ABSTRACT
As this writer suggests, there is no one way to become a television writer. Some successful writers studied writing in college, others found their way to Hollywood after studying a subject completely unrelated to media. Writers are quick to warn that one should only pursue this career if writing for television is an obsession, something one literally has to do. The playing field for new writers is not a level one. Some writers grow up understanding the television business because they have relatives or family friends who work in Hollywood. College programs and studio training initiatives can be a useful way to learn production and writing skills but, perhaps more importantly, they serve as signals of a person's potential. The challenge for those who have not studied television writing is to learn on their own how to format scripts and tell stories for the small screen.
