Scriptwriter

Scriptwriters write scripts for plays, films, and television or radio programmes. They might specialise in a certain type of writing, such as comedy. The writing might be an original piece or an adaptation of an existing story.

Also known as:

• Screenplay writer
• Screenwriter

Work activities

Scriptwriters write material for performers to speak. This includes material for television and radio, ranging from comedy and light entertainment to serious drama or documentary. There can also be work in writing for live performances and for films. The types of material include:

• Complete plays
• Storyboards for computer games
• Episodes for a long-running drama or comedy series
• Serialisations of novels or stories
• Sketches for comedy shows
• Ideas or questions for panel games or quiz shows
• Short stories.

Scriptwriters might write several types of material, and they often progress from one area to another. For example, they might start with radio and move on to work for television, and then to do their own series or plays. Established scriptwriters work mainly on commissions from producers. They follow a clear brief that sets out the length of performance, range of characters, situation and so on. They might also be asked to adapt a play or a book for broadcasting. Scriptwriters who write single episodes for long-running series or who work as part of a team writing a soap opera also have to keep closely to the established format and/or storyline. They may need to rewrite their work several times before it’s ready. If scriptwriters want to work on an original idea, they first need to research the kind of material currently being used, and the interests of individual producers and commissioning editors.

All scriptwriters, but particularly those who are not yet established, spend a lot of their time selling their ideas to those in broadcasting production. Before scriptwriters can begin work on their scripts, they might have to:

• Research relevant background information.
• Observe and listen to people to absorb realistic behaviour and speech.
• Interview people.

Scriptwriters often work to tight deadlines, especially for any rewrites they have to do. The work is often solitary.

Personal qualities and skills

As a scriptwriter, you’ll need:

• Excellent language and writing skills.
• Creativity and imagination to come up with original ideas.
• Motivation and a strong belief in your work.
• Resilience to cope with rejection and having to rewrite scripts.
• Networking skills, for marketing and promoting your work.
• To feel comfortable working on your own.
• Time-management and organisational skills to meet deadlines.
• ICT and typing skills to word process scripts.

Pay and opportunities 

Scriptwriters are almost always self-employed and get paid in a variety of ways – per hour, per day, per script, per air-play minute and so on. Pay rates can vary widely, according to the employer. A full list of negotiated, recommended pay rates is available from The Writers’ Guild of Great Britain website. The pay scale is broken down into a wide range of categories, including writers for radio, television, theatre and film as well as videogames, animation, comics and musical theatre. Earnings increase with royalties/repeats. Many writers are not able to support themselves entirely from scriptwriting, but for the few scriptwriters who are successful, earnings can be very high. Periods without pay are common.

Employers include the BBC and independent production companies (for radio and television), Channel 4 and ITV companies (for television). Scriptwriting for films is another option, but one with limited scope in the UK.

Computer games companies sometimes employ scriptwriters to create a game storyboard. Opportunities in the gaming industry are very limited however, and you will need to have some previous writing experience.

Writers often combine freelance scriptwriting with other work, such as teaching, lecturing or research.

Where are vacancies advertised?

It’s a good idea to build up a network of relevant contacts, as vacancies are rarely advertised.

Entry routes and training

It’s extremely difficult to gain entry and become established as a scriptwriter. Scriptwriters come from a variety of backgrounds, with a lot having had experience in the theatre or broadcasting, or having written for other media such as newspapers and magazines. Production experience, such as acting or backstage work, may be useful.

Most scriptwriters start by submitting material to editors or producers. This material could take a variety of forms, such as a complete play, a pilot script for a series with a summary of how further episodes could develop, or a short sketch for a comedy programme. A literary agent might help, but many are reluctant to take on completely unknown writers. Entering writing competitions is useful.

You can request advice from the BBC Writers’ Room or see the ScreenSkills website.

A small number of degrees in scriptwriting or screenwriting are available. Some creative writing degrees include scriptwriting. A few postgraduate courses in scriptwriting are available. Many scriptwriters take no specialised training at all, but there are a number of short courses in creative writing and scriptwriting such as the residential courses run by the Arvon Foundation. Euroscript offers training programmes and courses for people wanting to get into scriptwriting.

Some scriptwriters move into other areas of writing.

Qualifications

There are no set entry requirements. However, a degree in English, a qualification in creative writing or similar may provide a useful background.

Adult opportunities

Some scriptwriters have experience in areas such as acting, theatre production, broadcasting and journalism.

Part-time degree and postgraduate courses in scriptwriting are available. A large number of centres offer creative writing courses by distance learning.

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