From Behind the Mic to Inside the Room: An Interview with WASSTP Alum Lynn Maleh

Photo Courtesy of Lynn Maleh

Writers’ Access Support Staff Training Program alum Lynn Maleh is a Syrian-American stand-up comedian, satirist and writer. Along with writing for Reductress, The Onion, and McSweeney’s, she also created and hosts a stand-up show called Hilarious Habibis that has recently been accepted to the New York Comedy Festival. Through the WASSTP, Maleh was hired as the writers’ assistant and script coordinator for the Netflix children’s series Waffles and Mochi and later worked as a writers’ assistant on the Bounce TV comedy Act Your Age.

What do you write, and what got you into writing?

I’ve been writing my whole life. I always wanted to be a TV writer, but I didn’t know how to do that without any connections so I recognized that stand-up was a path for a lot of people. I braved getting on stage [and] found that that was really productive. I really fell in love with it. It was supposed to be a means to an end, but then it took over my life. I fell so deeply in love with it. I feel like before [doing stand-up] I was writing all these scripts, but couldn’t get anyone to look at them. But then when you have a proof-of-concept on stage, it gets people interested. During the pandemic though, that world kind of shut down. I got into the satire world and started writing for outlets like Reductress. I wrote a little for The Onion. I worked for McSweeney’s. I’ve also, of course, been working on my own scripts the whole time.

What was your most recent job in entertainment?

The Writers’ Access Support Staff Training Program helped me get a job on Waffles and Mochi, a children’s puppet show starring Michelle Obama—that was the coolest thing in the whole world. I was both the writers’ assistant and the script coordinator. When that wrapped, I got a job on Act Your Age for Bounce TV. That was also an incredible experience. I was a writers’ assistant on that, and I was given the opportunity to co-write an episode. That was a dream come true.

How did the WASSTP prepare you to be in the writers’ room?

It was so much more helpful than I even realized while I was in the program. [During] the program there’s all this information you have to take in, and you’re like, “Oh, no. I understand it now, but is it going to translate in the room?” I was nervous before my first day on Waffles and Mochi. I stayed up late reviewing the slides they send and my notes, but then when I got there I realized that I had been taught and picked up more than I even realized. I always like to tell this story. I did something on Final Draft, a shortcut, and the showrunner was so surprised. He asked me if I learned it in the program and I did! It was a defining moment. I always tell anyone who is in the program that you’re learning more than you think you are. It may feel like this huge flood of information, but it really shows up for you on the job.

How does your career look different before and after participating in the program?

For me it was such a huge shift. Before, I was working in marketing, which never felt like the exact right fit, and I always knew I wanted something else. I always kind of had this longing for this other career. After the program, it felt like all my dreams were coming true. It’s all so wild, especially getting to write the episode. Being able to live your actual dream—I still have to pinch myself every day.

What advice would you give to emerging writers that are trying to seek support staff positions?

I know they say not to put all your eggs in one basket, but maybe put all your eggs in one basket. That’s what I did. I fully knew what I wanted, and I focused on one thing. I think if you really, really know what you want you can get it. I think a lot of times the trouble is in being wishy-washy about what you want. Also, don’t let rejections take you down. Don’t let other people’s achievements bum you out. Focus on you, stay patient, and believe in yourself.

If you could be in the room and work on any TV show, past or present, what would it be?

Oh, wow, that’s such a tough question because there are so many cool shows out there. I’d really like to work on a show like Ramy or Mo because I’m a Middle Eastern comedian. I think being in a room that is culturally specific would be so exciting. I like the idea of being in a room where it’s not just my creativity that’s helpful, but also my background. When you’re a Middle Eastern person, you’re almost never in a room of people who look like you and have had the same experiences as you. That’s why I produced a show at the Hollywood Improv that’s all Middle Eastern comics. It’s been so special to me. It’s called Hilarious Habibis, and it was just accepted into the New York Comedy Festival.

Is there any TV show or movie that, looking back, made you want to become a writer?

Yeah, pretty specifically, it was 30 Rock. I remember when that came out that I hadn’t thought about comedy before. I never thought about humor at all as a creative medium. I remember when I saw 30 Rock, because it's not only a show created by a woman, but also a show about a woman creating a show, that something shifted in my brain.

What were you up to during the strike?

I’ve never really been able to fully throw myself into stand-up before. I’ve always had my day job and then I had to run out to do stand-up at night. I used to have like six jobs at a time which left [stand-up] as kind of an afterthought. It was really cool to make it kind of a full-time job. I would wake up in the morning, write jokes, submit to shows, book spots for myself, and work on my online presence. I wrote a pilot, I wrote a spec. I fumed a lot. I worried about the state of the world. I traveled a lot. I did shows in New York and Chicago. I just did a show in France. It was cool to actually be a creative person full-time for a change. As much as it was rough in a lot of ways, it was pretty fruitful relatively.

Last question: when working in entertainment there’s always talks of “getting your foot in the door” and breaking in. Do you think you’ve broken in yet?

Yeah, I would say so. I mean, when I had the first job, there was this feeling like, “Oh, this is just a one time thing. I’m so lucky.” But then once I got the second one, just three months later, I realized if I can get two jobs I can probably keep getting jobs. The next big hurdle is going to be getting staffed. But, you know, if I can make getting support staff happen, I’m sure I can make getting staffed happen.

Is there anything else you’d like to add before I let you go?

I can’t thank the [Writers’ Access Support Staff Training] Program enough. It changed my life. I will give back to it in any way that the team needs. I'm just so grateful. I love what you’re doing. Keep doing it. I’m happy to be a part of it.

This interview has been edited and condensed by Kera McKeon.