Question 1

What does a Screenwriter do?

Pete Goldfinger · Accepted Answer

Screenwriting encompasses all aspects: TV, movies, some would even say video games. That’s writing for the screen. Technically though, there are TV Writers, and then there are Feature Film Writers. A Screenwriter is usually thought of as somebody who writes feature films. So, to answer your question, “What does a Screenwriter do?” I write movies, and I write a little bit of TV.
The first thing you should know about Screenwriters is they spend a lot of the day in their sweatpants and pajamas. That’s the best part of being a Screenwriter. But everybody’s got their own schedule.
It’s funny you asked this because I had a writing partner named Josh Stolberg. We always work together. He’s a late owl so he sometimes works ‘til as late as three or four in the morning, and I often start as early as six in the morning, but then I’m usually done by about 1:30 p.m. I don’t spend a whole day [mimics typing sounds]. There are only so many hours you can do that. We joke that we’re sometimes writing 20 hours a day when we’re in a pinch, because we have to hand off to each other. But a Screenwriter spends a lot of his day thinking.
My writing partner is more of a sit-down-at-your-computer-and-start-working kind of guy, but I spend every morning usually going for a walk for about an hour-and-a-half after I drop my kids off at school, just going through, in my head, what it is that I want to write. If you really get something in your head then you can write six pages, because screenplay pages are much shorter than when you write prose.
The saying is, if you took a 110-page screenplay and just wrote it in prose as if you were writing a book, it would only be about 32 pages. You can write [screenplays] much faster. So I try to put aside some time to think about what I’m going to write because there’s nothing worse than sitting in front of a blank page.
I don’t know too many Screenwriters who work all day. We love to procrastinate. We love to think of reasons not to write, but that’s why I really try to get into a habit. My family knows that, even when the kids are on vacation, or when they’re in COVID, when my wife is setting meetings for me: I don’t do anything before 1:30 p.m. because that’s my locked-in time to just write.
But then after that, there’s a lot of the business side of writing, which is correspondence with Agents, proofreading, things like that. It’s less of the creative process. The great thing is … I don’t have to write all of the time. But I have to write some of the time. That’s how that works.

Question 2

What is the difference between a Screenwriter and a Script Writer?

Anna Keizer · Accepted Answer

In general, there is little difference between a Screenwriter and Script Writer.
That being said, Screenwriter can be considered a term used specifically for someone who writes feature screenplays. In contrast, a Script Writer might be used as a more general term for someone who writes any kind of script whether that be for film, television, the web, commercials, or another medium.

Question 3

How much does a Screenwriter make?

Anna Keizer · Accepted Answer

It would be so much easier if we could provide a simple, solid salary figure for what a Screenwriter makes. Unfortunately, that’s not the case in this particular profession.
First of all, aspiring Screenwriters should know that there will be months or years where they receive no income for their work. In fact, many Screenwriters spend the majority of their careers without consistent pay.
Should a Screenwriter be able to sell a script or get hired onto a project, though, their salary will depend on factors such as the medium they’re writing for, their prior portfolio of work, the individuals who hired that Screenwriter, and the Script Writer’s union status.
Mediums such as web series or streaming television shows generally have smaller budgets, which translates into smaller salaries for Screenwriters. However, a Screenwriter who is established in the industry may be able to negotiate for a higher wage regardless of medium.
But even feature films can vary widely in terms of budget. Should a film be an intended blockbuster backed by a major studio, the Screenwriter hired to write it will almost certainly earn more than someone hired for an indie. It should also be noted that the Writers Guild of America stipulates minimum rates for its members, which generally works in favor of the Screenwriter.

Question 4

Is a Screenwriter a good career?

Anna Keizer · Accepted Answer

The career of a Screenwriter can be a highly fulfilling one in terms of the creativity a person can enjoy in service of their professional pursuits.
But anyone considering a career as a Screenwriter should prepare themselves for the many challenges they will almost certainly face during it. The screenwriting world is rife with competition, and as with any industry where there is more supply than demand, it can lead to much rejection and disappointment.
Aspiring Screenwriters should know that they will likely have very little stability or security in terms of consistent work or payment. And even those who have had some success in the industry must always be hustling and connecting with others to keep their name in the minds of those with hiring or buying power.

Question 5

How do you become a Screenwriter or TV Writer?

John Zinman · Accepted Answer

Whenever I talk to young people starting out, I advise them to do two main things: read as many screenplays as you can, and write as many screenplays as you can. Reading screenplays starts to train your mind to think in that language because it’s a very particular format. It’s not like writing a short story. It’s similar, but it’s not the same.
So I recommend reading. Get your hands on scripts. They’re all available online now. Any film or TV show that you admire, read the script. Then, I recommend reading the script while you’re watching the movie. Have the script in your lap while watching and see what changed and what stayed the same. How did they translate it from the page to the screen? Start getting a sense of how to think visually as you’re writing.
Screenwriting is like any other muscle. You have to train it. And the other thing about writing is: you’re not going to get worse by writing more—you’re only going to get better.
Most young people are impatient–myself included when I was a young person. They want to get out there and have people read their work immediately. I think it’s a mistake to have someone of influence read your first effort. It’s not going to be your best. You’re going to look back on it in ten years and go, “Oh my God! I can’t believe I wrote that.”
Be patient and write as much as you can, because you’re going to get better; significantly better. There’s a lot of generosity amongst people in the industry to help support young people breaking in. You’ll be able to find someone who’s going to read your script, whether it’s through an alumni network or a friend of a friend.
And when you start pursuing people to read your material, make sure it’s the thing you want them to read, because it’s a two-hour commitment you’re asking for. They’ll read one, but they might not read two. So make sure it’s the one. Be patient, write a lot, then make your move.

Question 6

What do you major in to become a Screenwriter?

Jen Klein · Accepted Answer

The right answer is probably film and TV, theater, or creative writing. Something like that. But the most important thing is to find something where you’re encouraged within the college setting to find your village and work with your village.
If you’re making short films together, putting on plays together, writing a school newspaper together, or writing stories together, that’s your first village. It’s a group of people who learn to help each other, trust each other, give artistic feedback, and listen to other people’s feedback.
It’s not like you need to have this major or that major. It’s a matter of putting yourself in a place where you have peers who are doing the same thing together. Then maybe some of them will also choose to go to L.A. or to the same place to pursue that goal. They’re your beginner village. Then when you move to Los Angeles or whatever city you choose, you start to grow your grown-up village.

Question 7

How do TV and Screenwriters make money?

Andrew Lanham · Accepted Answer

Screenwriters get hired for specific jobs and then get paid half at the start and half at the end.
Making enough money to live off of with screenwriting is definitely hard. Once you get your foot in the door, you still have multiple years ahead. At least for me personally, I still had multiple years ahead of me before I didn’t need a second job on top of it.
So you really have to be doing it for the love of doing it. There were seven people at my graduate program, and they’re not all writing film right now, but a lot of them are in the industry in different ways. If you have a love of film and you want to be a part of the industry, getting some sort of training in writing and doing the writing can lead to other opportunities in film.

Question 8

What skills do you need to be a TV Writer or Screenwriter?

John Zinman · Accepted Answer

On the writing side, the best skill that a person could have to be a Writer–whether it’s a Screenwriter or any other kind of Writer–is curiosity and good observational skills. Understanding people and being curious about what makes people tick.
From a business standpoint, you need a sense of the practicality of what you’re writing. Screenwriting is show business after all. You should follow your creative vision, but be tempering that with a sense of what is feasible from a mechanical standpoint.
Can it be done and accomplished in an economically feasible way? Can you actually film what you’ve created? Especially in the sci-fi realm. Can you actually do it and at a price point that will make sense for a studio to take that financial risk?
You also need to have a sense of what’s popular. I think it’s a mistake to try to write to the marketplace, but it’s also a mistake to completely ignore the marketplace.
Another note from a business standpoint is that you should go into this with the knowledge that it’s an incredibly competitive field. Don’t have unrealistic expectations of becoming an overnight sensation early on in your career.
I believe that most people who stick with it eventually find their way. You have to be patient, and you have to find ways to stay financially afloat while you’re pursuing your goal of making it as a Screenwriter. It takes time. It’s a skill that needs to be developed, and any skill that needs to be developed requires time, patience, and persistence.

Question 9

Do you have anything else you think aspiring Screenwriters and TV Writers need to know?

John Zinman · Accepted Answer

Almost everyone I’ve worked with who’s been a Writer’s Assistant or at the lower tiers, who networked enough and stuck with it, has gone on to have a career in some way, shape, or form.
Not all of them are superstars. Not all of them are living in some mansion in the Hollywood Hills. But most of them are working in Hollywood and making a living. It can be done. I know it’s daunting, and it’s scary, and it feels like this big mystery. But the greatest skill that a Writer can have is perseverance.
If you can stick it out, you’re gonna find your way. That’s assuming you have a baseline level of talent, a baseline level of discipline, and work hard. But if you put in the work and the time and stick with it, you’re gonna find your way.
When I was starting out, the thing I always heard was: if you can do anything else, do it. I always hated when people said that! I thought that was so pessimistic and discouraging. It wasn’t useful advice at all. I don’t want to leave anyone with that kind of pessimistic advice.
My advice is: if you really want this, go for it, work hard, stick with it. Don’t quit when you feel like quitting, because it’s like musical chairs—the last one seated gets the job. If you stick it out, you’re gonna make it.

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