A writer’s room is the creative nexus of a television show. The golden age of television ushered in high-quality series often more prestigious than movies. Streaming revolutionized television with unique and intricate storytelling and large ensemble casts with their own subplots.
The complexity of some shows requires an army of writers and this is where the writers’ room comes in. Shows like Game of Thrones, Breaking Bad, and more recent shows that are add-ons to the sprawling cinematic universes of Marvel and Star Wars require planning, multiple writers working on different episodes, and a place where they make sure the season syncs and flows together.
In this article, we’ll break down what happens in a writers’ room, the various job roles involved, and how they operate.
What is a writers’ room?
Showrunners have different approaches to running a writers’ room.
Nonetheless, the writers’ room is where writers of a television show brainstorm story ideas, workshop episode ideas, build season narratives, develop complex characters, and forge unforgettable plot twists.
Writers pitch outlines and script ideas in the writers’ room and the team workshops and expand on the idea before writing the script and then sending it through to production.
How many writers are in a Writers’ Room?
It depends on the show. A typical drama or comedy will have 6 or 7 writers. But there are writers’ rooms with as little as 2 writers and as many as 20.
The number comes down to a variety of factors: budget, the number of episodes in a season, and the showrunner.
Roles in the Writers’ Room
Writers’ Room Hierarchy
There is a hierarchy of responsibility in writers’ rooms, and an entry-level writer can, over time, advance up the different levels to become a showrunner, the top dog in the production of a television show.
The hierarchy in a writers’ room is arranged into different levels of writers with the executive producer at the top. The general structure of roles in a writers’ room is:
- Executive Producers: Showrunner or Head Writer
- Upper-Levels: Co-Executive Producers and Supervising Producers
- Mid-Levels: Story Editors, Story Consultants, and Producers
- Entry-Levels: Staff Writers
- Administration: Writers’ PAs, Writers’ Assistants & Script Coordinators
As we go through the different roles below, you’ll notice how each level is geared to give the writer the tools and experience to advance to the next level.
Administrative: Writers’ PAs, Writers’ Assistants & Script Coordinators
Administrative positions will get you a foothold in the industry, but positions are rare and the competition is high.
Writers PAs
Writers’ PAs are at the bottom of the writers’ room hierarchy. They don’t write, don’t take notes.
They get the coffee, order lunch, keep the fridge stocked, photocopy, and take phone calls.
They might only make errands but without them, the writers’ room would be in chaos.
It’s a respectable position but it does not guarantee you’ll be accepted as a writer in the writers’ room.
Writers’ Assistants
The role of the writer’s assistant is to make the writer’s job easier so they can focus on outlines and scripts.
Writers’ assistants are primarily note-takers recording script changes, ideas, and even jokes. They will also check spelling, format script layouts, and research ideas so writers can focus on finishing episodes.
They’re invaluable in keeping writers writing.
While a beginner role, writers’ rooms typically hire writers’ assistants who’ve done the job before.
Not to sound discouraging, but getting hired in this position is more about who you know than what you know.
Script Coordinator
The script coordinator liaises with the writers’ room and the show’s different production departments. They make sure everything is in order for an efficient production of the script.
They ensure scripts are organized and make a detailed record of the script’s evolution. They proofread, track edits, make sure there are no continuity errors, and determine the financial impact of what is being written.
From there, they deal with any clearance issues including checking the script’s historical and real-world accuracy and legal issues.
While a step up from PAs and Assistants, a Script Coordinator is still an administrative position and does not guarantee entry into writing for a show.
Entry-Levels:
Staff Writer
This is the entry-level writer position in a writers’ room. Staff writers generate story ideas, and together will workshop scripts, and develop character arcs and plot lines.
This role gives the writer the foundational skills to write episodes.
Mid-Levels: Story Editors and Producers
Story Editor
A story editor’s role often differs in animated and live-action shows.
In live-action, a story editor will pitch story ideas like staff writers, but they’ll also edit scripts, and give feedback to writers based on what a showrunner or producer wants.
Story editors make sure that scripts written by staff writers follow the rules of the show. They’ll check scripts for continuity and make sure staff writers adhere to an episode’s run-time.
In animation, a story editor is often the head writer and sometimes the showrunner. They will make the important creative decisions that determine the course the show will take.
Producer
A writer who has worked in writers’ rooms for at least four or five years, can become a producer. Producers still write, primarily, but they take on responsibilities beyond writing scripts. Staff writers will report to them.
And the producer will step into production, liaising with directors and supervising casting. They will have a greater say in the creative vision of the show.
High-Levels: Supervising Producers, Co-Executive Producers & Showrunners
Supervising Producer
In the absence of the showrunner and co-executive producer, the supervising producer will take charge of the writers’ room.
They are an upper-level writer who directs the writers’ room through story development, breaking a TV script, and writing scripts.
Co-Executive Producer
The co-executive producer or non-showrunner executive producer is second in command after the showrunner.
They typically are the last person to read the script before submitting it to the showrunner.
Depending on the TV show, the co-executive producer will give final approval to script drafts, instead of the Showrunner.
The Showrunner may delegate day-to-day decision-making to the Co-Executive Producer if they’re working on various shows. The big-picture decisions will still be made by the Showrunner, however, especially in maintaining the creative vision of the show.
Showrunner / Executive Producer / Head Writer
The showrunner is often the creator of the TV show, but sometimes new showrunners will come on board a show in later seasons. They oversee all aspects of production from writing to casting. A showrunner often writes the pilot episode or is the principal writer of the whole show and will direct some episodes.
They set the series’ tone and maintain its creative vision.
Now you know the structure of writers’ rooms and what entry-level positions to aim for.
In order to advance up the hierarchy, you’ll likely work in many different writers’ rooms of many different TV shows. The structure of the writers’ room focuses on efficiency to pump out high-quality content and will build a writer’s skills both in writing and also production. A primary advantage of working in a writers’ room is developing the skill of writing high-quality content quickly.
Productive output is key to a successful career as a television writer.