Monday, March 26, 2018

What Does A Freelance Television Writer Los Angeles Do?

By Donna Rogers


Television is a medium unlike any other. We turn to it time and again for entertainment and to just pass the time when there seems nothing else to do. But just how does the world of television work and what does a freelance television writer Los Angeles do to contribute to this growing medium?

When we watch television we often don't think about what goes into creating the shows that we know and love. But, it begins with an idea and that idea comes from writers. A television writer writes the scripts for all kinds of television content. This type of writing is unlike writing for the stage or film, it is an art in and of itself.

Often TV writers write in groups that may contain only 4 writers or the group may contain up to 20 other writers. All these writers must collaborate on what to produce. The TV writer does not often write alone. They may be the lead writer for a TV show and may even be the producer. Many times these people are called 'showrunners' because they lead the group regarding the what is produced and they have full creative authority over the show. The writer of television series may also be responsible for rewriting of the script, writing the dialogue and creating plot lines and situations for the characters.

A freelance TV writer often is not hired by a station but works independently and takes work on a job by job basis. They may work with several television stations during their careers. Being a freelancer allows more job and career freedom than being hired by a production company.

Since TV writers write in groups, it can often be the source of a lot of pressure and frustration because no single writer has full creative control or authority over what is produced. This can also be plus as there are many more ideas and the collaboration allows for greater creativity than with a single writer working alone.

If you are looking to make writing for TV a career choice there are many things to consider. You will need a portfolio much like any other profession that has to show their abilities and talents before they are hired. This portfolio is called a spec script and it gives the hiring team an idea of your writing abilities and experience in formatting television scripts. This spec script can be an idea for an already existing TV series or it can be your own original idea for a TV pilot.

Writing for TV is no easy task, and any writer who has the creative abilities and talent to produce winning plot lines and memorable characters has a chance to make a rewarding career for themselves writing for television. The key ingredient to becoming a television writer is to just write. It takes lots of practice in the craft of writing and the more writing you do the better you will get.

If this career field is something you feel you can do and are interested in it, you should consider taking a class in scriptwriting either at your local community college or university or you can seek out online courses. There are many avenues you can take to break into this field and the more knowledge, skills, and creativity you have to offer, your chances of success are greater.




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