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Last month the brilliant Roger Wolfson did a live stream discussing the importance of being prepared for writing roles, ben before you begin to apply for them. Roger alluded to the need to have passion for the English language and to put in the hard work as early as possible, as well as the need to have your eyes wide open about the industry in which you are going to work.
Roger really is a Jack of all trades, yet it is in the world of TV writing where he has seen the most success. With this in mind, we are going to take a look at what you could expect if this is a career which you would like to pursue.
Working Together
Contrary to what you may realize, writing for a TV show is very much a team effort and should you find a position in this industry you are going to be working alongside a group of other writers . This may sound fun, and in many cases it can be, but you are going to have to learn how to compete with other egos, and how to leave your ego aside. Everyone wants the best line or the best idea, but the most important thing is that the team works together as a single entity.
Idea Sapping
When you are a young writer you are going to buzzing with ideas and you may feel as though there is no end to your creativity. This kind of thinking is perfectly natural at this young age, but after a few months of long hours and 6 day weeks in the writing room, things may look different. Ultimately it is completely natural that at some point you are going to be entirely sapped of ideas and it is critical that you maintain an optimism here, so that you can keep on pushing and keep coming up with fresh and exciting ideas.
Getting Credit
Credit as a writer is something that you are ultimately going to gain over time, and this is the only way that it can come about. Even brilliant writers like Roger had to work for many years, producing high quality work, before he would be given the recognition that he deserved. The reason for this is that the writing team is who gets the credit for their work. In most cases this may even be the actors who get the credit for a great scene, rather than the writers behind it.
Reaping Rewards
The rewards of this kind of career are not financial, they are in the delivery of a great scene which you have had a hand in writing. Any writer worth their slat loves these moments and this is where the desire comes from to continue pushing and creating and working hard. Credit and financial rewards are nice, but none of those compare to the feeling of writing a great scene, and watching it be delivered in the right way.
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