How to Become a Freelance Script Writer

If you have a talent for writing and a strong imagination, you may want to become a freelance script writer. Writing for film and television is a much sought-after job, and it can be difficult to earn enough to write full-time. But if you can get your foot in the door, make the right connections and produce good work, freelance script writing is the perfect job for a creative person.

Instructions

1. Get educated. Take a course in script writing or screen writing at your local college. You can also attend professional screenwriting seminars and workshops advertised in newspaper and trade magazines.

2. Write an excellent script. Ideally, this script is turned into a highly successful film release or television pilot, which gets you major exposure and lucrative job offers.

3. Make contacts in the industry. In any business, who you know is as important as what you know. This is especially true in the entertainment industry, where a relatively small number of people make most of the decisions about who gets hired for what. Get to know as many powerful people as possible.

4. Earn a fantastic reputation. Take any job that's offered to you to gain experience. Do work in as many genres as possible, to show your range.

5. Forgo credit for cash. Since the earliest days of screenwriting, uncredited "script doctors" have been hired by producers when the original scriptwriter didn't produce according to plan. Often for legal reasons, these secondary writers were not given credit for the finished product. To be a freelance script writer, you'll have to swallow your ego and take the money and leave the glory for someone else.