Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Madeline Khare. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Madeline , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Was there an experience or lesson you learned at a previous job that’s benefited your career afterwards?

Madeline , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m a TV writer who’s been staffed for We Baby Bears and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse! As a writer, I research and conceptualize ideas for episodes and build them out from springboard to premise to outline to script. Depending on the needs of the room, my job can also be writing songs or brainstorming with other writers. I especially love collaborative rooms where we read each others scripts, offer feedback, and my favorite – punch up passes! (That’s a pass where we try to fit as many jokes into the script as possible.)

Before I was writing full time, I worked as a Script Coordinator on Little Ellen and My Adventures with Superman. I didn’t go to university for writing, so during this time I absorbed everything I possibly could about writing and took a couple of comedy & screenwriting classes to build out my portfolio. I still try to add something to my personal portfolio at least once a year, if not more. It’s important to keep writing and pushing your capabilities and knowledge of the craft. The more I write, the more I’m finding my voice, my specialties, and even seeing my own growth. I definitely gravitate towards YA, comedy, and sci-fi in my personal work!

Ultimately, I think I’m always trying to strike a balance of making little me feel seen while having fun. I think a lot of people (& kids) feel the weight of societal issues trickle down into a socio-emotional mess. Life is overwhelming, and sometimes we just need a moment to decompress, laugh, and figure out how to stand up for what we believe in. I hope that as a writer, I can give people the little bit of hope they’re looking for!

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

The industry as a whole can be challenging for new artists. Tighter budgets mean tighter schedules, fewer jobs available, and more competition. I’ve had episodes not air due to tax loopholes, and gone months between writing gigs before. And trust me, the only thing harder than writing is NOT writing. But what starts out as “economics” becomes a battle of self confidence.

It’s extremely easy for me to go through these sort of downturns and wonder if I have the skill to be a writer. Especially if I start comparing myself to all the other talented, award-winning, super-humans who I’m up against for jobs. But if I dig below my insecurities and remember why I want to be a writer, I get focused again. It’s so important to not give up.

I keep telling myself: I want to give the world hope, and I will stop at nothing to do this. As a second generation American, I have seen how important it is for people who may not have anyone else in their lives to have a hero they relate to. If there’s even the slightest chance I could give that kind of hope to someone else, I’ll keep fighting for my place at the table.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

In an ideal world, we would have more studios who value their employees as a long term investment. I think in television specifically, the majority of artists are employed by large corporations. Unfortunately, the decisions large corporations make are often to please shareholders and don’t always have anything to do with how much profit a show or movie makes. Our unions often fight to protect us from these layoffs, shorter schedules, and fewer jobs – and you can support them too by showing up to their picket lines or voting for local government who want to protect unions and bust up monopolies.

Ultimately, we need more indie animation and small shop productions to be funded. Browse GoFundMe and see if there are any projects you want to see out in the world. Buying art directly from the artist will always be the best thing you can do to support an artist you love!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://moop.journoportfolio.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madelinekhare/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/madeline-khare/

Image Credits
Headshot – JD Renes