What Type of Person Thrives in the TV Writing Industry According to an Executive Story Editor at Television Writers Room
To thrive in the television writing industry, tenacity and passion are paramount; a successful individual must be able to "advocate for yourself" while also possessing strong social skills and a collaborative spirit, demonstrating that "sociability is as important a skill as any of the hard skills."
Tenacity, Passion, Communication, Collaboration, Self-Advocacy
Advizer Information
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Job Title
Company
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Traits
Marshall Knight
Executive Story Editor
Television Writers Room
UCLA
n/a
Arts, Entertainment & Media, Advertising, Communications & Marketing
Creative
Honors Student, Worked 20+ Hours in School, Student Athlete
Video Highlights
1. Tenacity and passion are key to thriving in the entertainment industry, as you'll face many rejections. Being able to articulate your vision and advocate for yourself is crucial.
2. A willingness to set aside your ego and collaborate effectively is important, as you'll often need to accept constructive criticism and work with others.
3. Strong social skills and the ability to get along with colleagues are essential, as the television writing profession is highly collaborative.
Transcript
How would you describe people who typically thrive in this industry?
Tenacity is number one. If you get discouraged, there is so much difficulty that comes with trying to make it in entertainment, especially as a creative. If you're the kind of person who a hundred "no's" will make you want to give up, you're going to really struggle.
Most of the time, you're getting "no" and disappointment. You have to be somebody who is deeply passionate about what you want to accomplish and what you want to say. I think people who are able to articulate really well what they're all about and what their vision is, that's really critical to advancing.
It's not for someone who just kind of goes with the flow. You have to be somebody who can advocate for yourself, because everyone is looking for a reason to say no to almost anything you might pitch to them.
I think a willingness to set your ego aside is also important. Until you are in a position of pretty significant importance, somebody else is going to be making the decisions for you. You need to take the wins where you can get them and keep pushing without necessarily stepping on the toes of the people who might help you make the next step in your career.
This might sound contradictory, but I think the people who I've seen really thrive are people who are easy to get along with. Especially in TV writing, if you are difficult in a social setting, it's a problem. It's constantly social.
The ability to be friendly, get along, and be engaged and interested in people around you is super critical. It's not a solo profession by any stretch of the imagination. Sociability is as important a skill and quality as any of the hard skills you might need to learn.
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