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Head writer
Head writer
Head writer
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A head writer is a person who oversees the team of writers on a television or radio series. The title is common in the soap opera genre, as well as with sketch comedies and talk shows that feature monologues and comedy skits. In fictional comedy or drama TV shows, this is generally performed by an executive producer, who is usually also the showrunner.

Overview

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The head writer conceives and outlines the long-term story of a scripted television or radio series.

In daytime television, the over-arcing storylines are broken out into daily episodes, which are individually outlined by particular writers, and fleshed out with dialogue by others.

In prime-time series, individual staff or freelance writers briefed with any long-term storylines generally pitch their episode ideas to the head writer/executive producer. The writer develops their ideas into an outline and a script, which is subsequently edited and revised by the series' entire writing team during the production process.

Sometimes head writers also hold the role of story editor, though at other times the roles are separate.

In Japanese animation, the role that is given to a writer who leads a team of individual episode scriptwriters (脚本, kyakuhon) is credited as series composition (シリーズ構成, shirīzu kōsei).[1][2]

Writing awards

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There are several awards for which a head writer can be eligible. They include:

Membership

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Head writers may be members of the following groups: WGA, Writers Guild of Canada, Authors Guild, Dramatists Guild of America, American Screenwriters Association, Australian Writers' Guild, and International Affiliation of Writers Guilds.

See also

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References

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Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Head writer

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
A head writer, also known as a head scriptwriter, is the senior member of a writing team primarily in television and radio series who oversees the development and execution of scripts for a season or project, ensuring narrative cohesion and creative alignment with the show's vision. This role involves managing the by leading brainstorming sessions, assigning tasks to staff writers based on their strengths, and providing feedback to refine storylines and . Head writers devise long-term story arcs, outline episode sequences, and review scripts for quality, budget feasibility, and compliance with production schedules, often collaborating closely with producers, directors, and network executives to address notes and mediate conflicts within the team. While the head writer focuses primarily on the and content integrity, the role may overlap with that of a , who holds broader authority over the entire production, including directing and departmental oversight; in some cases, the head writer assumes duties for a specific season. Key responsibilities also include mentoring junior writers, ensuring legal and adherence in story development, and adapting narratives to preferences or commissioner requirements, all while balancing creative demands with practical constraints like time and resources. This position demands expertise in , a deep understanding of target , and proficiency in production processes, typically gained through prior experience as a or equivalent industry roles. Notable examples include figures like , who served as head writer for Saturday Night Live seasons, demonstrating the role's influence on iconic television content.

Definition and Role

Definition

A head writer is the lead member of a writing team for a television or radio series, responsible for supervising other writers and ensuring narrative consistency across episodes. The title is most prevalent in soap operas, where it applies to the supervisory role in high-volume serial production, but it also appears in other serialized formats such as sitcoms and dramas.

Key Responsibilities

The head writer serves as the primary leader of the writing team in television production, supervising junior writers, assigning specific tasks such as episode outlines or dialogue drafts, and coordinating their contributions to ensure efficient collaboration within the . This supervisory function involves guiding brainstorming sessions, providing feedback on drafts, and fostering a cohesive creative environment to meet production deadlines. In many cases, the head writer also serves as the , extending their oversight to broader production aspects. A core duty is maintaining story consistency across episodes, which includes upholding character arcs, plot continuity, and adherence to the show's bible—a foundational document outlining the series' world, tone, and rules. The head writer reviews ongoing narratives to prevent inconsistencies, such as contradictory character motivations or unresolved plot threads, thereby preserving the overall integrity of the series. In script finalization, the head writer reviews and rewrites drafts from the , often contributing key scenes, pivotal , or structural adjustments to align with the show's vision before submission for production. This process may involve multiple revisions to polish the script, ensuring it is production-ready while balancing creative intent with practical constraints like episode length. The head writer also collaborates closely with production personnel, including producers, directors, and , to incorporate feedback during filming and implement necessary script revisions on set. This liaison role helps bridge the gap between writing and execution, addressing issues like actor availability or directorial changes without compromising the narrative core. The position is particularly prominent in soap operas, where ongoing serialization demands rigorous oversight of long-term storylines.

Historical Development

Origins in Radio

The role of the head writer emerged in the early days of American radio during the 1920s and 1930s, as the medium transitioned from novelty broadcasts to serialized programming that demanded consistent, high-volume content production. Radio serials, particularly daytime dramas sponsored by soap manufacturers—hence the term "soap operas"—required scripts for daily or frequent episodes, often 15 minutes long, to captivate audiences during household chores. This era, known as the , saw the proliferation of shows that relied on emotional storytelling to build listener loyalty, laying the groundwork for structured writing teams under a central overseer. A pivotal development occurred with the creation of early soap operas, such as ' The Guiding Light, which debuted on radio in 1937 as a 15-minute daily serial centered on Reverend John Ruthledge and his family in the fictional town of Five Points. Phillips, initially a solo writer who dictated up to two million words annually for her shows, exemplified the intense demands that soon necessitated collaborative structures; by the late , she began incorporating assistants to handle dialogue while she outlined overarching plots. This shift was driven by the need to sustain narrative continuity across hundreds of episodes yearly, introducing the head writer as the figure responsible for plot outlines, character arcs, and team coordination to ensure cohesive storytelling. Key innovations in writer hierarchies crystallized through the efforts of producers like Frank and Anne Hummert, who established Hummert Radio Productions in the early 1930s and operated it as an "assembly-line" script factory to meet the voracious output required for multiple series. As head writers, the Hummerts devised basic story frameworks for shows like Just Plain Bill (1932) and The Romance of Helen Trent (1933), then delegated script completion to a team of writers, enforcing strict guidelines to align with sponsor preferences and maintain dramatic tension through cliffhangers. This model formalized the head writer's authority in managing teams, prioritizing efficiency for daily broadcasts while preserving narrative depth, and influenced the genre's expansion to over 40 Hummert-produced programs by the decade's end. Influential figures like Phillips and the Hummerts pioneered these practices, with Phillips often credited for embedding psychological realism and social themes in radio soaps—such as family struggles in Today's Children (1932)—while formalizing the head writer's oversight role through her dictation-based workflow and early mentorship of protégés. Their approaches addressed the logistical challenges of radio's episodic demands, setting precedents that would later adapt to visual media.

Evolution in Television

The transition from radio to television during the late 1940s and 1950s fundamentally reshaped the head writer role, emphasizing visual integration and expanded creative oversight in formats like soaps and anthologies. As radio serials waned with television's rise, writers adapted serialized storytelling to accommodate on-screen dynamics, requiring head writers to collaborate more closely with directors and producers on pacing and character visuals. Irna Phillips, a radio soap pioneer, exemplified this shift by launching the first television daytime soap, These Are My Children, on NBC in 1949, where she served as head writer and producer, scripting episodes that blended radio's emotional depth with television's dramatic visuals. Her subsequent creations, such as Guiding Light (1952) and As the World Turns (1956), solidified the head writer's authority in overseeing long-form narratives amid live broadcasts and emerging filmed production. The Writers Guild of America's formation in 1954 further empowered head writers through contracts that protected script integrity, including provisions in 1958 allowing withdrawal of altered material, enhancing their control in anthology series like those on CBS's Playhouse 90. By the 1960s, the proliferation of prime-time series amplified the head writer's influence on sustained, multi-season storytelling, moving beyond episodic constraints to architect intricate arcs that spanned years. This era saw soaps like ABC's , debuting in 1963 under creators Frank and Doris Hursley, evolve under head writers who crafted enduring plotlines; for instance, in the late 1970s, head writers Richard and Suzanne Holland developed the iconic and Laura Webber romance, a multi-year saga that drew record viewership and exemplified the role's narrative stewardship. Subsequent head writers, such as Douglas Marland in the early 1980s, continued this tradition by weaving interconnected character histories across seasons, adapting radio's serialized roots to television's broader audience while navigating guild strikes—like the 1960 WGA action—that secured residuals and bolstered writers' long-term creative leverage. These developments marked a departure from radio's audio-focused outlines, positioning head writers as central to television's narrative depth in both daytime and evening programming. Since the , cable and streaming platforms have increasingly merged the head writer role with executive producing, elevating it to a hybrid "showrunner" position that encompasses creative, budgetary, and production decisions for serialized prestige content. HBO's original series in the late , such as (1999–2007), pioneered this integration, with serving as head writer, , and to maintain auteur-like control over multi-season arcs unhindered by advertiser constraints. The shift intensified with streaming services; by the 2010s, empowered head writers as showrunners in limited and ongoing series, as in (2020–present), where oversees writing, production, and global adaptations, reflecting the role's expanded scope in data-driven, bingeable formats. This evolution, analyzed in studies of North American television, underscores how head writers now balance artistic vision with operational leadership, adapting to cable's niche audiences and streaming's on-demand model while retaining core responsibilities from earlier eras.

Variations by Genre

Soap Operas

In soap operas, the head writer navigates demanding daily production schedules, outlining long-term storylines for series that air more than 200 episodes annually without seasonal breaks or repeats. This role involves crafting projections up to two years ahead and breaking down weekly narratives scene by scene to accommodate the continuous output, while managing swift revisions driven by production constraints, schedules, and executive input. A team of 6 to 10 associate writers supports this effort, enabling the head writer to sustain the genre's hallmark pace of five new episodes per week. The head writer's approach to character and plot emphasizes interconnected arcs that evolve across generations, weaving legacies with high-stakes to foster ongoing viewer investment. These narratives prioritize cliffhangers at ends and sudden twists—such as revelations of hidden identities or betrayals—to heighten tension and propel the serialized format forward. Adhering to the show's foundational "" ensures character backstories remain consistent, even amid changes like recasts explained through creative devices, such as cosmetic plots. Notable among soap opera practices is the head writer's oversight of breakdown writers, who detail episode outlines including scene structures and beats, which script writers then expand into full dialogues. This tiered , supported by script editors for continuity checks, is prominently featured in long-running series like , where head writers direct breakdown teams to maintain the soap's complex, multi-decade web of relationships and conflicts.

Comedy and Sketch Shows

In comedy and sketch shows, the head writer plays a pivotal role in curating an episodic structure that delivers a fresh set of sketches each week, often centered on topical to engage audiences with current events and cultural commentary. This involves selecting and refining material that aligns with the show's humorous tone, while closely collaborating with performers to tailor sketches to their strengths and improvise on the fly during rehearsals. For instance, on (SNL), head writers oversee the rapid production of several sketches per episode, ensuring they incorporate timely political or social that resonates immediately with viewers. Team dynamics in these formats emphasize intensive brainstorming sessions, where the head writer facilitates idea generation among the writing staff, then "punches up" weaker material by enhancing jokes and tightening pacing before submission to producers and cast. On SNL, this process occurs in a high-pressure writers' room, with head writers like Bryan Tucker describing it as 75% focused on crafting funny sketches through collaborative pitches and revisions, fostering a competitive yet collective environment that harnesses diverse input for innovation. Unlike the long-term narrative plotting in soap operas, this demands a faster, more iterative pace to produce self-contained humor weekly. Head writers in and sketch shows face unique challenges in balancing the spontaneity of live elements—such as ad-libs during broadcasts—with strict standards imposed by networks to avoid legal or advertiser backlash. On SNL, this has historically led to last-minute edits for sketches touching on sensitive topics, requiring head writers to navigate producer feedback while preserving comedic intent. Since the mid-2000s, the role has evolved to incorporate digital shorts, pre-recorded segments that allow greater creative freedom from live constraints, as seen in The Lonely Island's viral contributions starting in 2005, which expanded the format's reach through online distribution and experimental humor.

Versus Showrunner

The head writer primarily oversees the writing staff and ensures the consistency and quality of scripts and storylines in a television series, focusing on narrative development and dialogue crafting. In contrast, the serves as the ultimate authority on the production, managing aspects such as budgeting, decisions, scheduling, and overall creative vision, often functioning as the lead . Despite these distinctions, significant overlaps exist, particularly since the 1980s when television shifted toward writer-driven series, allowing head writers to assume showrunner duties in creator-led projects. In such cases, the head writer not only leads the scripts but also integrates writing with broader production responsibilities, blurring the lines between the roles. This dual function has become common in modern prestige television, where the showrunner's position evolved from the traditional head writer role prevalent in earlier network eras. A prominent example is on (1999–2006), where he served as creator, head writer, and , personally scripting most episodes in the first four seasons while guiding the entire production from casting to post-production. This hands-on approach exemplified how a strong writing leader can dominate all facets of a series, influencing its tone and success. In the hierarchy, the head writer or showrunner directs subordinate staff writers without delving into their granular tasks.

Versus Staff Writer

In television production, the head writer occupies a senior leadership position within the , directing the overall creative output, while serve in supportive, entry- to mid-level roles focused on contributing specific elements under supervision. typically pitch ideas, develop story outlines, and draft scenes or episodes as assigned, but they lack the authority to grant final approval on scripts or major plot decisions. In contrast, the head writer reviews, edits, and integrates these contributions to maintain narrative consistency, tone, and alignment with the series' vision, often coordinating daily room activities and assigning tasks to ensure deadlines are met. This hierarchical structure fosters a collaborative environment where learn the room's dynamics through observation and feedback, but ultimate creative control rests with the head writer. Career progression from to head writer commonly occurs through demonstrated reliability and accumulating episode credits, which signal a writer's ability to handle increasing responsibilities. Staff positions act as entry points for emerging talent, often involving research, initial drafts, and revisions without guaranteed scriptwriting opportunities, allowing individuals to build expertise over seasons. Advancement to head writer typically requires years of experience, including promotions through intermediate roles like story editor, where writers gain oversight on story arcs before assuming leadership. In genres like soap operas, this path is particularly structured, with (such as breakdown or script writers) handling daily dialogue and scene execution based on the head writer's long-term projections, potentially leading to associate head writer roles after consistent performance. Collaboration levels further distinguish the roles, as head writers not only generate high-level story directives but also refine staff submissions to unify disparate inputs into cohesive episodes. Staff writers receive focused assignments, such as outlining a single act or researching character backstories, enabling specialized contributions without broader editorial duties. This dynamic ensures efficient in fast-paced productions, where the head writer's integration work prevents inconsistencies, though it may overlap with responsibilities in smaller teams. In soap opera teams, for instance, 6-10 staff writers operate in an assembly-line fashion, each tackling portions of weekly scripts under the head writer's guidance to meet daily airing demands.

References

  1. https://help.imdb.com/article/contribution/filmography-credits/showrunners-and-head-writers/GWM56FK8YQM2MV6R
  2. https://fiveable.me/tv-writing/unit-7/head-writer-duties/study-guide/bIbP0wgMp8MXk0OV
  3. https://www.myskillsfuture.gov.sg/content/student/en/preu/world-of-work/occupation/occupation-detail.Head-Scriptwriter-123355.html
  4. https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/how-to-become-writer-for-tv
  5. https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/pay-salary/how-much-do-television-writers-make
  6. https://www.wga.org/uploadedFiles/contracts/2023_Schedule_of_Minimums.pdf
  7. https://www.shorescripts.com/tv-writers-room-hierarchy/
  8. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Golden-Age-of-American-radio
  9. https://blogs.loc.gov/now-see-hear/2022/03/the-queen-of-soaps-speaks-for-herself/
  10. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/irna-phillips-the-mother-of-daytime-drama/
  11. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Anne-and-Frank-Hummert
  12. https://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2019/01/how-the-queen-of-soaps-created-a-television-dynasty/
  13. https://www.tvobscurities.com/articles/tvwriters_2/
  14. https://www.tvobscurities.com/articles/tvwriters_3/
  15. https://nofilmschool.com/2016/09/how-hbo-went-from-scrappy-network-changing-tv-forever
  16. https://www.premiumbeat.com/blog/tv-showrunner-role/
  17. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/355080308_The_showrunner%27s_skills_and_responsibilities_in_the_creation_and_production_process_of_fiction_series_in_the_contemporary_North_American_television_industry
  18. https://www.nycitywoman.com/my-life-writing-soaps/
  19. https://www.jason47.com/days/staffbios.html
  20. https://www.vulture.com/2017/12/snl-wells-for-boys-good-one-podcast.html
  21. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2015/10/27/so-what-does-a-comedy-show-head-writer-do-anyway/
  22. https://www.fastcompany.com/3042234/behind-the-collaborative-competitive-process-of-being-a-head-writer-for-saturday-night-live/
  23. https://www.fastcompany.com/3066570/the-management-secret-that-makes-snls-chaotic-writers-room-succeed
  24. https://www.fastcompany.com/40481732/snls-co-head-writer-bryan-tucker-has-mastered-the-art-of-brainstorming
  25. https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/arts-and-entertainment/saturday-night-live-and-censorship
  26. https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2018/feb/06/the-long-life-of-digital-shorts-an-ode-to-saturday-night-lives-viral-highs
  27. https://www.vulture.com/2014/01/the-evolution-of-snls-pretaped-sketches-and-digital-shorts.html
  28. https://www.careerexplorer.com/careers/showrunner/
  29. https://www.new32productions.com/showrunner-director-producer/
  30. https://slate.com/culture/2011/10/showrunner-meaning-and-origin-of-the-term.html
  31. https://theweek.com/articles/480946/rise-showrunner
  32. https://www.masterclass.com/articles/aaron-sorkin-discusses-the-inspiration-for-the-west-wing-characters
  33. https://johnwellsproductions.com/the-west-wing
  34. https://fiveable.me/tv-writing/unit-10/writers-room-hierarchy/study-guide/3R59fijbDsNTYD8a
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