How to Get a Job Writing for TV

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If you’ve found yourself binge-watching a favorite TV series, you know the power that television writers have over their audience. And if you have dreams of becoming a TV writer yourself, we hope you don’t gloss over the hard work that goes into this kind of career! 

If you want to become a TV writer, you will need a solid foundation on the craft of storytelling. But more than that, you will need a lot of patience, and excellent networking skills! That’s because it’s not just about the stories you write, but about how you get your story out to the right people in the first place. 

What is a television writer? 

Television writers are responsible for coming up with new ideas. Can you imagine how much creativity it requires to think up the big picture plans for a whole series, let alone conjuring up exciting twists and turns for individual TV episodes?

Then, from the tiniest glimmer of an idea, they shape these and turn them into a weekly (or sometimes daily!) television show. Because TV shows tend to run over a length of time, depending on the viewers they attract, it requires commitment and tenacity. Some of the best TV series can go for as long as decades. (Think “Law and Order,” “Lassie,” or “Grey’s Anatomy.”)  

Don’t try to imagine a mold that fits all TV writers! They come in different shapes and forms, and can write for a specific genre. No matter what genre you’re writing for, you need to be intimately familiar with the characters, and know how they interact with all the other characters.

Character development takes place over many episodes (sometimes over whole seasons), so you need to remain consistent and keep track of their unique personalities and nuances. 

All that to say, becoming a TV writer is a high-pressure but also highly-rewarding job. 

What does a television writer do? 

Here are some of the main tasks involved with being a TV writer: 

  • Possibly creating an entire TV series from scratch, or conjuring up a series based on a TV company’s specifications 
  • Creating engaging plot lines to keep viewers hooked from episode to episode 
  • Writing realistic and engaging dialogue 
  • Rewriting and polishing scripts

For example, before Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino wrote the hit TV series “Gilmore Girls,” they both spent much time on other writing projects in the TV world. 

Then, when the idea came for a mother-daughter pair, they had to imagine and build the specific details of the relationships around Lorelai and Rory and the whole world of Stars Hollow. Sherman-Palladino reportedly drew from her comedian father’s background in creating the witty dialogue, part of which made the show the success that it has become. The show went on for all of six seasons under their writing prowess. 

How hard is it to be a TV writer? 

Let’s be honest. Among all the different ways you can earn as a writer, TV writing is one of the most competitive fields, with a rather low success rate. Many who want to become TV writers end up spending at least ten years as assistants, struggling to break in. Perhaps the lack of clear steps to becoming  a TV writer is one reason why you need a lot of patience if you believe this is your calling! 

Since a TV writer’s assistant is the usual entry level for this type of career, it may be a good idea to get a feel for what you need to get into this position. First, you will need experience in the entertainment industry. Of course, it’s a given that you need to be able to write well, but you will also need to know how to use software specific to scriptwriting, such as Final Draft. 

How do I get into TV writing? 

If you believe that TV writing is where you should be, here are some strategies to help you achieve your dream: 

1. Learn as much as you can! 

Writing for TV is a whole different ball game from writing screenplays for major movies or film, because TV shows rely a lot on the power of regularly churned-out episodes. The length of each show is also a bit of a limiting factor. Taken together, these can result in a very high-pressure environment for writers. 

Take writing courses specific to television writing so you can hone your craft. This will also let you develop your network of professionals in the industry. Consider pursuing a degree, perhaps in screenwriting or television, film, or media production. 

Invest in books that professionals in the TV industry have written. Research and learn the ins and outs of television writing. For example, this book details some of the processes that the Palladino pair went through behind the scenes of the beloved TV series Gilmore Girls: The Gilmore Girls Companion.) 

2. Study your favorite television shows. 

Yes, you read that right: “study” your favorite TV series! Instead of mindlessly binge-watching, grab a notebook and take notes. Here are some things to look out for: 

  • How the dialogue propels the story forward
  • How the show uses non-verbal communication 
  • How the plot develops
  • How character development happens 

For example, in the Netflix series “The Good Doctor,” a lot hinges on Shawn Murphy’s body language in showing us his struggles as a person with Asperger’s trying to break into the highly competitive world of medical surgeons. 

3. Aim for an assistant position. 

We understand your dream is to become a TV writer, not a TV writing assistant. But if you’re serious about pursuing a TV writing career, this is almost always the most crucial stepping stone: once you get your foot into a local station, that’s when you can find chances to make contacts that are valuable for your network. 

This role will help expose you to the industry, such as helping you understand the way that television stations and their writers actually work. 

Once you land a position, be intentional about finding a mentor to give you advice and insight in advancing your career. 

4. Get serious with networking. 

We can’t underemphasize this point enough: success in the TV world is all about networks (pardon the pun!). Be bold about marketing yourself as a television writer. Networking is essentially building your brand, letting people out there know about you and your work, and why you write what you do. 

Here are some ways you can build your network: 

  • Being active in social media groups (remember to give as well as take!) 
  • Attending conferences, seminars, and workshops
  • Signing up for online portfolio services

5. Write your own pilot scripts and spec scripts. 

Even if you don’t have any entry into the television world yet, start writing your own pilot scripts. This is a wholly new show: create your own characters, plot, and dialogue. Practice practice practice. 

Another way to hone your TV screenplay writing skills is to write spec scripts, or speculative scripts. This refers to a sample script that’s one episode of an existing TV show. If you can find a copy of a sample script, it will help you get into the original writing style, so that you can write in a way that remains consistent with the overall feel of the series. 

Both these ways of practicing will help you do the following: 

  • develop your writing skills
  • learn to format a script
  • understand the basic structure of scenes 
  • tell a compelling story within the set boundaries 
  • capture character nuances and voices
  • reflect an existing storytelling style

Then, rewrite, hone and refine your script. Consult industry professionals to critique your work. Keep revising until you feel it’s ready for submission. 

6. Send out query letters or find an agent. 

When you have refined your script as close as you can to perfection, start writing your query letters. Make it brief, explaining your idea premise. Get in touch with key people and send your query letter directly to these people. Follow the submission guidelines of specific TV stations or networks. 

Alternatively, you might want to work through an agent. Having an agent means you will have to pay him or her a chunk of what you earn, but they tend to have a bigger network of contacts and opportunities to get you discovered. 

How much do TV script writers get paid? 

As of 2020, the average TV script writer earns about $110,000 per year. This will of course vary depending on the TV station, the success of the show, and many other factors. For Netflix screenwriters, the range can be between $12,000 to $3.5 million for every project that the company buys and produces. 

When you really think about it, becoming a TV writer is less about what you can earn potentially but is more about the commitment to a craft that can be demanding but also highly rewarding. Think about your reasons for wanting to break into the world of TV writing, because that “why” is what can keep you going despite the many hurdles that will surely come your way! 

Did you find this post helpful? Let us know in the comments below!

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