Script Writers

Screen writing is a widely respected profession and a number of people aspire to become script writers, for films, television or the stage. There are a number of screen writing and creative writing courses available at universities and other institutes of higher education that potential script writers will enrol on. However, a great deal of script writers have no formal training, and became script writers by simply submitting examples of their work to people already in the business.

Many script writers work freelance, particularly on programs such as soap operas which require scripts for shows every day. Principle writers will outline the stories, and then freelance script writers will be responsible for fleshing out the individual episodes with dialogue. Working freelance in this manner is how many script writers land their big break after being noticed working on projects such as soap operas.

The format of scripts is something that screen writers have to get used to, many have their own style, but there is general a standardised style to how scripts are laid out. There are a number of screenwriting software packages available to help would be script writers arrange their work into the standard format.

Recently a number of script writers who were working on some very high profile American shows staged a strike over their rate of pay. For this reason a number of new series were delayed whilst currently airing seasons were cut short or had to draft in freelance writers who were not unionised.