Literary writers used to be snobs when it came to television -- now they want to be TV writers

Vanity Fair

"So utterly has the literati’s disdain for the small screen dissolved that nowadays novelists are lining up to have their books adapted," says Joy Press. "If you eavesdrop on any gathering of serious writers, they’re as likely to be discussing Killing Eve or Better Call Saul as they are the latest book by Zadie Smith or Rachel Kushner. Even the University of Iowa is launching TV-writing programs this fall ... Peak TV has turned the industry into a monstrous maw starving for writing talent. Last year, nearly 500 scripted series aired on broadcast, cable, and streaming outlets. Netflix alone plans to unleash 700 original series and movies in 2018. This attention overload means that standing out from the pack is paramount."