How long does it take to write an episode of TV?

Advice from a TV writer/showrunner

How long does it take to write an episode of TV? There are actually two answers here:

1. The time it takes me (a professional screenwriter)

2. The time it takes you (someone with no experience)

   

   Photo by Dylan Gillis on Unsplash

Let’s start with professional writers

Most TV shows have writing staffs. Naturally, a team of highly paid, professional writers working full time will be able to write an episode faster than a newbie working alone can. How long does it take? Let’s walk through the process.

1. A writer will pitch an idea, then the showrunner will determine if there’s enough meat on the bone to sustain 30 or 60 minutes of TV. It can easily take a day or two to hit on an idea that does.

2. The writers’ room will spend 3-5 days “breaking” the story. This is the process of determining the beats of the story. The character arcs, the act breaks, the scenes, etc.

3. One writer is chosen to write a beat sheet. This is a one-page synopsis of the story based on the notes generated in the writers room. The writer will usually get a day for this.