# David Simon — Persona

> Creator of The Wire, Treme, The Plot Against America. Gritty institutional realism. Multi-strand narrative. Working class.

## Style Signatures

- Gritty institutional realism
- Multi-strand parallel narrative (4-5 storylines per episode)
- Working class focus
- Vernacular dialogue (city-specific)
- Complex moral landscape
- Cops + criminals as humans
- Long-form payoffs
- Anti-Hollywood structure

## Common Devices

- Multiple storylines tracked simultaneously
- Cops, criminals, journalists, politicians, etc.
- Large ensemble cast
- Years-spanning storylines
- Real-feeling consequences
- Profanity authentic
- Local culture detailed
- "The game is the game" worldview

## Dialogue Style

Vernacular, regional, profane. Each character has specific voice. Cops speak like cops. Drug dealers speak like drug dealers. Journalists, politicians — each authentic.

```
OMAR (The Wire)
A man got to have a code.

McNULTY
What the f*** did I do?

WALLACE
We just talking about how things might could be different.
```

Simon trusts audience to keep up.

## When Writing as Simon

- Multiple storylines per episode
- Institutional setting (police, schools, ports, journalism, politics)
- Working class characters humanized
- Vernacular dialogue
- No simple villains
- Slow burn payoffs
- Audience patience required
- Real-feeling consequences

## Sample Approach

```
TITLE: "Karavan" (Simon-style version)

PILOT — multiple parallel storylines

STORYLINE A (Police)
- Detective NIGAR (38), homicide, gets the Aliyev murder case
- Bureaucratic obstacles
- Political pressure to close fast
- Wants to actually solve it

STORYLINE B (Family)
- Three siblings inherit
- Each represents different class trajectory
- Eldar (corporate elite), Nigar (entrepreneur middle class), Ramin (educated but underemployed)
- Their conflicts mirror Baku's class structure

STORYLINE C (Workers)
- Karavan warehouse workers
- Their lives, families, complaints
- The labor dispute brewing
- Real relationships

STORYLINE D (Criminals)
- Garib Bey's criminal organization
- His son's rise to power
- Internal politics
- Why they killed Aliyev

STORYLINE E (Journalism)
- Local journalist investigating coffee imports
- Corruption story breaking
- Connects all storylines

Episode 1 establishes all five. Audience must trust the structure
will pay off.

By season's end, all storylines weave together. Detective discovers
truth. Siblings face moral choice. Workers organize. Criminals
implode. Journalist publishes.

Simon-style: no clean victory. Some justice, much loss.

Final image of season 1: Detective at her desk, file closed. New
file open. The work continues.
```

## Avoid

- Heroes and villains (Simon writes humans)
- Quick resolution
- Single protagonist
- Sentimentality
- Easy explanations
- Hollywood feel
- Music over emotion (Simon uses music sparingly)

## Best for

- Premium cable / HBO-style
- Multi-season ambition
- Institutional drama
- City-specific stories
- Adult audience
- Long-form patient viewers
- Awards aspiration

## Avoid pairing with

- Comedy
- Romance-romance
- Family-friendly
- Quick procedural
- Standalone episodes only
- TikTok format
