Why We Write: Maurice Hurley

During the last WGA strike, TV writers Charles “Charlie” Craig and Thania St. John started a blog called Why We Write. They posed that question to a number of writers and over a period of several months, posted their answers on the site. As far as I can tell, the site has been dormant since 2008, and when I stumbled on it recently, I thought it was a shame for all these terrific essays to be sitting there fallow. So over the course of the next few weeks, I’m going to feature essays from the site. Today: Maurice Hurley (“The Equalizer,” “Baywatch”):

I write because it’s like when I was a kid and I’d hurry to the playground knowing that I would be chosen to play, not because of my athletic ability of which I have none, but because I had the ball. I got the ball… nothing starts ’til I show up. Then, just like now, I was always the weakest player on whatever team. Baseball, basketball didn’t matter. I got to play because I had the ball. I love playing team sports. Episodic television is a great team sport — the best. Preproduction, the meetings, the fights with the studio and the network, the set, watching the magic of post, it just about the most fun you can have. So, I write because, once again, it’s the only way I’m ever going allowed to participate.

Like most of us, I tried other ways to get into the game. I spend the first part of my life in production. I was a mediocre cameraman, a barely adequate soundman on three dozen or so documentaries, one that was actually nominated for an Academy Award, but again, I wasn’t good enough to make it a career. I directed a feature; no one’s ever asked me to direct another.

So, I write and I keep on writing not because I have anything profound or interesting to say, but because my script, like that old baseball I’d bring to the playground, just might be good enough to get me in the game.

Obviously one of the big reasons I wanted to run this series is for you to ponder: “Why do I write?” If you care to share your thoughts in comments, please do.

For more essays from the terrific Why We Write site, go here.