Ages ago we were fortunate enough to interview Jeffrey Scott, the TV scripter who wrote all of the TMNT episodes for Fred Wolf Films and CBS which were first aired during the Fall of 1995. While the Turtles have moved on to other arenas these days, we thought that this interview should remain a staple of the TMNT Web Site. Jeffrey offers some sage advice to anyone who is interested in becomming a writer, so we figured that his comments would be very beneficial to those of you who hanker to create prose! Jeffrey is the grandson of the legendary Moe Howard of The 3 Stooges, and has led an interesting and prolific life as an artist, inventor and award-winning television writer. We asked Jeffrey to share some of his wisdom and experiences in Hollywood and beyond with us, and he graciously accepted the offer!

DAN: Howdy, Jeffrey! Thanks for doing this! To begin, when were you born?

JEFFREY: I was born May 7, 1952 in Los Angeles, to Norman Maurer, creator of the first 3-D comic book, and Joan Howard Maurer, daughter of Moe Howard of the Three Stooges. What a start! (Actually, I was named after Curly, whose real name was Jerry, but they didn't want to upset Moe by calling me Jerry, so they crossed the r's and called me Jeffrey. Just born and already my life sounds like a Stooge comedy).

DAN: What was your childhood like?

JEFFREY: Do you want the 500 page "memoirs" version or the one paragraph version? Okay, one paragraph: My childhood seemed normal to me, but others may think it was pretty cool. With a famous grandfather and a father who was an artist-writer-producer-director I was involved in lots of creative projects. I was on the set at Columbia Pictures a lot, and acted in four of my dad's films, just little bit parts, but it was fun to be in front of the camera. I was a pretty creative kid, and had a unique way of combining "destruction" with my creativity. For example, I used to build battleship models, then "mine" them with firecrackers which I'd set off electrically, playing out some dramatic war scenario. Believe it or not, this kind of behavior was very beneficial in helping to develop both my writing and film making skills. I guess I was practicing for that big special effects movie I plan on making.

DAN: What did you want to be when you grew up? Did you always want to write, or did you have other aspirations?

JEFFREY: I never thought about being a writer when I was young. I thought about being an actor or an architect or a lawyer. I sold lemonade on the corner, worked as a portrait photographer, and came up with a gizmo to prevent people's garage door springs from exploding when they got old. While I was in college, and a few years thereafter, I had a great part-time job inking comic books (such classics as Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Roadrunner, etc.). Then one day my father, who was story-editing Superfriends at Hanna-Barbera, told me his assistant story-editor quit and I was the only one he could think of to replace the guy. So I took the job. Within six months, I was story-editing the show myself, and writing most of the scripts. My animation writing career skyrocketed and the rest is cartoon history (well, if I wrote the history books it would be).

DAN: Do you have "formal training" in writing?

JEFFREY: Although I did take a few screen writing courses while I was at UCLA, I didn't learn much at the time. That's because the professor would say "you've got 8 weeks to write a script" and we'd turn it in and get a grade. Not what I'd call very formal or educational. I got my training the old fashioned way (and the best way, I might add) : I apprenticed under my father. He helped teach me how to write a story and editted my work, giving me pointers. Then I did what is, by far, the best thing anyone can do if they want to learn to write: I wrote... and wrote some more. It's like driving a car: do enough of it and it becomes second nature. More recently, as a professional writer, I have been studying story structure. There are some good books on the market, and some good story structure software on the market. If anyone's interested in learning to write screen plays, John Truby's Storyline is a very good software program.

DAN: What type of education would you recommend for aspiring writers?

JEFFREY: When I went to college I took courses in everything: physics, chemistry, math, art, photography, music, writing, business, history, logic, geology, etc. It was my varied education that really came in helpful with my writing career, as it not only gave me lots of ideas, but the "understanding" of how things work. Ideally a writer needs experiences to write about, but it's also good to have lots of knowledge of life. Needless to say, you also have to have a good command of the language and a decent understanding of grammar. You don't need to know all the grammar terms, but you better be able to use them in speaking and writing (unless you want to pay a secretary to spell-check and grammar-check your work).

DAN: What projects have you worked on in the past?

JEFFREY: I've worked on so many cartoon shows I can't remember them all. Fortunately, I wrote them down. I've written scripts for such animated shows as Superfriends and Pac-Man (Hanna-Barbera Productions); Jim Henson's Muppet Babies, Spider-Man and Dungeons & Dragons (Marvel Productions); Plastic-Man, Thun-darr the Barbarian and Mega-Man (Ruby Spears Productions); The Littles, Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling, Captain N: The Game Master, The Wishkid starring Macauly Culkin and Sonic the Hedgehog (DIC Enterprises), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and James Bond, Jr. (Fred Wolf Films); Duck Tales, Tale Spin, Goof Troop and Winnie the Pooh (Disney). I've also written for live-action shows, like Sheriff Lobo, Mr. Merlin and the Powers of Matthew Strarr. I wrote the world's first 3-D animated movie called Starchaser: The Legend of Orin.

DAN: Of all those projects, which was your favorite, and why?

JEFFREY: Jim Henson's Muppet Babies was far and away my favorite show. It was one of those rare magical experiences where everything went right! What usually happens in TV series animation is that you have a great idea, but the rush to get it on TV forces it to become less than you intended. With Muppet Babies the opposite happened: I'd write a script and the stroyboard man would make the jokes even funnier. Then the voice director would direct the actor's so well that it was funnier still. Then the animation would add a new dimension of creativity, and by the time the episodes were done, they were little masterpieces of collaborative art. It's the only show I can still watch on my TV and really enjoy. And of course, working with Jim Henson was wonderful.

DAN: How did you get the TMNT project?

JEFFREY: I had worked with Fred Wolf before on James Bond, Jr., and had worked with CBS before on many series, including Muppet Babies. When Steve Weiss went off to work on another project, Fred suggested me to CBS and everyone agreed. It was that simple.

DAN: Who were your favorite TMNT characters to work with?

JEFFREY: Well, as far as the Turtles go, I like them all. What's important to me as a writer is that the characters are developed and balanced in the right way, so that you can have fun writing the story from their different points of view, and so that they compliment each other. For example, if, as part of the story, I need someone to give orders then it's Leonardo, because he's the motivator behind the group. If I need to express something scientific or intellectual then Donatello is my Turtle. If I want to add an off-the-wall or fun perspective then I call on Michaelangelo. And for that funny comment or a more human reaction to things there's no one like Raphael. So they're all important to me as a writer. But if I had to pick my favorite it would be Raphael, because he's the most fun to write for.

DAN: Can you share some of the more interesting plot developments for the (at the time this interview was done) new TMNT season?

JEFFREY: The thing that interested me the most about writing the series this year was that I was given a lot of creative freedom and encouraged to take the Turtles in a new direction. After over 180 episodes, it's sometimes hard to come up with new ideas, so it was a challenge to do something different. I think we accomplished that by bringing in a new character: an alien beetle named Mung. Dregg is back to conquer the world, but on a grander scale than before. I also had fun with Carter, who begins to think about the purpose of his life in this season, and makes some pretty heroic choices. But by far the biggest and most exciting plot development comes in the three-part story which begins with the third episode this year. In it, Dregg discovers a way to make himself more powerful than ever by combining some Turtle Power with his genetic structure by morphing himself into a super-villain with the help of Shredder and Krang. If you thought the Turtles had their hands full last season, wait 'til you see what they're up against this year!

DAN: What's the actual step-by-step process for writing TV scripts?

JEFFREY: I'll give a short run-down on writing a cartoon script. First of all you need a story. But not just any story, it must be one that comes from the characters. So you have to understand the show you're writing for to come up with a really good idea. Once you do, you write what's called a Premise: 2-3 pages, double-spaced, that lays out the beginning, middle and end of the story. Once this is approved you further develop the story into an Outline: 10-15 pages, double spaced, which lays out every scene in the story, who's doing what, the action or comedy bits, the story twists, etc. When this is approved, it's time to write the Script. A typical half-hour animation script is 35-45 pages long. Script form is very specific, but in a nutshell you describe three things: the setting, the precise action and dialog, all of which is exactly as it will appear on the final show. Here's an example (taken from "Mobster from Dimension X"):

GLOBFATHER: I think we'll leave it on to make sure you don't double-cross me.

The Globfather and his gang head for the door, leaving Professor Huxley tied to a chair.

PROFESSOR HUXLEY: But you promised!...

PUSH IN on Professor Huxley as he looks with terror at the green slime. And it continues to grow over him...

WIPE TO:

EXTERIOR CITY - NIGHT
As the Turtle van rolls down the street cut...

INSIDE TURTLE VAN
Raphael drives, with Donatello beside him; Leonardo and Michaelangelo are in back.

LEONARDO: That kid could be anywhere by now.

MICHAELANGELO: Tell me about it. It's gonna be like finding a noodle in a haystack.

RAPHAEL: You mean "needle," don't you?

MICHAELANGELO: I was trying to be a little more positive, dude.

Off Raphael's reaction, we...

CUT TO:

EXT. THE CITY - NIGHT
As the Globfather's sedan rolls slowly down the street HOLD on a cluster of trash cans, then PUSH IN. Ronnie pokes his head up, looks after the Globfather's sedan, then drops a skateboard to the sidewalk and skates off in the opposite direction.

ANOTHER ANGLE ON RONNIE
As he crosses the street he's caught in a pair of headlights like a deer on the highway.

It sounds easy, but there's a precise technology to animation writing. In fact, some people say that animation is the hardest kind of writing there is, and if you can do it you can write anything. The biggest difference between animation writing and other forms of TV and film writing is that in animation the writer has to practically direct the show. In live action you can say "the Indians take the town" and the director will spend five days shooting dozens of pieces of action. But animation, if you say "the Indians take the town," you'll see two Indians enter shot, pick up the town, and carry it away. It's very literal. So instead you call out every shot and describe everything you want to see on the final show. The reason for this is because there is no director, as in live action, who is working on the show from its start (script) to finsh. So it's up to the writer to do it.

DAN: What's a typical day at work like for you? Do you have a studio that you travel to, or do ya work from a home office?

JEFFREY: I used to have an office at Hanna-Barbera when I first started out, but I've been writing at home for the past 18 years. I get a lot more work done when I don't have interruptions. When I'm writing a series I typically get to work around 10 AM. I write on a computer (a PC to be exact, with Microsoft Word for Windows). I always set myself a target. I usually write a script in two days, so I'll target myself to write around 20 pages in an average day. I work about 8-10 hours, taking a lunch break and doing some minor business in-between (like phone calls). So I write like 2-3 pages per hour. The only problem with working at home is when my kids interrupt me. I have a 2 year old boy and a 7 year old girl, and it really tugs at my heart when I have to tell them that I can't play with them. I always get enough sleep and enough food so my body doesn't distract me in any way. And I absolutely never do any drugs or alcohol. Despite what some people say, these can destroy your creativity.

DAN: What's the most difficult thing about writing in general?

JEFFREY: That's a tough question for me because I don't have much difficulty writing. After writing over 400 scripts, it's like riding a bike for me. The most difficult part is pedalling a bike. Similarly, probably the most difficult thing about writing is to keep pedalling, which means to keep at it. When you finish a good scene there's a tendency to want to say "okay, that's enough production for one day." But if you want to make your target you've got to keep working. So you say "Good job! Let's do the next scene," and off you go.

DAN: Have you ever suffered from "Writer's Block?"

JEFFREY: First of all, let's define the term "writer's block." It's a temporary (usually) psychological inability to begin or continue work on a piece of writing. When I first started writing I certainly had times when it was hard to start writing. There are two reasons for this. First is not knowing your craft. If you weren't too sure about flying a plane you would understandably have some back-off about getting in and flying. Similarly, if you don't have much experience or knowledge about writing you might find yourself not knowing exactly what to do next, so it might seem like a block. But this isn't really something blocking you as much as it's the lack of something there: experience. The second reason is what most people would consider the real writer's block. That's a thought or an idea that's paralyzing you. A writer writes with his mind or thoughts. So if you have a thought that says "I can't write" or "There's no good ideas" then you've effectively programmed your mental computer with a command that it can't write. And it won't! The question is: how do you erase those thoughts so that you can simply create without stops. The secret to my success in handling writer's block and being able to write 20 pages a day come rain or shine is a technique for clearing away unwanted or false ideas found in a book "Dianetics". I found this book invaluable as a writer for another reason: it describes, in an easy to understand way, how the mind works. And that's what I write about: characters with minds. So I highly recommend the book to anyone who wants to write.

DAN: Do you have an agent?

JEFFREY: I've had an agent off and on during my career. At present I don't have one. It's not that they're not important, they are for most writers. But I've been writing successfully for so long, and know so many producers and executives in the business, that I don't need an agent to find work, it usually finds me.

DAN: Have the awards that you've won provided you with any unseen opportunities?

JEFFREY: If so I haven't seen them yet. Seriously, I've won three Emmys (those beautiful golden awards they give out for TV) and one Humanitas Prize (awarded for scripts that express the best in people). If I got these for live-action writing it would have probably resulted in my making millions of dollars more. But in animation writing is different. In live-action TV they hire the writer of a hit show to create and write another show, and they pay him or her a lot of money to do it. But in TV animation writing they usually buy shows based on existing characters, like Muppet Babies or Ace Ventura or even the Turtles (which was a comic book). They buy very few shows that aren't already successful properties. So my awards didn't translate to my making lots more money or getting lots more work. But they look terrific on the shelf!

DAN: What is the importance of television cartoons?

JEFFREY: I think there are two things that are potentially important about TV cartoons. First is that they are (hopefully) entertaining. It's important that people be entertained. Whether from a good book or music or art or a good movie, we love to be entertained. It's an important and fun part of our lives. But there is another potentially important thing about TV cartoons, and that is they express ideas. And expressing ideas to kids, when they're young and in their formative years, is very important. When I write cartoons I try, whenever possible, to put something of value into my story and characters. I always make sure that the good guys win, and that the bad guys lose. I always try to write more character and story stuff than action (though I've written plenty of it, as you'll see in this year's Turtles). I think the adults of today, who grew up on cartoons yesterday, were very much influenced by the cartoons they watched. I don't believe that watching violent cartoons leads to violent behavior, but I think that without some basic moral values in the stories kids watch they could come to the wrong idea that it's okay to be a"bad guy" or do whatever you want. In fact, I've found that only by being a good guy can someone really win the game of life.

DAN: Do you think that cartoons are too violent?

JEFFREY: Since the first day I started in this business, 20 years ago, people have been talking about "too much violence in cartoons". It was so bad when I started out that they would consider denting a fender of a car an act of violence. They actually counted these acts of violence to make their point of how violent it is! They said "Something must be done!" And I think that today cartoons are even more violent. But are they too violent? It depends on the show. I have a 2 year old son (named Moe), and he runs around the house kicking and punching at phantoms like his favorite characters, the Power Rangers (don't worry, after I introduce him to my Turtles episodes in the fall I'm sure he'll like TMNT best). He even hits his sister now and then. But I feel it's my job, as his father, to teach him when and what it's okay to hit. I feel it's my responsibility to turn the set off if he's getting the wrong message from the show, because there are millions out there who simply enjoy the show. Of course, Power Rangers is not a cartoon, but to me it's the same thing; it's really a live-action cartoon. Whether it's guns or drugs or violence on TV, the answer is teaching people practical values that they can apply to their lives to be happier, not to outlaw the object. If all these things were outlawed but there were still no values taught to our children the next generation would simply find some other way to wreck things. I, for one, am doing my best to communicate useful values in my writing.

DAN: So does life imitate art, or does art imitate life?

JEFFREY: Good question! I believe the answer is that life imitates art, and I think it's easy to prove. Just look at sci-fi books. As early as the 1890's authors like H. G. Wells were predicting things that are only now coming to be. The most timely example is space technology. Back in the 50's, when I was a kid, space ships in movies took off and landed the same way, on their "butts". Now, after 50 years of rocketry, NASA is finally building rockets that will land the same way they take off. And of course there are zillions of examples of people following their favorite musical artists, wearing their clothes, cutting their hair the same, etc. I don't think this is all just an accident, or a fad. I think artists are very special people. I think some of them can see the effects they make and create the future in their minds and make a picture of it (or story or song) for others to use as a road map. The recent movie "Phenomenon" is a good example. This movie/art will change the way people think about their abilities.

DAN: So why have you chosen this branch of the literary field?

JEFFREY: One of the reasons that I write animated cartoons is because I can be so creative. In the 400 scripts I've written, I've been able to tell stories about practically everything. In live-action you have to write a lot of real-life stuff, like people's problems and crime. But in animation for kids I can make up wild stories, write sci-fi or fantasy, and dream about worlds and see them appear on screen. This would be too expensive in live-action, but in animation it only takes an artist to draw some pictures and there it is!

DAN: What are some of your future projects?

JEFFREY: I'm currently working on several very exciting projects. I've created a live-action TV series that I'll be pitching to networks soon. It's about the first manned space station. I also recently wrote a live-action screenplay for a big action movie that will make "Twister" seem like a warm breeze! And best of all, I'm just beginning to put together the plans to start my own animation studio.

DAN: In conclusion, I gotta ask the most typical question: do you have any words of advice for aspiring writers?

JEFFREY: If you want to be a successful writer, here's my recipe:

TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF. You write with your mind, and your mind doesn't work well when you're tired, hungry, drinking or taking drugs.

GET A GOOD EDUCATION. This will give you a better understanding of the things that you write about. And a good vocabulary is essential.

WRITE. I may have been better than the average guy when I started out, but I wasn't terrific by a long shot. I got better and better as I wrote more and more. Don't spend too much time trying to make your story perfect. Move on and write another one. And another and another.

READ AND WATCH MOVIES. Read books, screenplays, whatever you want to write. See how the other guys do it. Watch lots of movies and TV and learn what makes a show good and bad. It's even good to go to lousy movies because they encourage you (haven't you ever come out of a bad flick and said "I can write better than that?" Well, you can!)

GET TRAINED IN YOUR CRAFT. Take courses if you can or read books on writing, but do whatever you can to get the data on how to write. You don't just make it all up. There's a structure to good writing. You have to learn it.

WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOU KNOW. It's always better to write about those things you have experience with. Writing about some subject you researched on the Internet isn't as fun and won't be as good as writing about something you did. So experience as much as you can in life and put this in your writing (it even works for sci-fi, because whereas you may not have experience fighting Klingons, your characters had childhoods too).

DAN: Great advice! Thanks again for taking time out of your busy schedule to chat with us, Jeffrey!

JEFFREY: You're welcome! It was my pleasure!