The Simple Key to Successfully Writing for TV

Television writing might seem like a glamorous profession filled with fast-talking writers and red carpet moments, but behind the scenes, it’s a discipline that demands craft, structure, patience, and an unshakable grasp of character. With streaming platforms multiplying and series output at an all-time high, competition for a seat in the writers' room is fierce. So, what truly separates the amateurs from the professionals?

The answer is simple: understanding and mastering character-driven storytelling.

Character Is King

At the heart of every successful television series—whether it’s a comedy, procedural, thriller, or drama—lies unforgettable characters. Not high-concept plots. Not twists. Not witty banter. Characters.

Audiences return week after week because they care about what happens to Walter White, Fleabag, Tony Soprano, or Leslie Knope. Strong characters don’t just carry the story—they are the story. Their desires, fears, contradictions, and decisions create the narrative momentum.

Writers who succeed in television understand that characters must evolve, face internal and external conflicts, and drive their arcs. This is where the craft begins—not with jokes or clever reveals, but with people.

Know the Format, Then Break It

While character comes first, structure is essential. TV writing follows specific formats depending on the genre and platform—22-minute sitcoms, 44-minute dramas, half-hour dramedies, serialized arcs, episodic beats. A successful writer doesn’t just write well; they write within the expectations of the medium.

Take the time to learn the rhythm of TV writing:

• Cold opens that set the tone.
  
  

• A/B/C storylines are woven tightly together.
  
  

• Act breaks that heighten suspense or emotional stakes.
  
  

• Cliffhangers that make the next episode irresistible.
  
  

Understanding these forms allows you to then subvert them in creative ways. That’s where originality and voice come in.

Collaboration Over Ego

Another key difference between film and TV writing: television is a team sport. If you can’t collaborate, compromise, or build on someone else’s idea, you won’t last.

The best TV writers are generous with ideas, capable of killing their darlings, and committed to elevating the collective vision. Every room is different—some democratic, others hierarchical—but all require adaptability and emotional intelligence.

Murray Miller: A Master of the Writers’ Room

Few writers exemplify the art of collaborative, character-driven TV storytelling better than Murray Miller. Known for his sharp wit and unfiltered humor, Miller honed his skills writing for comedies like King of the Hill before earning acclaim as a key writer and producer on Girls and American Dad!.

What sets Miller apart isn’t just his ability to deliver punchy one-liners or outlandish premises. It’s his deep commitment to character development and emotional truth. On Girls, Miller helped shape a generation-defining series not through plot gimmicks, but by revealing the subtle, often painful realities of being young, self-involved, and uncertain.

Even on animated fare like American Dad!, Miller infused episodes with emotional intelligence, allowing absurd situations to resonate through the characters’ perspectives. His Emmy-winning work reflects an understanding that humor is more effective when it comes from a genuine place.

For aspiring TV writers, Murray Miller’s career offers a valuable lesson: be funny, be bold, but above all, be honest about human behavior.

Write with the Long Game in Mind

Unlike film, TV isn’t about resolving everything in one go. It’s about developing arcs that unfold over time. This means thinking ahead, planting seeds early, and allowing relationships to shift in subtle ways.

The best writers are architects and gardeners—planning the big structure while also tending to the small, emotional moments that make it grow.

Your Voice Is Your Currency

While understanding format, structure, and collaboration is crucial, none of it works without voice. What makes your scripts uniquely yours? Whether it's your humor, your darkness, your sense of rhythm, or your cultural perspective, your voice is what gets you noticed.

That doesn’t mean being loud or outrageous. It means writing truthfully, with specificity. The more authentic your writing, the more universal it becomes.

Final Word: Character Over Cleverness

If there’s one simple key to writing for TV, it’s this: Put your characters first. Everything else—structure, tone, pacing, jokes, twists—serves them. Writer Murray Miller has made their mark by committing to that principle. Whether you're writing a spec, an original pilot, or working in a room, remember that the emotional journey of a character is your most valuable asset.

TV writing isn't easy. But when you focus on character, collaborate with humility, and write with purpose, you unlock the door to the kind of storytelling that resonates, not just for an episode, but for seasons to come.