If you have a passion for writing scripts and using your skills to create scenes then TV writing may very well be for you. Some of the finest writers of our generation are those working in TV right now, skilled artists like Roger Wolfson who has forged a career from TV writing and more. What people like Roger will tell you however is that being able to write is not enough to find true success in this career path, and there are in fact a great number of traits which you will need in order to succeed.
Let’s take a look at what the likes of Roger Wolfson has, beyond sheer writing ability, which has helped them to become successful in this particular career choice.
Team Work Ability
Something which surprises many is that scriptwriting is not carried out by individuals but rather by a large team who work together to create the perfect script. Those who struggle in this industry usually do so not because they can’t write well, but because they do not work well within the team dynamic. This means that they are not able to put their ego aside, for the good of the show. Everyone of course wants to bring the best lines and the best ideas, but ultimately the only way that this happens is also if everyone is prepared to be humble enough to accept that it is a team effort beyond anything else.
Thick Skin
From the very beginning of your career you are going to need to have thick skin, because of the fact that this is an industry of opinions. Putting yourself on the page and then showing it off to others, means that you open yourself up for both acclaim and criticism. Now of course few of us have an issue with acclaim, but when that criticism comes along you will need to know how to take it and what to do with it. Thick skin is very much a prerequisite of this job role.
Work Ethic
Work ethic is not often something which you consider with a creative position like this, but make no mistake that you will have to put in some serious hours each and every day when working on TV. These shows are constantly being filmed and that means that the material which is being written should also be constantly produced. The one thing that surprises most young writers is the number of hours which they have to work.
Optimism
Having creativity and ideas drawn out of you every single day can be tough and there are always going to be moments where the well is dry. It is of course for this reason that teams exist, to prevent this from causing a huge problem. On a personal level you will have to be ambitious in how you approach this, and hopeful that whilst you may be going through a rough spot, that things will turn around very quickly.
Do you think that you have what it takes to write for TV?
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