How the Parenthood TV Show Helped Write My New Novel

It’s fascinating what influences us writers.

In my last post at the original blogspot version of DoSomeDamage, I wrote about finishing my latest novel, Mid-Lives. It is the story of four middle-aged men who grapple with a central question: where were you when you realized you were old?

The idea began six years ago this summer, in 2019, with an odd observation: what would the characters from the Kevin Smith movie, “Clerks,” be like when they got older. As surprising as it may sound, I never watched any of Smith’s films until that summer when I binged them all. I recognized myself in the characters from Clerks and Mallrats and Chasing Amy, but as a middle-aged man and father, Jersey Girl is the movie that most resonates. It’s also my favorite of his films.

As the idea of the Clerks characters at mid-life began to take shape, I came up with four guys. I built some outlines, wrote some backstories for the characters, and started.

But things changed. Other stories and novels took priority, and Mid-Lives fell to the backburner. I never forgot about it, and thought about these four guys and their families off and on. I picked it up in 2021, in 2023, and then again in 2024. But as last year came to a close, I resolved that if I ended up writing only one novel in 2025, it was going to be Mid-Lives.

That novel is done. And it is not the novel I imagined writing six years ago, and for that, I tip the hat to the TV show “Parenthood.”

The Everyday Nature of Parenthood

Back in 2023, Parenthood popped up on our radar. My wife had watched Six Feet Under and enjoyed Peter Krause. I knew—and love—the 1989 movie of the same name but when the show was on from 2010-2015, it was just a show I didn’t watch. 

But then I started watching it and instantly adored it. For nearly two years, we slowly worked our way through all six seasons, first on DVDs and then on streaming. The Braverman family consists of Craig T. Nelson and Bonnie Bedilia, their four adult children and spouses, and the various grandchildren. What I particularly appreciated was the normality of the show. 

It was just life. Peter Krause’s Adam is the model do-gooder with the perfect family until his son is diagnosed with Asperger’s. Lauren Graham’s Sarah is a single mother of two kids and her life involves many bad decisions. Dax Shepard’s Crosby is the free-spirited musician who also doesn’t have many of life’s goals figured out. Erika Christensen’s Julia is an attorney with a seemingly fine small family until things go awry.

Episode after episode showed the lives of these characters, the challenges they faced, and the steps they took to overcome things in their way. As good as the core cast is, I have to give a special shout-out to Ray Romano. His character, Hank, is awkward and has to come to terms with his own diagnosis of Asperger’s and how it not only explained his past but he is now armed with tools for his future. He was fantastic and I grew to look forward to every scene with him.

The Influence of Parenthood on Mid-Lives

Seeing this show, week after week, ultimately played a role in the writing of Mid-Lives. Something happened inside my creative brain, and I slowly, at first, and then more overt as the novel progressed, reminded myself about the simple writing of Parenthood. 

Mid-Lives is my first plain novel. Not a mystery, not a western, not a thriller. Just a book about life, the choices the characters make, and the repercussions. And the book would not be what it is without the direct influences of Parenthood. And Kevin Smith for the original spark.

Thanks to both for helping me compose and complete this new novel.