The days of being able to live off a steady salary just from working in a TV writers' room are pretty much over.
Only a select few these days bounce from show to show, able to keep alive a steady enough career to make a good living.
So, does that mean TV writing is dead? Far from it! It's just evolving.
Here, I'm going to discuss what's changed, what's changing, and how you can still be a part of it without starving.
TV Writing is Now A Freelance Career
There used to be lots of writers on overall deals. There used to be lots of TV shows hiring. There used to be long stretches of time (9 months or more) when you could be steadily employed on a TV show.
And all of these things still exist, but in the grand scheme, they are a fraction of what they used to be.
So, the first step is to start thinking about this career differently.
You're a freelancer. Your skill and personality make up your brand. And how you get jobs is by networking.
You can never rest on your laurels and not look for work. You always have to be on the hunt.
And just like any freelancer, you have to be prepared for some slow seasons... or years... which brings me to my next point.
Find Another Skill
Many of the people showrunning or rising up in writers' rooms are not simply writers. They're directors, they're actors, they're producers.
In the race to the financial bottom and penny pinching going on these days, studios, networks and streamers are looking for people who can do it all.
And being a tour de force jack of all trades is really appealing to those hiring.
Find Another Money-Making Skill
Still, like any creative field, there will be downtimes, like, for instance, right now, when so much of the industry is out of work.
Therefore, it will be crucial, particularly for your early days trying to break in, to have some kind of work you can do in tandem with your Hollywood pursuits.
I've had friends who have waited tables, others have helped edit papers in academia, I temp'd at various jobs. Now, copywriting and being an author pays the bills.
The image of a struggling screenwriter is romantic and maybe somewhat of an adventurous idea. But the reality is it sucks. And LA is not kind to people who are struggling. So, find another way to make some cash.
Content is Everywhere - Don't Be An Employee, Be A Creator
This is speculation, but I believe we're entering a new era where traditional streamers and networks are going to have to contend with higher quality social media and YouTube content.
I mean, that's already happening obviously. But up until now, you could tell the difference between something on HBO and something shot and edited quickly and uploaded to YouTube.
Those lines are going to blur, and you don't want to be the person searching for one of the few TV writing jobs left.
You want to be the one creating amazing stuff and putting it out there.
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