How I Became A TV Writer
By E. Van Lowe
People always ask me how I got started writing for television. Growing up in New York I had no desire to write for TV or film. I knew I was destined to become a playwright/novelist. I’m lucky enough to say I am a playwright and a novelist, but most of my career has been spent writing for TV and some film.This started when I finished college. I had written my first horror novel Child’s Play under the pseudonym Sal Conte. My mentor/professor from USC, Shelly Lowenkopf had high hopes for the novel. And since he did, so did I. I envisioned getting one of those dream advances. I would become a media darling, taking up the author’s seat on late-night couches. That did not come to pass.
After Child’s Play was rejected by all the major houses, I got the manuscript back from my agent. Dejected, I went to a newsstand and was looking over paperback original horror titles. Many of them seemed to be similar to what I was doing. I sent letters to a number of the publishers, and heard back from Dorchester. I sent them the manuscript and a few weeks later I received a contract in the mail. The advance was $5000. If I wanted to write full time I needed a writing gig that paid a whole lot more.
I was lamenting my situation to a friend who said “why don’t you try writing for TV?” My brother and I watched lots of TV when we were kids. I mean LOTS of TV. LOL. Having watched so much, I felt I had a good handle on TV, but I’d never seen a teleplay. I’d spent two and a half years at USC and not bothered to look at anything dealing with television.
The calling card for a TV writer is his/her spec script. This is an episode of a popular show that you write. You have to make sure you don’t write subjects the show has already covered, and you have to sound exactly like the show. That was the challenge for me: fresh idea on a popular show, while capturing the characters voices exactly. It’s not as easy as it seems. You need a good script, and a lot of luck to get the right people to read it.
Eleven spec scripts in, my luck kicked in. I met a producer at MTM, one of the major production companies back then—Taxi, Bob Newhart and The Mary Tyler-Moore Show. It was Mary’s company—MTM. The producer was honest enough to tell me I was doing everything wrong. He mentored me on writing a new spec script. The script caught the eye of a few big companies. Both wanted to sign me. Happy days. I signed with Universal in 1985, and haven’t looked back. For Universal TV I wrote, He’s The Mayor, Charles In Charge and Knight Rider. One thing I knew when I started working was one day I would return to writing books. Books were my first love. What I didn’t realize is it would take twenty-two years.
That’s how it happened for me. I kept writing and eventually got lucky. That, to me, is the formula for success as a writer—if you keep working hard, eventually you will get lucky.
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Falling Angels Saga Book Three
By E Van Lowe
Genre: Paranormal YA
What Does It All Mean?
Readers who devoured Boyfriend From Hell and Earth Angel will be captivated by the third book in the Falling Angels Saga.
As summer break for Glendale Union high begins, heartsick Megan awaits Guy's return while struggling to control her emerging abilities. Love is in the air, but can the new loves in Megan, Maudrina, Suze and Aunt' Jaz's life be trusted? Nothing is what it seems. Meanwhile, the Satanists are set to hatch their most diabolical scheme ever, and if it comes to pass, Satan may finally win out.
Megan has precious little time to unravel the cryptic message hidden in the riddle she received at the end of Earth Angel. If she doesn’t, the life of someone most dear to her will be lost forever, and Megan may yet find herself living in HELL.
Excerpt -- Read Here!
Earth AngelFalling Angels Saga Book Two
By E Van Lowe
Genre: Paranormal YA
Heaven Can Wait!
Just because Megan Barnett recently defeated Satan, has a fantastic new best friend, and has won the love of deliciously handsome, Guy Matson, doesn’t mean her troubles are over. Far from it. For Megan doesn’t realize it, but in her possession is a powerful weapon, a weapon sought after by both angels and demons and everything in between. They will do ANYTHING to get it.
In E. Van Lowe’s humorous, romantic and thrilling sequel to Boyfriend From Hell, Megan winds up in a gripping life or death battle to save herself, the boy she loves, and all of mankind from unthinkable evil.
Megan Barnett has recently defeated Satan, found a fantastic new best friend, and has won the heart of deliciously handsome, Guy Matson. But that doesn’t mean her troubles are over. Far from it. For Megan doesn’t realize that she is in possession of a powerful paranormal weapon, a weapon sought after by both angels, demons and everything in between.
In E. Van Lowe’s romantic yet thrilling sequel to Boyfriend From Hell, Megan finds herself in a gripping life or death battle to save the boy she loves, and all of mankind from unthinkable evil.
Buy the Book: Paperback Kindle
Boyfriend from Hell
Falling Angels Saga Book One
By E Van Lowe
Genre: Paranormal YA
Aww, Hell No!
Falling Angels Saga Book One
By E Van Lowe
Genre: Paranormal YA
Aww, Hell No!
Fifteen year-old Megan Barnett and her single mom, Suze, have a special relationship—they are friends, close friends, who do almost everything together.
“But come on, guys, she’s my mother… Can I really tell her that while we’re snuggled up on the sofa watching Spider Man Three, I’m secretly undressing James Franco with my eyes? Of course not…”
The special bond takes a turn for the worse when Suze decides to start dating again. She hasn’t had a man in her life since Megan’s father left ten years ago.
Enter two mysterious young men, Megan’s new classmate, sinfully attractive bad boy, Guy Matson, and the dangerously handsome art dealer, Armando. Before long Megan and Suze both wind up in steamy relationships. But neither of the handsome guys is quite what he seems. In fact, one of them is Satan, with his sights set on a new bride. Megan has precious little time to figure out how to stop him. If she doesn’t, either Megan or Suze are quite literally going to HELL.
Boyfriend From Hell is the first book in the Falling Angels Saga from the author of the gruesomely hilarious, Never Slow Dance With A Zombie
Buy the Book: Paperback Kindle
Excerpt -- Read Here!
About The Author
E. Van Lowe is an author, television writer, screen-writer, playwright and producer who has worked on such TV shows as "The Cosby Show," "Even Stevens," and "Homeboys In Outer Space." He has been nominated for both an Emmy and an Academy Award.
His first YA Paranormal novel, "Never Slow Dance With A Zombie," was a selection of The Scholastic Book Club, and a nominee for an American Library Association Award. His Best Selling novels, “Boyfriend From Hell” and “Earth Angel,” are the first two books in the Falling Angels Saga. “The Zombie Always Knocks Twice” is the first book in his Hollyweird series.
E lives in Beverly Hills California with his spouse, a werewolf, several zombies and a fairy godmother who grants him wishes from time-to-time.
About The Author
E. Van Lowe is an author, television writer, screen-writer, playwright and producer who has worked on such TV shows as "The Cosby Show," "Even Stevens," and "Homeboys In Outer Space." He has been nominated for both an Emmy and an Academy Award.
His first YA Paranormal novel, "Never Slow Dance With A Zombie," was a selection of The Scholastic Book Club, and a nominee for an American Library Association Award. His Best Selling novels, “Boyfriend From Hell” and “Earth Angel,” are the first two books in the Falling Angels Saga. “The Zombie Always Knocks Twice” is the first book in his Hollyweird series.
E lives in Beverly Hills California with his spouse, a werewolf, several zombies and a fairy godmother who grants him wishes from time-to-time.
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