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How to Become a TV Writer in 2022

how to become a tv writer

Last updated on April 20th, 2022 at 06:47 am

There are many approaches to become a TV writer.

But some approaches are better than others.

Unlike becoming a novelist, becoming a TV show requires skills besides writing. You need to know:

  • How the Hollywood business works
  • How to speak to executives
  • How to work with other writers
  • …and much more

How to become a TV writer

You want to put these skills together in the right order.

Here’s the sequence that’ll give you the best chance to succeed: First, break into the business of television. Then, develop your television writing skills. Finally, work your way into and up the writer’s room.

Here are the 12-steps to become a TV writer:

(Should you rigidly stick to this sequence? No. Consider it a useful map on becoming a TV writer. But if you find a shortcut… take it.)

Let’s dig into each step.

Break into the television business

Before starting your first script, get into the television business.

90% of all television careers start at the assistant level. Why? [efn_note]Small Screen, Big Picture: A Writer’s Guide to the TV Business by Chad Gervis[/efn_note]

Because it’s the best way to break into the industry.

There are two perks to starting out as an assistant.

1. You create an instant network

The fastest way to connect with people in Hollywood is by working for someone in it. You’ll meet lots of other assistants. You’ll also meet agents, producers, writers, and showrunners.

2. You earn experience from the ground up

Michelin-star chefs didn’t earn their star by watching the Food network. They worked the front lines. They started in someone else’s kitchen. The same is true in Hollywood.

An MFA can’t replace working in the TV business. Whether you’re at an agency, casting office, or on a television show, you’re earning an education most never get. Since the business is constantly changing, you want that front-row seat.

There are several types of assistant roles:

  • Executive assistants
  • Producers’ assistants
  • Directors’ assistants
  • Production assistants
  • Casting assistants
  • Personal assistants

Each deals with its own benefits and downsides. For example:

An agency assistant works at the center of the entertainment business. They live in the information hub. Many start in the mailroom, then work as “floaters,” filling in for assistants who are sick. Then a desk ‘opens” and they get hired as a full-time assistant.

According to Zig Gauthier, president of Red Varden Studios:

“If an individual has agency experience, they learned the basic skill set of being a good assistant: rolling calls, managing a phone log, setting meetings, etc.”

Matt Schuler, manager at Levity Entertainment Group adds:

“An agent deals with everyone in town. And as an assistant, you listen to all the phone calls and learn how business is done. You hear [everything from] how a deal is done to how an agent sells a client to how projects are set up.”

A writers’ assistant, works for a show’s writing staff. Their primary job is taking notes on everything discussed in the writers’ room.

“A great writers’ assistant kind of does the job of your ego. Writers are all id: they’re all storming out ideas, they’re all riffing off each other, they’re all puking out these random associations of facts. A good writers’ assistant is getting all of that down, and when they do the summary notes, they often distill it down; they often prioritize based [on] what they know of the room what the real strong ideas are. A good writers’ assistant makes a world of difference. It is, possibly, behind the showrunner, the second most important person in a writers’ room.”

– John Rogers (co-creator of TNT’s LEVERAGE)[efn_note]http://io9.com/5555114/inside-the-tv-writers-room-a-place-of-magic-and-mystery-and-making-shit-up-for-money[/efn_note]

Writer’s assistant is how I got my start. Read my cold email that helped me land the job and what a typical day looked like.

Read and study scripts

To become a TV writer, you have to read and study scripts.

Follow the 1, 2, 7, 14 rule:[efn_note]https://gointothestory.blcklst.com/1-2-7-14-c3edf71c8289[/efn_note]

  • Read 1 screenplay per week
  • Watch 2 movies per week
  • Write 7 pages per week.
  • Work 14 hours per week prepping a story

But, the practical application of the rule is difficult. Especially if you’re working in the television business. If you have the bandwidth, go for it.

Otherwise, start with reading scripts. Reads scripts for both fun and structure:

Read the scripts of movies or television shows you love. It doesn’t matter if the movie is old. It doesn’t matter if the show got canceled. And don’t worry if it’s not the “type” of film or show you want to make. There’s plenty of time to study your niche. Right now you’re learning. The more you enjoy reading scripts, the more you’ll learn.

Movies and TV shows have their own cadence, and reading scripts is the best way to feel it. Reading a script should be as natural as reading prose. Eventually you “see the Matrix:” the structure and formatting disappear. Then nothing exists but the story.

If you’ve already broken into the TV industry, you’ll have access to all the scripts you need. If not, here are places to download scripts:

Read as many scripts as you can, at least 3 per week.

Reading scripts for structure is a bit different. Now you’re reading and observing the patterns. You’ll notice THE AMERICANS follows one formula. BIG BANG THEORY follows another.

Note the narrative arc — and your emotional response to the arc — as you read. How does how you feel at the end of Act I differ from how you feel at the end of Act III?

If you want to become a tv writer, learn the different types of shows and films. Learn how their length and format change the narrative structure. The goal is to start to intuit yourself. Building your intuition now will pay dividends once you’re in the thick of the industry.

First, observe different narrative sleights of hand. Later you’ll learn to perform the trick yourself.
<h2=”learn”>Learn the television industry

Start reading everything you can about the TV business.

Think about your reading in two dimensions: depth and width. Do both.

To read deep: read everything about becoming a TV writer. Get the historical context and it’ll shape your approach to the job.

Learn:

Then, read wide. Read across the spectrum of the entertainment industry. It may not seem obvious, but it all interconnects. The faster you make those connections, the better you’ll seize opportunities.

Start by reading the trades (Variety, Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter) every day. Follow reporters on Twitter. Skim the headlines if that’s all you have time for. But start.

Understanding the landscape doesn’t happen all at once. It takes years. Piece-by-piece, you align the puzzle so clarity grows every day you’re in the industry.

Build your network

How do writers land their first job in the writer’s room?

These roles aren’t like other traditional jobs. You won’t find postings on Indeed.com or even entertainment job boards.

Even entry-level roles, like writer’s PA, writer’s assistant, and script coordinator, are scarce.

Writers hear about open roles through two avenues: their agents (which we’ll cover later) and their networks.

It’s easy to balk at the idea of networking. The word carries negative connotations:

  • “Networking is sleazy”
  • “I don’t want to be fake”
  • “Only hacks need to network”
  • “My work should stand on its own”

However, here’s how Chad Gervich put it:

“Networking is a way for people of like minds and interests to find each other and work together.”

Networking is crucial at every stage of a writer’s career. It doesn’t matter if you’re a showrunner or planning your move to Los Angeles. Every step of the way, your peers will help you advance to the next level.

So go to networking events. Meet other writers and assistants for drinks. Say hi to people on Twitter. (Need more networking tips? Click here.)

Showrunners have the final say on hires, but they don’t have time to vet every person. They reach out to their network for recommendations. Meet the right people at the right time, and they’ll remember you when they hear a staff position has opened up.

You can’t only write well. You need to be likable. Writers are stuck in close quarters, for 14-hour days, to deliver a script. No one wants to be stuck in a room with someone they can’t stand for that long. Plus, if the writers’ personalities don’t mesh, the show suffers creatively. This can cost jobs.

So each writer needs to pass the “airport test:” could you get along if you were stuck at an airport with this person?

This is how Clyde Phillips, showrunner for the first four seasons of Showtime’s DEXTER and NURSE JACKIE, got his start in Hollywood.

“I grew up in Dorchester, a poor part of Boston. Moved to L.A. when I was a teenager

I was working on my masters when I met these two guys who were the kings of the TV movie world (remember TV movies?) Anyway I started reading scripts for them and doing notes. They offered me a job to be their second secretary. I had to choose between that and grad school. I chose them and they basically taught me the business.”[efn_note]http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/1mkv67/i_am_clyde_phillips_showrunner_of_dexter_and/[/efn_note]

Watch and study TV shows

Remember how you read and studied scripts to break down structure? Do the same for TV shows.

Re-watch the shows of the scripts you read. You’ll notice two things: First, what makes the final cut might be different than what was on the page. Second, how you imagined a scene is very different than what’s scripted.

Breaking down a TV show is different than breaking down a script. Reading a script you studied narrative structure and patterns. Watching a TV show, you break down the A, B, and storylines into their individual beats.

Write out the beats in the sequence they appear on the screen, for example: e.g. A, B, A, C, B, D, A, B, D, C. Include a logline (a one-line synopsis) for each beat.

Then reshuffle them so you can follow each storyline all the way through, e.g. A1, A2, A3.

This was my first assignment as a writer’s assistant. For two weeks I watched seasons 1 of MAD MEN and DEADWOOD. Then spent two weeks breaking out the A, B, and C storylines into their individual beats.

Copying, breaking, and reassembling your favorite TV shows will give you a deeper understanding of TV structure. Copying is a technique writers use to hone their craft. Great writers, like Benjamin Franklin, Hunter S. Thompson, and Jack London copied their favorite authors word for word to improve their skills. [efn_note]https://thehustle.co/how-to-not-write-like-an-asshole[/efn_note]
<h2=”classes”>Take classes and read (more) books

One question I hear all the time: “Should I take a TV writing class? What books should I read?”

To become a TV writer, stand on the shoulders of those who came before you every chance. So the answer?

Yes.

Read all the screenwriting books that catch your eye. Take the class if an instructor speaks to you.

At this stage, you’re still getting as many takes and opinions as possible. Not only about screenwriting but on the business of entertainment and television. See above in “Learn the television industry.” Read deep. Read wide.

A common mistake is feeling you  need to extract value from an entire book or class for it to be “worth it.” That’s the wrong way of thinking about it.

The right way: if you get ONE idea that makes you a better TV writer, it’s worth the cost of admission.
<h2=”write”>Write spec and pilot scripts

Every writer, from TV writers to novelists to poets, can stand to be better at his or her craft, and the best way to get better is through practice.

Stephen King, On Writing

If you want to become a television writer, do two things: read a lot and write a lot. We’ve covered the former. What about writing?

Following the 1, 2, 7, 14 model, your output should be:

  • Write 7 pages per week.
  • Prepping story 14 hours per week

What should you write? There are two types of television scripts you should focus on. Both showcase your television writing abilities but serve different jobs.

  • A spec script
  • A pilot script

A spec script is an episode of an existing show. The job of a spec script: show you can hold your own in the writer’s room. You’re demonstrating you understand the structure. Plus, you can tell a story within the constraints of the universe. Spec scripts are also called sample scripts. 

General rules of spec scripts:

  • Write specs of shows that are still on the air. No BREAKING BAD, no FRIENDS
  • Focus on your show’s main characters. If BREAKING BAD was still on the air, tell a Walt or Jesse story, not Badger
  • Consider the practical realities of producing your sample. It won’t get produced, but show you’re able to write within the bounds of what’s reasonable

A pilot script is the pilot episode of your own original show. You’re showing you can world build and execute your own ideas. Pilot scripts are also called spec pilots.

You want a mix of both types of scripts in your pocket. You’ll give them to agents and submit them to writing fellowships. More on that later.

Last thing: finish your scripts. These should be rewritten, edited, and polished. Don’t submit half-baked scripts. Get to done. That’s the best piece of advice from David Goyer:

“Don’t just do first drafts. Open yourself up to criticism. Keep writing — even if people initially discourage you. Chances are, your first few efforts won’t be that great… And don’t give up during the middle of a script. Most beginning writers quit in the middle and never get through to the end. Don’t start rewriting until you have a finished script.”[efn_note]http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/1d3op2/i_am_david_s_goyer_creator_and_executive_producer[/efn_note]

Submit to fellowships, contests, and lists

You’re working in the television business. You’re reading, you’re writing. Now what?

Start applying for fellowships and contests. These are constantly changing and updating. Check out the WGA’s Masterlist for the most updated links.

Writing Fellowships

Most networks and studios sponsor a fellowship program to develop writers. For example, Fox hosts a Writers Intensive fellowship. They nurture 10 experienced writers to create a pipeline of staff writers. Disney/ABC, CBS, and NBC/Universal also have similar programs.

What do you get from these programs?

“By the end of the progra you come away with a new writing sample, a host of new contacts, and skills that will help you thrive for as long as you’re in the game of pimping yourself out as a writer.”

Theo Travers, House of Lies, Billions[efn_note]http://kiyong.wordpress.com/2012/07/23/interview-theo-travers-cbs-writers-mentoring-program-2012/[/efn_note]

“Fox works with us to build on both our general craft and the business of writing for television, feature films and digital content with the added goal of creating a viable resource of experienced staffing opportunities.”

Tina Mabry, Proven Innocent[efn_note]http://www.afterellen.com/catching-up-with-tina-mabry/05/2012/[/efn_note]

The writers are also mentored by writers, producers, and senior executives. Programs run for a few months.

The end goal? Get staffed. Even if a writer isn’t staffed after completing the program, the program gives them massive exposure.

How do you get a fellowship? Writers must complete a rigorous application process, plus submit one sample and one spec pilot.

Writing Contests

What about writing contests? Becoming a finalist in the right contest is a great way to stand out.

Back in 2004, Evan Daugherty thought he had it all figured out. He graduated from NYU Film School. He had a few feature-length scripts under his belt and a promising future in Hollywood…

Or so he thought.

“I hit brick wall after brick wall,” he told Huffington Post. “I failed miserably.” So miserably that he moved back to his parent’s basement in Dallas after a year.

Fast forward ten years and Daugherty is working for the upcoming TV series for ABC titled ESMERALDA. Along the way, he wrote scripts for a few tiny movies like SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMEN and DIVERGENT. So what happened?

He submitted to and won the Scripted Pipeline contest in 2008 with his screenplay SHRAPNEL

“Script Pipeline introduced me to a manager a few weeks after winning the contest, helping launch my career as a screenwriter.”

Winning convinced Daugherty to move back to LA. Two years later a script he’d written at NYU called SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMEN found itself in the center of a bidding war. That netted Daugherty $3.2 million.

Winning a writing contest is one way writers can open doors for themselves. Finalists and semifinalists win option or development deals, plus cash prizes.

Take the Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting Competition. The cash prize ($35,000) coupled with the industry prestige can make a writer’s career.

This was the case with Terri Edda Miller. She won in 1992 for her screenplay “BedWarmer.” Miller went on to become a writer-producer for ABC’s CASTLE.

Even if your goal is to write for television, placing in any of these contests is a bonafide way to get on the industry’s radar. The more reputable contests are the Nicholl Fellowship, the Austin Film Festival, and the PAGE International Screenwriting award.

Finally, be wary when submitting to contests. There are many less-than-legitimate contests that prey on the aspirations of young writers. These contests offer meetings with “Hollywood insiders” as prizes, but no credibility to a project.

Lists

Besides fellowships and contests, you can earn exposure when your script lands on various “lists.” For example, the Blacklist, is a platform that rates and promotes scripts to its industry members. This includes managers, agents, and executives. Evan Daughtery’s winning script SHRAPNEL was placed on the Blacklist.

The Blood List is another reputable list. It comes out every Halloween and “brings attention to unproduced horror screenplays in Hollywood.”

Find an agent or manager

Getting an agent or manager is obligatory in Hollywood, as most networks and showrunners only read agency submissions. Having a representative submitting your script says, “Well, at least this person believes you have talent.”

Since you’re working in the television business, you’re building relationships with agents and managers (or with people who will be in the future). A note before you start emailing: finish your scripts and submit them to fellowship or contests. Why?

Winning or placing in a screenwriting contest means you can add it to your cover letter. Even if it’s not a “top-shelf” contest, a writer is a more compelling client when he says:

“Hi, I’m John, I recently placed as a semifinalist in Scriptapalooza with my spec, THE WAVE. Would you be interested in reading it?”

Instead of:

“Hi, I’m John, I wrote this spec that my friends all love, called THE WAVE. Would you be interested in reading it?”

The actual screenplay could be the same! But attaching a contest name transfers legitimacy onto the writer.

So once you start submitting to contests, in parallel, work on getting an agent. The best way to get an agent is through a referral. With a referral, someone will read your script. That can’t be said about the hundreds of cold queries sent a week.

Build your brand

The competition to break into Hollywood has never been fiercer. More and more aspiring writers flooding L.A. every year. Clever writers have found other means to edge out their competitors in this modern media age.

Twitter has created success stories in recent years. After Justin Halpern moved back in with his parents in 2009, he created a Twitter feed called “Shit My Dad Says” to chronicle his father’s hilarious one-liners. The feed took off and led to first a book deal and then CBS’ SH*T MY DAD SAYS, starring William Shatner. Halpern was a writer and co-executive producer on the show.

SH*T MY DAD SAYS was canceled after one season, but Halpern’s career kept rolling. He went on to be a writer-producer for TBS’ COUGAR TOWN and creator and showrunner for FOX’s SURVIVING JACK.

“After 18 episodes we were pulled off the schedule and canceled, but it was hard for me to be upset. I had just launched an entire career off a Twitter feed. It’d be like winning the lottery and getting pissed off because they only give you the money in increments of $50,000 a year.”[efn_note]http://grantland.com/hollywood-prospectus/i-would-like-to-help-you-get-your-show-cancelled/[/efn_note]

Jack Moore is another hobby-turned-success story. A former Buzzfeed sports editor, Moore created a Twitter feed called Modern Seinfeld. Modern Seinfeld imagined that SEINFELD was still on air and made 140-character episode pitches.

It became an instant hit (even Jason Alexander was a follower!). After 6 months, Jack Moore found himself as a staff writer on Fox’s US & THEM.

“[Modern Seinfeld] definitely helped enhance my portfolio as I went out there but it was still pretty strong reactions to scripts, just like anybody else.” [efn_note]http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/08/03/how-to-break-into-sitcom-writing-start-a-twitter.html[/efn_note]

This leads to an important point: standing out from the crowd isn’t enough. That gets you attention — spec scripts and a network get you jobs. (This is why you focused on breaking into the television industry and writing scripts first.)

Lauren Bachellis is a great example of this. Bachellis’ career started promising but unremarkably: she interned on various shows, including JUDGE JUDY and HEROES, and worked as an assistant at CAA then later as NEW GIRL showrunner Elizabeth Meriwether’s assistant.

Along the way, she created the popular Hollywood insider blog, the Hollywood Assistants Tumblr, and wrote spec scripts. Bachellis then used her network to get the specs in front of Fred Savage.

“Fred ended up loving my script, so he and I decided to put our heads together and figure out a project we could sell to CBS. I told him about the blog I had started a bit after all of this had happened, and that’s when it became clear: we should pitch a show based on my experiences as a Hollywood assistant.”[efn_note]http://www.fastcocreate.com/1681758/meet-the-creator-the-former-assistant-behind-tumblr-turned-tv-show-hollywood-assistants[/efn_note]

Her network and Internet fame led to Bachellis selling her comedy pilot 20-NOTHINGS to CBS. They attached Fred Savage to direct and executive produce.

Get staffed in a writer’s room

To become a television writer, you have to get staffed in a writer’s room.

Network TV writers typically get hired during a time period called staffing season. Staffing season starts around May. Showrunners read scripts and interview writers. The hire in June, after the Upfronts and networks have ordered their shows. Unless it’s straight-to-series, hiring can’t happen because no one knows what’s going to air.

This is different for cable networks and OTT (e.g. streaming platforms), which hire television writers year-round. A cable show may have a smaller pool of available writers to choose from, but they don’t have to compete at the same pace as network shows.

To get staffed, you need great material (sample scripts and spec pilots) and an agent or manager shopping them around for you. It’s still not a guarantee, but it’s your best shot. The agent’s job is to sell you and get you in the room with someone with the authority to say, “you’re hired.” The writer’s job is to make sure the material your agent shops is stellar, and to crush any meetings you take.

Lauren Morelli got her first gig on Netflix’s hit show ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK thanks to her dedicated agent and a compelling, if not weird, original pilot. According to Morelli, her agent shopped her around for a year. Then she landed an interview with showrunner Jenji Kohan, who asked her, “Were you interfered with as a child?”

Her answer (no) didn’t dissuade Kohan from hiring Morelli for her writers’ room.

Starting out as an assistant on a show is another effective strategy to get staffed to a television show. This strategy (along with having your agent submit for you) can work in tandem, increasing your odds of getting staffed.

Showrunners like to hire staff writers they know. They want writers who understand the show, its characters, and jive well with the other writers. This makes assistants perfect staff writer candidates: they meet these qualifications! Plus, the showrunner already has a working relationship with the assistants.

This is how COMMUNITY’s writer Tim Saccardo got staffed:

“I was hired as a writers assistant in season 2… It’s a rough job but an amazing opportunity to learn from the best and become intimately familiar with a show. You’re also part of the staff in a way and get to contribute to scripts when the situation calls for it.

After a while, I was given a script of my own to write and eventually was promoted to the writing staff. So, in a way, my writers assistant job ended up being like an extended interview/trial where the writers and producers got to see that I was good at writing the show and also wasn’t a dick that would be terrible to be in a room with all day (and sometimes all night…)”[efn_note]http://www.reddit.com/r/community/comments/181irk/we_are_the_writing_staff_of_nbcs_community_ama[/efn_note]

Work up the writer’s room

You did it. You’re a television writer. So what can you expect?

No two writers’ rooms are alike. Showrunners put together a room that reflects their creative and managerial approaches. This means drastic variations in who’s hired. Some rooms have mid- or high-level writers. Others are filled with baby staff writers.

Regardless of HOW the writers’ room is set up, there are a few things that HAVE to get done. Otherwise, the show never gets off the ground and everyone loses their jobs.

They are:

  • Figuring out the show’s characters and themes
  • Finding and “beating out” (i.e. breaking down) season arcs
  • Figuring out a season’s beats and choosing which episodes the important ones should happen in
  • Breaking each episode’s story and writing the scripts
  • Rewriting EVERY script and making it as close to perfect as possible before shooting starts

How the room tackles these tasks varies from room to room.

On 24: LIVE ANOTHER DAY, showrunner Manny Coto described the room like this:

“Basically, all the writers sit in a room and figure out verbally what the episode is going to be about in a general concept kind of way. The next step is for all the writers to start figuring out the various scenes that will go in each act. When we’ve figured that out, we move to an outline which usually runs from five to eight pages and fro[m] there one of the writers takes the outline and produces a script. That’s when the fun starts. We proceed to take that script apart, re-think it, throw most of it out and start all over again.”[efn_note]http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/2a5j6g/hey_24_fans_we_are_evan_katz_and_manny_coto_the/[/efn_note]

Graham Yost, showrunner of JUSTIFIED, broke their episodes another way:

“We break an episode in the writers’ room, probably in about a week or two. Then the writer takes it, turns around an outline, usually in a couple of days, gets notes, then has a week to write the first draft. Then Tim [Olyphant], Walton [Goggins], and the other actors weigh in and off we go.”[efn_note]http://www.reddit.com/r/television/comments/21xrh4/i_am_graham_yost_showrunner_of_justified_and_you/[/efn_note]

Starting out as a staff writer means you’re a “baby writer.” In other words: at the bottom of the writers’ room hierarchy. Baby writers are paid less and have less responsibility than veteran writers.

Showrunners know this, and only expect them to contribute the best they can, and do their best when they’re assigned episodes to write. As Chad Gervich says:

“It isn’t about proving you can hang with showrunners and EPs. It’s about following the flow and learning the ropes in a bizarre, brutal, often intimidating environment.”

How can staff writers stand out then?

“I came every day from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. In Joss [Whedon]’s ten minutes of free time every couple hours, I’d say, ‘Here’s what I’m thinking for act one,’ or ‘Here’s an idea for this scene.’ Some he’d like, some he’d say no, and sometimes he’d say ‘I can’t talk right now, I’m busy with all this other stuff.’”

This approach got Goddard 3 episode script assignments. Later he got staffed on ANGEL, ALIAS, and LOST, and signed a seven-figure overall deal with Touchstone Television in 2006.

Of course, it’s a delicate balance. Baby writers should never be overly critical of other pitches without offering constructive solutions. For example, saying, “That arc sucks and will never work” isn’t going to win you any brownie points with your showrunner, whereas “I think the arc would be better if we added X, Y and Z” might.

Another way you can lose your job is by pitching any idea that pops to mind without a quality control filter; saying nothing at all, on the other hand, can get you fired, too.

Again, it’s a delicate balance.

After completing a season of a show, spending 10-14 hours a day for months writing and rewriting scripts, the show finally goes on hiatus and you’re on “vacation.”

Except not really, because staff writers never quite get a vacation. Like professional athletes, “off-season” is “pre-season.”

During the off-season, TV writers continue to move their careers forward by writing spec scripts, prepping for their show’s next season (if it’s renewed), and networking.

Why? Because there is no job security in television unless you’re an established name like Damon Lindelof or Shonda Rhimes. Even then, you’re only as secure as your ability to churn out successful shows.

The TV writer gig doesn’t last 52 weeks. It lasts for as long as you’re in that writers’ room. When 90% of shows fail in the first few seasons and 99.99% eventually get canceled (DAYS OF OUR LIVES, GENERAL HOSPITAL, and THE SIMPSONS being the rare exceptions) TV writers spend their free time competing for their next gig.

So the off-season should be writing samples, spec pilots, and passing the ladder down to others. In other words, helping younger writers get to that next level. You want to be the one who helps that up-and-coming get their big break, because it’s good karma.

Many industry staples started at the bottom and worked their way up. Damon Lindelof, co-creator of LOST, started as a writer’s assistant to Kevin Williamson (creator of DAWSON’S CREEK) on Williamson’s show WASTELAND.

Or take Vanessa Taylor, who also had humble beginnings. She started out as VERONICA MARS creator Rob Thomas’ assistant after writing him a letter.

“Once I was in that writers’ office I made friends there and I was writing samples the whole time… Finally I wrote one that people liked…and people read it and so one of the writers there, Hart Hanson [creator of BONES]… recommended me to his agent.”[efn_note]http://jengrisanticonsultancy.com/podcasts/vanessa-taylor-featuretv-writer-great-hope-springs-game-of-thrones-co-creator-jack-bobby/[/efn_note]

Taylor went on to become a co-producer for ALIAS. Later she was the co-executive producer of a show called GAME OF THRONES.

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