How to Become a Soap Writer

So you want to be a soap opera writer. Breaking into the industry isn't as easy but there are some ways in which you can get your foot through the door. It takes time, tenacity, and a lot of nerve.

Instructions

1. Take classes in screenwriting. Learn the format of screenwriting inside and out. There are several books on the subject of writing script formats for soap operas alone. Familiarize yourself with them. Also learn how to write dramatic storytelling. Learn what a beat is, how to set up a scene and how to write dialogue.

2. Do an entertainment internship. There are various companies, such as ABC/Disney and CBS, that offer internships. It really doesn't matter what type of internship is available, or whether it is an internship with a specific soap opera. The important thing is to get through the door and make contacts.

3. Make contacts with the people you work with. It's important to make yourself known. Make it clear that you have an interest in working in the entertainment media as a writer, particularly in soap operas. Ask questions and get advice from those who have broken through the door. Also make contact with other soap opera writers in the industry. This will give you an up-to-date inside pipeline as to what is happening in the industry as well as give you a sense of what it takes to become a soap writer.

4. Keep in touch with your contacts. Since it's all about who you know, and not what you know, it's important to make long-lasting professional relationships with the people you meet while interning. They might provide new career opportunities once you graduate from college.

5. Alert these contacts that you are graduating and are looking for work, particularly as a soap opera writer. Don't be too choosy about where you want to work (i.e., Days of Our Lives instead of One Life to Live). The important thing is to get your foot through the door.

6. Study the soap opera you intend to write for. Write notes on the stories and characters and their personalities. Pay particular attention to the show's tone as well. Does it have a campy, quirky sense of humor? It is melodramatic? Try to keep the tone of the show when you write your spec script.

7. Send out spec scripts, along with recommendations with the contacts you've made in the industry. This should ensure that you'll have a better chance of getting your foot through the door.

Tips & Warnings

• Always be courteous, gracious, and professional. If you want to be remembered in the industry, it's important to put your best foot out there.