It’s often said that film is a director’s medium, while television is a writer’s medium. That is a spot-on observation. Television is a writer’s medium, to the point where multiple writers decide the whole creative direction of a series. And it all starts in a place called The Writers' Room.
What Is a Writers' Room?
The Writers' Room is the creative engine of any scripted Network or Streaming series. Television writing is a deeply collaborative process, where multiple levels of writers play a key role in the success of a series.
The “room” is not a figurative term. Even in this day and age of Zoom calls and Google Meets, the long-standing tradition of having a room where writers of a show congregate to brainstorm the future episodes of a show through a collective writers hierarchy is still how episodic shows are developed and written.
The writers room can be best visualized by setting the stage with a large table surrounded by chairs, with additional chairs against the room’s wall (usually for production and writers assistants). You can also envision dry erase boards, laptops or Macs, coffee mugs, and plenty of snacks and takeout food boxes. It’s a cliche, but it represents what a writers room still looks like to this day.
What Happens in the Writing Room of a TV Show?
Whether it’s a serialized drama, half-hour sitcom, or limited series, the writers room is where story ideas, character beats, and season or series-long story/character arcs are developed, debated, and refined together before a single page of an episode script is written.
The creative brain trust of the series congregates in the writers room each weekday, mapping out the series as a whole, each season of the series, and each episode of each season.
- Ideas are pitched, shot down, debated, and championed.
- Creative minds problem-solve story and character issues.
- Character arcs and story arcs are fine-tuned.
- Budget concerns from the higher-ups are taken into account for necessary rewrites.
- Episode scripts are assigned to certain writers in the room who take all that has been debated, discussed, and agreed upon by the writers room collective, and go on to write the actual episode script.
- Rewrites and polish rewrites are discussed and written.
You will see no greater collaborative process than the writers room of a TV series.
First, the room “breaks” the season, meaning they go through the broad strokes of what will be happening on the show. This means mapping out the major character/story arcs across all episodes of the season. Where do the characters begin? Where do they end? What are the major plot points, twists, and reveals?
Then the writers room quickly shifts into breaking each individual episode. What is the A story (the main story of the episode)? What is the B story (the secondary story that ties in with the main story by the end, or further deepens character arcs)? What’s the cliffhanger before the tag? What’s the emotional turn in Act 2?
After that, writers are assigned to write particular episodes. They will then hand in a draft that will go through a series of notes from upper-level writers and to the showrunner when everything has been fine-tuned.
TV shows aren’t made on set. They’re made in the writers room.
Who Is in a Writers' Room?
The writers room is filled with writers of varying influence, power, and experience - all of whom are tasked with breaking story, shaping character/story arcs, and delivering episode scripts on very, very tight deadlines.
Within that room is a hierarchy, designed to keep the machine running as smoothly as possible.
The best case scenario is a balanced writers room full of experienced pros, mixed in with trusted supervisors and new and fresh voices.
The worst case scenario is a writers room full of individuals with their own visions and agendas.
So, who is in the room? Let’s work our way from the bottom of the writers room hierarchy to the top.
Production Assistants
The first group of support staff positions. Writer PAs don’t have any say when it comes to the writing of the series. They are there to order food, print scripts when needed, manage schedules, answer phone calls, make sure that the room itself is run smoothly, and ensure that everyone higher up on the hierarchy has what they need and want throughout each work day.
Writers Assistants
Assistants to the staffed writers are there to make sure the job of the writer they’ve been assigned to runs as smoothly as possible. Writers assistants will take detailed notes of story breaks, pitches, character/story arcs, etc. They’ll help track continuity, handle or help with research, and format documents and beat boards (usually through the highly-collaborative software tool that is Final Draft).
Many successful TV writers begin as production assistants or writers assistants. Being an assistant in the writers room will be your best education in writing for television.
Script Coordinators
Script coordinators are the ones that have the most figurative and literal hands on the script. They make sure the polish drafts are set for when the scripts are sent out to showrunners, executive producers, network execs, TV directors, and talent. Once the script coordinators okay a final shooting draft, you can expect that the format, grammar, spelling, continuity, and overall aesthetics are as they should be. Beyond that, any administrative elements around the script (correct files being marked and shared, paperwork necessities, communication between departments, etc.) are taken care of by script coordinators.
Staff Writer
The first official writing position that all screenwriters yearn to attain. Becoming a staff writer is a massive achievement. Staff writers are full participants in story discussions, character discussions, creative debates and problem-solving, etc. This is where you have a big say in how the show develops.
Beyond that, you’re learning from the senior writers. You’re learning how the writers room operates, and how to emulate the showrunner’s voice and vision for the series. You’re not at the top yet, but you’re in the mix with plenty of opportunity to stand out and earn your way to promotions within the room, or for future series contracts.
Story Editor
When you’re ready to make a leap above the staff writer level, you’ll be promoted to story editor, which is a higher responsibility because you’re almost guaranteed at least one episode to (solely, or with a writing partner) write for onscreen credit. While the writers room as a whole figures out the broad stroke elements of each episode, there still has to be one writer (or a pair of writers) to deliver on everything that’s been agreed upon.
Story editors make more money than staff writers, and they enjoy that onscreen credit as well, all of which leads to further promotion that can lead to positions on other shows.
Executive Story Editor
Being an executive story editor means you’re the senior of the senior staff writers/story editors. It’s usually the job before you move into the producing ranks. You’ll also have a deeper hand in rewriting the drafts of story editors, or dictating what changes are needed.
Producer Hierarchy
Producers can still be writers. In fact, most staff writers and story editors are doing all they can to move up to the producing level, which is still highly creative. You’ll just have more responsibility.
- Co-Producers are usually senior staff writers or story editors that have proven their worth over time and scripts, and are given more responsibilities in the writers room.
- Producers will expand their reach to that of casting, finding the best TV directors for each episode, and controlling the creative vision of the series.
- Supervising Producers have more responsibility in the room. Depending on the showrunner, you’ll be brought into higher level meetings, probably have more say with production, and spend more time on set and in post. But you’re not moving away from the writers room. That is still where the majority of your job is.
- Co-Executive Producers. These are the Showrunner/EP’s “Number 2” in the room. They run the room when the showrunner is needed elsewhere, and basically fill in wherever the showrunner isn’t available.
Executive Producer
Executive producers can be both EPs and showrunners (see below). But sometimes the title can be given to producers that played a major part in the series getting picked up in the first place. For example, feature director Steven Spielberg has been an Executive Producer on multiple hit shows, including ER, Band of Brothers, The Americans, Halo, and many more.
So, executive producers could be the big name that got networks and streamers to pony up the money for the series, based primarily on their name. But they may not be in the writers room all that often if that is the case.
Otherwise, executive producers represent the top of the writers room hierarchy…
Showrunner
The showrunner is often the creator of the series, but not always. They can also be hired to take on a series after a showrunner has left (or been fired), or if the original creator of the series is inexperienced and needs guidance from a seasoned professional. The showrunner is largely the final creative authority of the series. Every beat, arc, and draft goes through them for final approval.
They are still writers, mind you. They are the creative driving force. They will represent the final say in the direction, tone, style, and vision of the series.
What This All Means for Writers
If you want to write for television, you’ll need to be in a writers' room, whereas with feature film screenwriting, you’re writing more as an individual with the hope of selling your own script or using your scripts to garner sole writing assignments.
Television is different. You need to be in a writers' room, and work your way up the hierarchy within.
Working in a TV writers' room can feel like a traditional 9 to 5, except your office is a creative hub where stories are built every day. The hours can be long, but you’re collaborating, solving story problems, and shaping episodes that reach millions.
Television also offers something rare in the writing world: steady seasonal work (if your show remains on the air), reliable pay, and strong guild benefits. While the industry is competitive and writers often move from show to show, that movement brings new opportunities, creative growth, and the chance to build a lasting, rewarding career.