Although the rewards are lucrative, competition is keen in these fields. Playwrights hire agents to submit their plays for performance, or they may try to get their work published in book form. Working with an agent, motion picture writers may submit an original screenplay to a motion picture producer or studio, or they may negotiate for the job of turning a novel or play into a screenplay. Writers who want fewer restrictions on their artistic freedom tend to write for motion pictures or for the stage. In television broadcasting, writing what the show calls for under a strict timetable is often more important than artistic expression. The writer may also be working as part of a team under a head writer who makes many of the creative decisions. Most importantly, the writer must tailor the script to the time of day the show appears on the air scripts for shows that air at ten o'clock in the morning are different from those that air at ten o'clock at night or even four o'clock in the afternoon. It can be almost a technical job to turn out exactly thirty-five pages of double-spaced dialogue every day. Broadcasting scriptwriters must be able to write "to order"-for a certain audience, to fill a certain time slot. Writing for television is quite different from writing scripts for films or stage plays.
They must be able to write persuasively, creatively, and quickly because of the pressure of deadlines. These editors may also write material for locally produced shows. One type of scriptwriter, known as the continuity writer, creates station announcements, previews of coming shows, and advertising copy for local sponsors. Scriptwriters are skilled writers who prepare scripts for commercials, soap operas, comedies, and dramas that appear on television, in films, and on stage. Education and Training: Varies-see profileĮmployment Outlook: Good Definition and Nature of the Work