. But her makeup now has to start running. So can we do it where she was crying already for a long time? Because that's actually going to be easier for makeup. What kind of car is know, what's her economic background? Does she drive a Lexus, or does she drive like an old school Volkswagen Buggy? That was my first time producing an episode. There was a lot of questions like, well, how is this working? What are they doing here? What's the blocking here? And when you get to your second episode, you learn your lesson, and you try to be as detailed as possible to the point where either be detailed in the script or have those answers ready. Like, okay, I know that they're going to ask me this. I'm going to have a list of things that they're going to ask me that I already know the answer to instead of having to bug my producer, like, hey, what's the answer to this? Yeah. Wow. And how do you balance your own creative freedom as a writer of the episode with the demands of the network and the showrunners? Luckily, it's collaborative enough that we all work together where there isn't that space to really wonder what you're supposed to do or how you're supposed to do it. We all make sure that we're walking away knowing what the story is. And it's just like you're putting in your little spark in there afterwards, and then you get feedback throughout the entire process. So you're not writing your script and then sending it to production. And God have mercy on your soul. Yeah. The room gives notes, the showrunner gives notes, the second producer gives notes, and then you're just putting them in until the showrunner says, okay, this is ready to go. And then it goes to production.

Is there a show out right now? Aside from if you were to be done with Station 19 and then they'll tell you you can work in any show, is there one right now that you would love to be part of?

I I really I feel like I'm really going to like Poker Face, and I haven't gotten a chance to see it yet. But I really like that actress and I like what I've seen in the trailers. I think if I could, I would.

On Hulu, right? With it's on?

Yes. Yeah. That one looks really cool to me.

Yeah, I like her. Have you seen her show? Netflix. Russian doll.

Yes. I like that show a lot. It is oh, my gosh, I remember all the buzer on that show at the time, too. And well deserved. Yeah. The second season was kind of off for me, but the first one, I was like, obsessed. I know. And oh my gosh, I really want to watch Poker Face, but I'm watching Euphoria right now just because I had heard so much about it and I think, like, a new season is going to come out soon. Yeah, I think the third season yeah, the third season. That show was not what I was expecting for sure.

Really? I haven't seen it. I just heard that it's like wild.

Yeah, that's what I was expecting. And it is wild, but it's very stylized. Also. It's got style and uniqueness to it in a way. Yes. It's showing teenagers doing drugs and having sex and drinking and all that stuff, but then the method that they deliver those stories is unique. One of them is like a detective parody. It's crazy. It's like, this is really well done. Yeah. I watch it mostly just to see those unique styles that the writers and the directors definitely take. So it's cool.

I know I have to watch it. Everyone keeps saying the same thing.

Yeah, I was pleasantly surprised. I hope you were as well.

How do you handle writer's block and how do you keep inspired to keep writing every day? Do you have any advice?

It depends who you are, what kind of person you are. I need accountability. Like, I need a friend to be so my neighbor who I also work with on the show, we have writing sessions, so he'll come over and we'll write for an hour. And just having that other person also doing work helps me focus. And if I have writer's block, I don't try to waste time trying to push through it. I usually just switch up the project and I'll start working on something else. So there's usually three scripts that I'm working on at a time, and it's not like I don't feel pressured to have to finish one first before I go to the other one and so forth. Because to me, I would waste my time a lot if I did that, because I'd just be stuck on one forever with the pressure of having to finish it. So I'll rotate them. I can't think of something for this, so I'll just go to the next project and start working on that instead. And then usually giving the other one a break will help me kind of look at it in a different perspective and then come at it again. Or I'll talk to another writer, a writer friend, and not somebody primarily in the industry. I'll talk to anybody that likes to write or anybody that I think is funny or introspective, even if they don't write. Just talk to anybody. Talk to people. Don't just talk to writers. Everybody's got a unique perspective, and there's a lot of really smart people that have never even looked at a screenplay, and they have profound things to say. So I talk to anybody that I think would have an interesting perspective on whatever I'm stuck on.

Yeah, I know I struggle a lot with writer's block.

I'm the same way. I'm always working on multiple things at once, but I just stopped working all of them together. Yeah, seriously. Now that I'm saying it, I'm thinking about how helpful it actually is that I don't even really think about it. But talking to people about what you're stuck on, you'll be surprised at what they say. And writing is inherently especially like for TV, it's a collaborative project. You're always working with other people. And when a writer is stuck in a room and they're trying to pitch, you don't have to have the whole pitch ready to go. You could say, I'm feeling like it feels right if we do this, but I don't know how this part fits into it. There's nine other people in that room. One of them is going to figure it out for you. They're going to be like, well, what if we did this? And now, boom, you've got a complete idea. So it helps to just talk to anybody, really?

Yeah. Is there any personal projects that you're working on that you're really passionate about?

Yeah, this one is like a personal one for me. It's like a family dramedy pilot that I'm working on right now, and it's inspired by my grandmother who had a nervous breakdown a couple of years ago. So I'm trying to figure out sort of like the story behind it, but to make sure that it's still interesting for people who are not obviously in the family. You can write a family drama, and nobody will really care until that fire is in that story, because everybody's got family drama. It's like that little spark to it kind of like again, kind of like euphoria, where it's like, I cannot relate to teenagers doing all that stuff because not in my hood. Yeah, my daddy all right, but it's still that spark to it that keeps me watching. That's kind of like what I'm trying to be very delicate with, because that's my family, and I love them, and I want to do right by it.

Yeah, that's cool. And this is a pilot, your work?

Yeah, it's just like, right now, I like to think, because I'm just a staff writer, so right now that pilot is more like for my portfolio, for samples. Every writer has a portfolio that their management or agency will have and put out to the world and say, hey, look what she knows how to write, et cetera.

Yeah. And what do you want to do? What is your ultimate goal as either a writer, producer, creative person in Hollywood?

I don't know. I'm like back and forth between wanting to be a showrunner or not, but definitely I think I look forward to learning to be a good number two, because I think that's, like, a really valuable job in itself, also. And I've had really great examples to see and learn from, and also that gives you kind of the perfect work life balance, where, as a showrunner, you're always on the clock. And I think being, like, a writer producer is like that. Sweet spot, almost.

Yeah. Cool. I have a quick, rapid fire question round if you are up for it. I don't want to keep you long. It's only two minutes.

Yeah, for sure. And all the questions are about you, so you can't get them wrong.

Okay, we'll see.

So the number to beat it's 18, and I'll start the clock. Now, what is the scariest movie you've ever seen? Hereditary.

Oh, yeah, me too.

Favorite actor or actress?

Pedro Pascal.

He's hot right now.

Yeah? Oh, yeah. He was really good in Narcos. I like him a lot.

Hardest class you've ever taken? Hardest what class you've ever taken? Could be writing, could be a physical thing.

It was definitely a math. Oh, no, it was chemistry. I was really bad at chemistry. Yeah.

The first concert you went to?

The Red Hot Chili Peppers.

The model of your first phone.

It was a chocolate. Bryce and chocolate.

And what was your first car?

It was a Volkswagen Jetta.

What fashion trend do you wish will come back?

Skinny jeans. I still like them. I don't care.

Last show, you binge.

Oh, it was I met your mother.

And what's something people love that you just don't understand?

Why thing that people love, and I don't understand why the pressure is on. I think, like, houses with gray floors or gray walls.

Gray wall?

Yeah, like, that clean cut. Aesthetic, I think it looks boring. Yeah, it's a little like want to splat some paint somewhere? Yeah.

What's your dream vacation?

Greece. I want to go to Greece. That's my dream.

To one, two, three, or five, six. You did ten questions. You didn't win. No, but it was still good.

Yeah.

And then let me get my thing just to finish off so you can go ahead. Enjoy your Easter Sunday. What has been the most valuable lesson that you've learned through your journey so far?

Patience is just as important as perseverance. So don't wait for something to happen. Like, you have to be patient when things are in motion, but don't just wait for something to happen. You just got to make it happen sometimes.

That's great advice, and I agree 100%. Thank you so much, Alex. I really appreciate your time and you being here chatting with me. Yeah.

Thank you so much for having me. This is a lot of fun.