Huffington Magazine Issue 58 | Page 34

Voices BARRY LEVINSON HUFFINGTON 07.21.13 GETTY IMAGES/COMSTOCK IMAGES George Zimmerman vs. Fiction M ARK TWAIN once wrote, “The only difference between reality and fiction is that fiction needs to be credible.” That insightful comment would certainly apply to the recent George Zimmerman trial. ¶ There are a number of television shows that have used the “ripped from today’s headlines” concept, but if this trial’s story points were to be adapted into a piece of fiction, it would cause certain problems in credibility in the writers’ room. A discussion between a head writer and the episodic writer who had the idea for a show based on the Zimmerman case might play out something like this....