慈禧太后的秘密

“Writer Seo, where are you right now? I need you to write the scripts for episodes 7 and 8. I got us a slot, but they’re also offering the slot to another team, so ours might not get the chance. If you don’t want that, produce the script for episodes 7 and 8 so that we can consolidate our position in this slot in the next meeting. Alright, I’ll be there in a minute.”

Park Hoon got on the elevator with his car keys. He drove over to writer Seo’s apartment, which was about 30 minutes away.

“Writer Seo Jihee. It’s me,” he said as he knocked on the door.

The door soon opened. Writer Seo looked tired as though she had just woken up.

“To me, 10 a.m. might as well be the middle of the night. You know that.”

“I do, but what can I do? We have a situation at hand.”

“That’s true.”

Writer Seo slapped her cheeks.

“Wakey wakey. It’s time to work.”

“I called a junior over too.”

Writer Seo was a plot writer who worked four years in variety entertainment, 2 years in radio, and 2 years in education. It was last year when Park Hoon got to know her. She approached him first, asking him to have a look at the script for a drama. Usually, writers would send in their work in competitions held by the various TV stations, but writer Seo said that it was nothing that great and that she just wanted to hear his personal impression. Park Hoon was originally going to refuse. There were dozens of aspiring writers sending him emails containing scripts of their ‘finest work’ every quarter. There might be some useful ones in there, but most of the time, they were nowhere near as useful, so he didn’t read them.

The reason he didn’t turn away the script was because of her dedication. It was a properly-drafted plan with a clipboard and even a cover page. The fact that he had some time off also played a big role in it. When she told him that he should just treat it like reading a book over some coffee, he went to the café, thinking that it was free coffee. There, Park Hoon was unable to leave the café even after work hours had begun. It was such a captivating story.

“I might be getting ahead of myself, but can I influence the casting of the characters?” writer Seo asked.

“I wonder what kind of bigshot you have in mind to say something like that.”

“I don’t want to use bigshots. I want actors who have real skill. Actors that aren’t famous.”

“Writer Seo, did you know? Many writers say the same thing as you do. But those words contradict themselves. The actors who have real skill are already popular. Although many people are critical of the blatant support of actors from agencies, it is the masses that evaluate them in the end. If they aren’t popular, it’s because there’s a reason.”

“But there must be actors who haven’t become popular because of the lack of opportunity. You won’t deny that, right?”

“Of course. I’m just stating something more general, based on my experiences as a producer.”

“I’m also saying this based on my experiences as a TV writer. There are definitely source stones that have yet to be excavated. I want to use those people.”

Park Hoon nodded and sat down.

“Good, that’s good. But everything can come when we have that slot. If the other team manages to snatch a big-shot actor at a cheap cost or bring a story that might entice the higher-ups, we’ll be the ones to be pushed out.”

Writer Seo, who was confident until now, sounded a little dejected as she spoke,

“How do you see it, producer? Will this survive until the end? Or will it get the ax midway?”

“I do not get hung up over something that won’t work out. I haven’t told you this so that you don’t get too excited, but when I first saw this script, I was reminded of ‘Flaming Lady.’ This title will become the hottest potato in the drama industry this year.”

“I feel uneasy now because you sound too confident.”

“Writer Seo, believe in your work to be the best. As a human, being humble is very important, but as a writer, humility isn’t all that necessary. If you don’t have faith that your own work is the best regardless of what anyone else says about it, you won’t be able to hold on.”

“But being overconfident is a problem too.”

“It’s much better than not having any. Writers who are overconfident in themselves last longer than those who can’t even do that. Why do you think that’s the case? It’s because the writer is also the first reader that reads the article. If you can’t even satisfy that first reader, and want to sell it, you’ll just be making many people tired.”

“Alright. I’ll try to brace myself.”

Writer Seo cleaned her messy table. She put down the books she borrowed for reference material on the floor and just placed a laptop and a notebook on the desk.

“Can we eat something before my junior comes here? I’m someone who can’t work when I\'m hungry.”

“You did say you just woke up. Shall we order something?”

“Nah. Ramyun will do.”

“I did that before I got married. You should really eat a proper breakfast instead of ramyun. You’ll suffer when you get older.”

Writer Seo boiled some water and put some instant rice in the microwave.

“Oh, I met producer Jayeon a while back. She told me to tell her if you annoy me. She said she can nag you at home.”

“That woman really looks down on her husband.”

“Is the truth different? Maybe you have complete control over her?”

Park Hoon did not reply. Rather than tragic, he felt like he would be saddened if he said it. He was suddenly reminded of his wife telling him to buy some food waste plastic bags when coming home. He was inwardly relieved. If he returned empty-handed, he would have gotten an earful from Jayeon.

Write Seo was eating the ramyun but then gave him a glance. She stared at him before pulling the instant rice to her side, saying that she wasn’t going to give him any. This woman was not ordinary either.

“Hey.”

Writer Seo looked away.

“What is it?”

“If I sign an official contract, how much will I get paid? I tried to hold myself back from asking since it might make me look greedy, but I had to quit work, so I’m a little uneasy.”

“Why is it being greedy to ask how much you’re paid? It’s a natural question you have to ask. You’ll write the contract later, but you should think that you’ll get paid 5 mil per episode. You’re a new writer after all. Actually, there was another program that was supposed to take our slot, but the writer for that slot suddenly skyrocketed in price, so the higher-ups decided to let her go.”

“So my writing got picked because it’s cheap?”

“I will tell you that price was a factor. To the TV station, dramas are ultimately about the ads business. They will welcome any method to lower the price. Of course, we only decided to use a new writer because it’s a worthwhile story.”

“5 million huh.”

“Too small?”

“I saw on the news that famous writers get 50 million per episode.”

“Write three hugely popular series and you’ll join their ranks.”

“You make it sound easy. There are people who don’t even have one.”

“That’s what being a star writer is about.”

“I heard that there’s an exclusivity fee too.”

“Looks like you heard many things during your time as a program writer. Why? You want to make it big in one go?”

“I’m just asking. I want to know which is better, becoming a writer exclusive to one TV station and getting paid more, or just signing a contract for this specific title.”

“That’s for you to judge. If you write an exclusivity deal, you’ll get 500 million based on a 100-episode contract, so you’ll definitely have an easier life. But even if this title does really well, you’ll be writing at 5 million per episode even in the next piece. There are ups and downs to each side. But worry about the money later when you actually get the contract. We should focus on our work for now. Exclusivity contracts are something that the TV stations offer after some contemplation as well.”

“All sorts of thoughts come to mind when I see money running out in my bank account.”

Writer Seo smiled and ate the rest of the ramyun. Just then, someone knocked on the door. Writer Seo put down the chopsticks and went to the door. The door opened. Writer Seo’s junior, as well as the other creator of this piece, bowed as he came in.

“Hello.”

“Welcome, writer Park.”

Park Hoon greeted him with a smile. Writer Park smiled awkwardly, saying that he wasn’t accustomed to the title ‘writer.’

“What are you talking about? If you write, then you’re a writer. Rather than that, if writer Seo officially signs a contract, that means you’ll get a salary too.”

Writer Park waved his hand in the air in denial.

“I don’t wish for money. I just somehow ended up helping out. If it really becomes a drama, then that’s an important experience in itself, and they say you can’t buy experience with money, right?”

Park Hoon shook his head firmly.

“You can buy experience with money. Writer Park, you should receive your payment if you work. That’s how labor works. You can’t let your work become charity. You’ll have to learn how important it is to receive compensation. The moment you take a step back with a smile, you’ll be taken advantage of.”

Writer Seo, who was listening the whole time, spoke,

“Hey, you’re making me the bad one. I’ll take care of Daemyung myself, so don’t worry. Park Daemyung, work hard as an assistant writer. I’ll pay you a lot more than part-time jobs. Also, I’m saying this because of tax issues, but your company will be paying Daemyung his salary right? Of course, from my own salary.”

“We’ll make sure that you will pay less in taxes at the end of the year, writer Seo. Writer Park, hear that? You should write while getting paid. You never know. I know your dream is to become a director, but who knows? You might be more talented in plotting dramas.”

Writer Park fidgeted as though he was feeling embarrassed. He looked like someone other people would say that he’s big but not scary at all. Writer Park, who was putting down his bag after sitting down on the table, started laughing.

“Why are you laughing all of a sudden?”

“I was just reminded of a friend. What you told me just now, I heard from a friend a long time ago. He told me that the compensation for labor should not be some personal satisfaction but money.”

“I’m not sure who he is, but that person will never fall for a scam.”

“Yeah, I think so too.”

Park Hoon looked at the two writers on the table.

“Before we start the meeting, shall I hear if you have any actors in mind?”