Tools For TV Writers

Written By Stephane Courture

So you want to  become a TV writer. Here are some helpful tools for your journey. 

Tools For TV Writers

Here are just a few:

So you want to become a TV writer. Here are some helpful, current tools for your journey.

There are writing programs and contests that can help you begin your career.

Contests/Fellowships/Workshops:

Full, regularly updated master list: For deadlines, eligibility, and submission details on all of the above plus many more (CAPE New Writers Fellowship, Black List/WIF Episodic Lab, Sesame Workshop Writers' Room, Ojalá Ignition Lab, and others), the WGA Foundation keeps a comprehensive list here: https://www.wgfoundation.org/fellowship-writing-programs-for-screenwriters-masterlist

Representation:

It is not impossible, but it is a bit daunting to get a writing job without some type of established legal representation. This is why it's extremely important to utilize the resources available to help you find an agent.

Please note — these agents may not take unsolicited submissions.

How do writers get hired? What criteria is used to select writers? Many writers are hired based upon the "spec" script they write. A spec is a sample script of a series that is already on the air. The writer should create an episode as if they were already on staff. If the show's producers feel the script has accurately captured the show's characters and voice, you may be invited to interview for a position on the show's writing staff. It's generally advised you shouldn't submit a script from the same show you're applying to. You can never know it as well as the current staff.

How to Decide What Spec Script to Write

  • Write a spec of a show that's currently on the air and closely matches the tone of what you want to be staffed on. If you want to write half-hour comedy, spec a half-hour comedy; don't spec a drama hoping it'll "show range."

  • As a general rule, don't spec the show you're actually trying to get hired on. Showrunners want to see you can capture someone else's voice, not audition to write their own show back to them.

  • Choose something respected in the room, not necessarily your favorite show to watch. Ask working writers or your reps what's "in" that season — this changes year to year.

  • Original pilots have increasingly replaced specs as the industry standard writing sample. Many fellowships and staffing processes now want an original pilot and a spec, so don't skip developing your own voice in a pilot alongside the spec.

What is the best time of year to get a job on a TV show? Staffing season (roughly March through June) is when the bulk of writers get their jobs on television shows. However, times have changed you should be diligent all year round. — stay in touch with your agent on a constant basis regarding opportunities throughout the year.

Books to Read

A few that come up again and again in writers' rooms:

  • Save the Cat! by Blake Snyder — structure basics, still the most commonly referenced shorthand in the room

  • The Anatomy of Story by John Truby

  • Into the Woods by John Yorke — especially good on episodic/series structure

  • Successful Television Writing by Lee Goldberg and William Rabkin

  • The TV Writer's Workbook by Ellen Sandler

  • Writing Movies for Fun and Profit by Robert Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon — funny, blunt, more about the business than the craft

How to Keep Busy (While You Wait)

  • Write. Always be working on something — a spec, a pilot, a short. Waiting for the industry to move is not a plan.

  • Take a PA, writers' PA, or writers' assistant job if you can get one. Nothing teaches you the room faster than being in it.

  • Read scripts. Produced scripts of shows you admire are often available online or through the WGA library — reading format and pacing on the page is different from watching the finished product.

  • Watch everything, but watch critically — pause and ask why a scene works, why a character choice lands, how the act breaks fall.

  • Enter fellowships and contests even when you don't expect to win — the deadlines force you to finish material, and finished material is the whole game.

  • Build relationships, not just credits. Writers' groups, table reads, and low-stakes short film sets are where a lot of future staffing happens.

  • Keep your survival job flexible enough that you can take a PA gig or meeting on short notice — the industry does not run on advance notice.

How do I find out what production company produces a particular show?

  • Watch the show and look for the credit at the end

  • Check industry publications such as The Hollywood Reporter (hollywoodreporter.com) and Variety (variety.com), which have a weekly list of shows in production

  • Search the web, IMDb, or Production Weekly

Helpful sites to visit:

Stephane Courture
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