Read on Twitter
Allow me to reintroduce myself.
My name is Jelena ("Yell in a") and this thread changed my life.
I think it deserves to be pinned now—and that seems like a good excuse to retell that story, for new followers & anyone else who'd like to relive my Weirdest Month Ever with me. https://twitter.com/jelenawoehr/status/1311917089888890880
My name is Jelena ("Yell in a") and this thread changed my life.
I think it deserves to be pinned now—and that seems like a good excuse to retell that story, for new followers & anyone else who'd like to relive my Weirdest Month Ever with me. https://twitter.com/jelenawoehr/status/1311917089888890880
I'd been bingeing #TheWestWing for the very first time when the news of Donald Trump's COVID diagnosis broke.
As soon as I got the CNN news alert, I started hearing the Bartlet (yes, I know how to spell it now, THANKS EVERYONE ON THE INTERNET) crew's reactions in my head.
As soon as I got the CNN news alert, I started hearing the Bartlet (yes, I know how to spell it now, THANKS EVERYONE ON THE INTERNET) crew's reactions in my head.
I started typing what I was hearing, thinking maybe 4 friends who knew I'd been watching TWW would be amused.
It went on for a while, it reached a conclusion, I went to bed. I needed to ride a horse at 5 AM the next morning. I was up here by the time I checked my notifications:
It went on for a while, it reached a conclusion, I went to bed. I needed to ride a horse at 5 AM the next morning. I was up here by the time I checked my notifications:
We were on top of Cheseboro Peak when my phone suddenly got data service and I realized I had a LOT of Twitter notifications.
I turned to my endurance mentor/surrogate mom and said "I think the showrunner of Grey's Anatomy just complimented my writing?!" https://twitter.com/KristaVernoff/status/1312440233825234944
I turned to my endurance mentor/surrogate mom and said "I think the showrunner of Grey's Anatomy just complimented my writing?!" https://twitter.com/KristaVernoff/status/1312440233825234944
This happened, too. Which is about when I started to realize that something was happening that went beyond just getting a lot of retweets.
I called @jholtham freaking out because WHAT DO I DO NOW?! This isn't a possibility I ever planned for! https://twitter.com/briankoppelman/status/1312369923419713537
I called @jholtham freaking out because WHAT DO I DO NOW?! This isn't a possibility I ever planned for! https://twitter.com/briankoppelman/status/1312369923419713537
J reassured me, my best friend @britt_ellisla reminded me to TAKE TIME TO ENJOY IT, and I started to breathe again.
Though my heart still stopped every time I heard from someone whose work was **literally part of the reason I wanted to write at all!!!** https://twitter.com/cadlymack/status/1312920075251322880
Though my heart still stopped every time I heard from someone whose work was **literally part of the reason I wanted to write at all!!!** https://twitter.com/cadlymack/status/1312920075251322880
Then it started to go beyond Twitter. @allisonshoe wrote about it on the A.V. Club—and as a kid who grew up looking forward every week to getting The Onion out of actual physical vending machines, I felt like someone had just given me the key to the city. https://news.avclub.com/someone-wrote-a-2020-west-wing-episode-on-twitter-and-i-1845278788
Surely this must be the peak, I thought. I didn't plan this, I misspelled Bartlet (as the entire internet was STILL reminding me), and Twitter is ephemeral, right?
Enter Upworthy—parent of @good, the company that brought me to LA—and @MotherhoodnMore. https://www.upworthy.com/writer-imagined-west-wing-scene-when-trump-caught-covid
Enter Upworthy—parent of @good, the company that brought me to LA—and @MotherhoodnMore. https://www.upworthy.com/writer-imagined-west-wing-scene-when-trump-caught-covid
I started getting emails with requests for meetings.
One of those came from a producer, whose permission I haven't asked to mention her, so I'll call her Ms. T.
Ms. T asked to read an original. I sent her two polished pilots, including RECONSTRUCTION (graphic by @lukesharp)
One of those came from a producer, whose permission I haven't asked to mention her, so I'll call her Ms. T.
Ms. T asked to read an original. I sent her two polished pilots, including RECONSTRUCTION (graphic by @lukesharp)
Ms. T. emailed again, asking if she could forward those pilots to a manager she knew. Of course, I said "of course!" and "thank you!"
A couple hours later I got the most incredibly enthusiastic email I've ever received about my writing, and a couple days later we got on Zoom.
A couple hours later I got the most incredibly enthusiastic email I've ever received about my writing, and a couple days later we got on Zoom.
I met with multiple reps after the Twitter explosion, but Arabella and Corrine had an incredibly clear plan for how I could grow and develop as a writer and make sure this would be more than just a weird moment of virality.
So we became a team. https://twitter.com/jelenawoehr/status/1320780516971352064
So we became a team. https://twitter.com/jelenawoehr/status/1320780516971352064
And I got to announce that news on a live read hosted by @BenBlacker, featuring @DaveSFoley, @Allison_Tolman, @JasonRitter, @ennisesmer, @malcolmbarrett, @Parvesh, @jemma__moore, and the many faces of the brilliant @rheaseehorn!
You can still stream it: https://houseseats.live/2020/10/25/retrospecs-the-all-sorkin-episode/
You can still stream it: https://houseseats.live/2020/10/25/retrospecs-the-all-sorkin-episode/
Since that wonderful, highlight-of-my-writing-life so far moment (thank you @BenBlacker forever), I've met with so many amazing writers, producers, and development execs.
Writers whose work changed my life are now people I call friends & mentors & hopefully someday colleagues.
Writers whose work changed my life are now people I call friends & mentors & hopefully someday colleagues.
Let's be clear: I do not have a job writing TV yet. (I would very much like a job writing TV. Please hire me.)
But almost exactly three years to the day after I left a great job in tech to become a mostly-unemployed freelance writer, I feel like I made the right call.
But almost exactly three years to the day after I left a great job in tech to become a mostly-unemployed freelance writer, I feel like I made the right call.
People keep finding the thread and enjoying it, and I read every comment. They always make my day.
This week, @lindaholmes put me on her list of 50 Wonderful Things that happened in 2020, right next to Floor Is Lava, one of MY favorite things of 2020. https://www.npr.org/2020/12/29/951067540/50-wonderful-things-from-2020
This week, @lindaholmes put me on her list of 50 Wonderful Things that happened in 2020, right next to Floor Is Lava, one of MY favorite things of 2020. https://www.npr.org/2020/12/29/951067540/50-wonderful-things-from-2020
If you've made it to the bottom of this thread, you're either an absolute trooper or an aspiring writer hoping I'll share some secret sauce.
So I will: this all happened because of what @Travon said at a @WGAWest panel: "Stop worrying about the door and work on your foot."
So I will: this all happened because of what @Travon said at a @WGAWest panel: "Stop worrying about the door and work on your foot."
Once again, I HAVE NOT GOTTEN A JOB OR MADE ANY MONEY FROM THIS YET, so my advice is worth about what you're paying for it.
But I truly believe there are two things I did this year that set the stage for this lightning-strike moment.
1) I worked on my foot.
2) I helped others.
But I truly believe there are two things I did this year that set the stage for this lightning-strike moment.
1) I worked on my foot.
2) I helped others.
For the first two years of trying to be a TV writer, I mostly worried about me, which was only natural because I was brand-new and didn't have much to give.
This year I mostly worried about how I could connect with and support the writing community during an awful time.
This year I mostly worried about how I could connect with and support the writing community during an awful time.
I still entered all the contests and fellowships, but because of the weird year, I RELAXED and didn't pressure myself as much to make career progress.
Instead, I started a community and invited my cool writer friends over for weekly Q&As.
You can join: http://bit.ly/wgavirtualmix
Instead, I started a community and invited my cool writer friends over for weekly Q&As.
You can join: http://bit.ly/wgavirtualmix
I wrote the thing *I* wanted to write this year, a 1905 Russian period piece about a teen girl assassin escaping from Siberia to join the first Russian Revolution.
And I polished all the things I'd already written. I finally found the perfect writing group (thanks @aadip).
And I polished all the things I'd already written. I finally found the perfect writing group (thanks @aadip).
I didn't worry about marketability. I assumed I wouldn't be getting a job, 'cause jobs WHERE?! it's 2020!
I didn't worry about the door.
I worked on my foot.
And I asked myself "what do I have that could help somebody else get through this year?"
Then my life changed. /fin
I didn't worry about the door.
I worked on my foot.
And I asked myself "what do I have that could help somebody else get through this year?"
Then my life changed. /fin
If you've somehow finished THAT entire thread and you just want to know if I ever tweet about anything besides myself, here's my old thread-of-threads: https://twitter.com/jelenawoehr/status/1250450567870046208
Thanks for reading and for being a part of my weird, wild, wonderful, unpredictable life this year.
Thanks for reading and for being a part of my weird, wild, wonderful, unpredictable life this year.
