Shonda Rhimes Teaches Writing for Television: Chapter Reviews Taken from Masterclass PDF
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“You cannot be a writer if you are not a reader. You cannot be a TV writer if you are not a TV watcher.”
In television, the writer is king. Unlike in film, where the director has final say, a television writer’s vision is exactly what will make it to the screen. It’s one of the few places in entertainment where the writer has that much control, and is what makes TV such an exciting medium. It is the writer who decides everything from the story, to the set design, and even what a character wears. To be a successful television writer, a deep knowledge of television history is crucial. You should be watching as much television as you possibly can. If you are writing a medical drama, you must have an understanding of past medical dramas to understand why they worked or failed. A few years ago, there were rigid rules to writing for TV in terms of format. You had to have an “A,” “B,” and “C” story and your episode had to be a certain length. With so many diverse platforms for shows to live on now, any format of storytelling is acceptable. Even so, Shonda recommends that you know the rules so you understand which ones you are breaking.
“Ideas are everywhere. The only difference between a writer and another person is that we notice them.”
Ideas for stories can and should come from everywhere. Being more aware of the world around you can help you find the seeds of an idea. Listen to conversations around you, from people in the elevator to those in a coffee shop. Pay attention to what’s happening in the news and think about how you can use it to tell your story. To figure out if an idea is suited for television, ask yourself if it has an ending. If you know the conclusion to a character’s journey or story, it may be better suited for a film. If the idea sparks hundreds of more ideas, then you might have the beginnings of a long-running TV show. When coming up with ideas, it is wise to consider outside forces such as what is happening in the current cultural climate, and what networks might be looking for. This does not mean you have to change your idea, but it can be helpful to keep in mind.
“An idea is a seed. It’s a whisper. It’s a ‘what if?’ A premise is a story.”
As you develop your idea, it’s important to understand the difference between an idea and a premise. An idea, Shonda explains, could be, “a show about surgical interns.” The premise for Grey’s Anatomy specifies that it’s a show about *female* surgical interns, and that it’s about their friendship, competition, and the fact that one of them might be sleeping with her boss. A premise is your idea fleshed out into a clear and concise vision for the show that you can state in a few sentences. For Shonda, everything is character driven. Understanding who her characters are and what their journeys will be makes structuring her show that much easier.
“Research is about making your world real.”
Good research is the key to bringing the world of your story to life for the audience. Research not only provides the details to realistically portray a profession or environment, but it can also spark ideas for settings, episodes, and character development. You should decide what level of authenticity you need for your story. When speaking with experts, it’s important to be a listener, not a talker. Set aside your preconceptions and try to understand their world from their perspective. No detail is too small. Learning about the day-to-day life of a surgical intern informed many decisions in the *Grey’s Anatomy* pilot, from where the characters would gather, to which surgeries would be featured.
“If you can create a character that feels like a real person, you have won.”
For Shonda, characters are the heart of storytelling. Memorable characters are essential for a show to resonate with an audience. Start with the basics—age, job, where they live—and then delve into what emotionally drives them. What was their childhood like? How is their relationship with their parents? To ensure all characters are three-dimensional, especially if they are of a different gender than yourself, it’s important to have compassion and rethink your perspective. Well-written characters feel human and relatable, making viewers forget they are not real people.
“Your character has to be an active participant in their own life.”
Television allows for a multitude of characters to interact, so don’t create your ensemble in a vacuum. Ask yourself how each character harmonizes with the others, and how they affect the main character. Characters should be active drivers of the story, not just reactive to events. Make them the deciders of their own fate. Character development must happen naturally over time; don’t force characters through exciting plot points without considering what their natural next step would be. The story should serve the character’s journey.
“When you’re pitching, you are the show. You are the only representative of your show that they have.”
To get your show on air, you must learn to pitch it effectively. A great pitch is well-structured, visual, and quickly conveys your concept and characters. A good pitch, lasting 5-10 minutes, should cover the premise, the world, the characters, the pilot episode’s events, the tone, and the number of planned episodes. Shonda warns against mentioning specific actors or music, as this can distract from your story. Remember that networks want a show they can sell, so think of creative ways to describe your show in market-friendly terms.
“Structure is your friend. It is the framework upon which your story is built.”
Before writing, it’s important to understand the structure of a standard one-hour TV drama. On network television, a script typically has five acts of about 11 pages each. Plan your act endings ahead of time to properly set up the story. Episodes also consist of A, B, and C storylines, with the A story being the core plot involving the main character.
Act 1: Introduce characters and the problem.
Act 2: Escalate the problem.
Act 3: The worst-case scenario happens.
Act 4: A ticking clock begins.
Act 5: Characters achieve a moment of victory.
“Find the process that works for you. There is no right way to do this.”
Before you begin the physical act of writing, Shonda recommends creating a beat sheet and an outline. A beat sheet lays out the important moments and what needs to happen in each act. The outline expands on the beat sheet, detailing the specific scenes you will write. This provides a guide to follow as you write your script. Visualizing the final scene can help structure the entire episode. Every writer’s process is different, so find a method that works for you.
“A writer is a runner. You are running a marathon. You have to keep your muscles in shape.”
Just like a runner, a writer should write every day to keep their creative muscles strong. There is no perfect method, but finding rituals or creature comforts—a specific drink, a favorite chair, certain music—can help the process. If you experience writer’s block, try keeping two creative projects going at once so you can switch between them. Develop a writing schedule that works for you, whether it’s early mornings or weekend binges. The most important thing is that you are making progress on your script.
“The pilot is the promise of your show.”
You don’t have a TV show without a compelling pilot. The pilot is crucial for hooking an audience and setting up your characters and season-long storyline. Shonda suggests choosing a character to act as the audience’s guide, introducing the world and other characters without relying on clunky exposition. Successful pilots all share one thing: a fantastic opening that grabs viewers and says something important about the show. Take great care in crafting your opening scene to ensure it leaves a lasting effect on the audience.
“Dialogue is one of the most important tools you have as a writer.”
Dialogue is one of the most critical parts of TV writing, and no word should be wasted. It’s one of the best ways to reveal who your characters are. Shonda crafted the speech patterns of characters like Cristina Yang and George O’Malley to be deliberately different and calibrated to their personalities. To improve, learn how people speak in real life by observing conversations, noting speech patterns, and seeing how people often speak imperfectly, leaving sentences unfinished or cutting others off.
“Look at it, figure out what works, figure out what you like. And then go apply that to your own work.”
Now that the fundamentals are understood, it’s time to break down the pilots for Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal. Shonda advises writers to consider the following for their own scripts:
Think about setting as a symbolic place, not just a location.
Use a character as a guide for the audience.
Create an exciting opening that makes people lean in.
Ground story choices in character.
Avoid clichés.
Know your characters’ secrets before you start writing.
Plan your act breaks ahead of time.
“The editing process is what makes a script great.”
Once you’ve finished your first draft, the all-important editing stage begins. While every writer’s process is different, the goal is the same: ensure scenes resonate, dialogue is original, the story is interesting, and there is no excess exposition. Shonda offers several tips:
Read your dialogue out loud to hear how it sounds.
Cut anything that doesn’t further the plot.
Seek honest, external feedback and listen to what readers don’t understand to problem-solve.
“Fulfill the promise of your show.”
Many pilots get made, but few become hit series. To keep an audience watching, Shonda advises you to fulfill the promise of your show. The second episode should feel like the pilot all over again, reinforcing the story you promised the audience. Stick to that promise until you’ve earned the audience’s trust. Be creative and use your best ideas now; don’t save them for future seasons you might not get. Ensure every element has a payoff and that plotlines are grounded in what is natural for your characters to do next.
“Let your dialogue do more than one thing at once.”
The airport hangar scene between Olivia and Rowan Pope in Scandal is a powerful example of how dialogue reveals character relationships. The dialogue also offers insight into Olivia Pope’s motivations. The script shows Olivia’s inability to speak while her father reprimands her, revealing his power and the language he uses to shame her. This demonstrates how to use dialogue on multiple levels to advance the plot and reveal character.
“Your writing is your currency.”
There’s no single rulebook for making it in Hollywood, but there are ways to increase your chances of success. If you get an assistant job, maintain a positive attitude even with mundane tasks, as no one wants to work with someone grouchy. Build relationships not only with executives but also with your peers, who may provide opportunities as they rise in their careers. Most importantly, remember that your writing is your most valuable asset. Writing is a job you don’t need to be hired to do, so write every day and focus on creating original content.
“A writer’s room is a magical place.”
A writers’ room can be creative and fulfilling, but also intimidating. Shonda provides tips for success: If you’re unsure what to do, volunteer to write on the whiteboard. Always be ready with ideas and comments to show you have valuable opinions. Don’t pitch plot ideas just because they sound exciting; instead, center your pitches around what would be a natural next step for a character. Support your fellow writers and embrace the unique culture of the room.
“It’s your job as the writer to know your show better than anybody else.”
Working in TV production is a thrilling experience, especially when it’s your own script coming to life. If your first pilot is produced, you’ll face a steep learning curve. Rely on the experts around you, especially your line producer, to understand budgets, scheduling, and crew responsibilities. As the writer, provide clear action descriptions in your script. When hiring actors, vet them well, as you may be working with them for many years.
“You are the keeper of the vision.”
A showrunner holds the overall creative authority and management responsibility for a TV series. They oversee scripts, production decisions, final edits, and serve as the face of the show. Despite the administrative duties, a showrunner’s core task remains telling a great story. There’s no way to learn the job without doing it, but the principles of being a showrunner—negotiation, time management, and communication—can be applied in everyday life.
“You are a writer. So write.”
A writer writes every day. Period. This is the necessary tradeoff. It doesn’t have to be a lot, and it doesn’t have to be great, but by writing something, you are already ahead of those who haven’t written in weeks. Writing is a difficult and lonely process, so it’s important to celebrate the good moments, like finishing a scene or receiving a compliment. Dismiss the notions of work/life balance and the idea that you don’t belong; if you are in the room, you belong there.
“The only limit to your success is your own imagination.”
Shonda’s love for language and storytelling began early, fostered by supportive parents. Her father’s wisdom, “the only limit to your success is your own imagination,” became a guiding principle. Throughout her journey, which included non-writing jobs, Shonda stayed focused on her strength: telling a compelling story. She remained open to opportunities, seizing the chance to write for television after working on films. She never allowed the fact that there were few women or black writers in the industry to deter her.