JILLIAN COLLETT | editor-in-chief

Writers from New York to Hollwyood are dropping their pens and grabbing their picket signs.

The Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers failed to complete negotiations on who receives money from DVD sales and movie downloads, resulting in the strike of writers across the country.

“This is an issue that touches every member of this guild,” executive producer Carlton Cuse, of the ABC drama “Lost,” said.

The late night shows that we know and love, as well as some hit primetime dramas such as Grey’s Anatomy and Law & Order: Criminal Intent, may very well go off the air unless these negotiations can continue in a way that satisfies the writers.

Something many people don’t realize is how much writers actually bring to the table. Yes, late night show hosts are funny. But many do not do their own writing. Others used to be writers and know what this strike means, which is why Jay Leno joined his scriptwriters at the picket lines.

“I’ve worked with these people for 20 years, so I support them,” Leno said.

It is more than just television shows and late night comedy. Even simple banter is at stake.

“The Writers Guild of America members who walked out in a contract dispute Monday didn’t drop just movie and TV scripts – they were crafting answers for “Jeapordy,” AP source Lynn Ebler said.

So how does this sort of strike affect the students at APU? Imagine what would happen if your favorite TV show, which you had intended on buying once you received your miniscule paycheck from Food Services, skyrocketed from $30 or $40 a series to $70 or $80.

At the same time, it is understandable that writers merely want to protect their product. They want to receive a piece of whatever is coming in off of what they have worked so hard to produce.

“You think about it: you fly on an airplane, you see TV shows, you go into a music store, you see DVDs of shows from 15 years ago – we just want to get paid for the work we do,” writer John Ridley said on The Huffington Post.

Currently, writers are only receiving about three cents off of movies that sell for $20, according to AP sources.

“We’re hunkered down for a long [strike],” chief negotiator for the producers union, Nick Counter, told AP sources. “From our standpoint, we made every good faith effort to negotiate a deal, and they went on strike. At some point, conversations will take place. But not now.”

But, don’t worry yet. Most primetime shows, as well as soap operas, for all of you Days of Our Lives fans out there, either have scripts already written for several more episodes or have backups stockpiled in case of situations like this.

The logic behind it all is quite amusing. As Americans, we are beginning to bring more attention to situations in other countries where people aren’t getting paid for the work they do.

When it happens here, the only thing we can worry about, and trust that I am just as guilty as you are, is the fact that in a few weeks or months, we will have to find something else to do with our Thursday nights.