Creating Career Path...

Finding Further Careers...

Media & Film

Script Writer

View this career for different education levels:

Primary Secondary Post-16

Imagine you have a super cool idea for a TV show, a movie, or even a video game. A script writer is the person who takes that idea and turns it into a story that actors can say and directors can film! They write down all the talking bits, called 'dialogue', and describe what is happening in each scene. It's like writing a very special book where you can see and hear everything as it happens. They have to think about the characters, what they want, and what exciting adventures or challenges they will face. Script writers work hard to make sure the story makes sense and is exciting for people to watch or listen to. They might write many different versions of a script until it's just right. They also need to be good at working with other people, like directors and producers, to bring their stories to life on screen. It's a job where you get to use your imagination every day and create brand new worlds and characters for everyone to enjoy.

Script Writer

Flag Media

Please select a reason for flagging this content.

📊 Statistics

Starting Salary

New script writers might earn around 18,000 to 25,000 pounds per year, but this can vary a lot depending on the project.

Experienced Salary

Experienced script writers in the UK can earn much more, sometimes over 50,000 pounds a year, especially for big TV shows or films. But many work project-by-project and their income changes a lot.

Number of Writers

It's tricky to say exactly how many script writers there are, as many work freelance. However, thousands of people in the UK are involved in creative writing for screen and stage, with around 15,000 people working specifically in film and TV production as writers, directors, and producers.

🚀 Careers in this path

Flag Media

Please select a reason for flagging this content.

Storyteller for Cartoons

Imagine making up the exciting stories and funny conversations for your favourite cartoon characters like Peppa Pig or Bluey! You'd decide what happens next in their adventures.

Flag Media

Please select a reason for flagging this content.

Playwright for School Shows

This is like writing a script for a play that your school friends could act out. You'd create all the characters, write what they say, and describe what they do on stage.

Flag Media

Please select a reason for flagging this content.

Video Game Story Writer

If you love playing video games, you could be the person who invents the whole story for them! You'd create the world, the characters, and all the challenges the players face.

Imagine and Play

Tell Your Own Stories

Start by making up your own stories! You can tell them to your toys, draw pictures about them, or even act them out with your friends.

When you're a child, every game you play and every story you invent is like practicing to be a script writer. Think about what happens next, who the characters are, and what exciting adventure they'll go on. Don't worry if it's silly, the most important thing is to let your imagination run wild and have fun creating! You can use puppets, LEGOs, or even just your imagination in your head.

Read and Watch Stories

Read lots of books, comic books, and watch different movies and TV shows. Pay attention to how the stories are told.

When you read a book or watch a film, think about what you like and don't like. How do the characters speak? What makes a story exciting or funny? Notice how the pictures in a comic book help tell the story, or how the music in a film makes you feel. This helps you understand how other storytellers make their magic and gives you lots of ideas for your own stories.

Write Your Ideas Down

Keep a special notebook or use a computer to write down any cool story ideas, funny things people say, or interesting characters you think of.

This notebook will be your 'idea bank'! It doesn't matter if it's just a sentence, a funny drawing, or a whole short story. The more you write down your ideas, the better you become at putting your thoughts into words. You might even want to try writing a short play for your toys, or a little script for a pretend TV show with your family.

Learn and Practice

Join a Drama Club

If your school has a drama club or acting group, join it! You'll learn about plays and how stories come to life on a stage.

Being part of a drama club helps you understand how actors work with a script. You'll see how important each line is and how different characters speak. You might even get to help write a small scene or suggest ideas for a play. This experience is really helpful for a future script writer because it shows you what it's like to have your words performed by others.

Write Short Scripts

Try writing very short scripts, maybe just a few pages, for your friends to act out or for your toys. Think about what they would say and do.

A script isn't just a story; it tells people exactly what to do and say. Practise writing down character names, then their lines, and then what they do (like 'runs away' or 'smiles'). You can even add stage directions to tell people where to stand or how to move. There are lots of simple examples online if you want to see what a short script looks like.

Ask for Feedback

Share your stories or short scripts with a grown-up or a trusted friend and ask them what they liked and what could be even better.

It's a really important part of being a writer to let others read your work and tell you what they think. Don't be shy or worried! Listening to their ideas helps you learn and make your stories stronger. Maybe they thought a character could be funnier, or an ending could be more exciting. All feedback is a gift that helps you grow as a storyteller.

Share Your Stories

Create a Story Project

Work on a bigger story project, like a short animated film using drawings, or a puppet show with a proper script.

Once you've practised with smaller scripts, try to make a complete, even if simple, project. This could be a stop-motion animation using clay, a comic book where you write the words and draw the pictures, or even a short video you film with a phone. Seeing your script come to life in a bigger way is very exciting and helps you understand the whole process of filmmaking or play production.

Enter Writing Competitions

Look for local or school writing competitions where you can share your stories or short scripts and get them seen by more people.

Entering competitions is a great way to challenge yourself and get your work noticed. Even if you don't win, the experience of finishing a story and submitting it is a big step. It also helps you get used to deadlines and presenting your best work. There are often special writing competitions just for children, so ask a grown-up to help you find some!

Keep Learning and Growing

Always keep reading, watching, writing, and imagining new worlds and characters. The more you practise, the better you'll become!

Being a great script writer means always learning. There are always new stories to discover, new ways to tell them, and new skills to learn. Keep your imagination active, look for inspiration everywhere you go, and never stop writing down those wonderful ideas that pop into your head. The world needs more amazing stories, and you could be the one to write them!

🎯 View Apprenticeships

Explore relevant apprenticeships that can help you kickstart your career in Script Writer. Apprenticeships offer hands-on experience and training while earning a wage.

🎓 View Apprenticeships

Career Progressions

This page showcases various career options and the pathways to reach them. Each career listed here shares transferable skills and knowledge, making it easier for individuals to transition between them.

Your current career is highlighted to help you see how it fits into the broader landscape of potential career choices. By clicking on any career, you can learn more about it, including the training and education required to pursue it.

Remember, progressing in your career often involves further learning and training. This page provides insights into future career options as well as those that can lead up to your current one.

These career progression decisions are informed by comparing the skills and knowledge needed for different occupations, along with data on how people move between them. Explore the possibilities and discover the exciting journey ahead in your career!

Sample Qualifications

A Script Writer's primary role is to craft scripts for visual media such as films, television, and sometimes video games, which directly aligns with the duties of a Screenwriter.

How to become

You can get into this job through:

  • a university course
  • a college course
  • applying directly
  • specialist courses run by private training providers

University

You could do a degree or postgraduate qualification to improve your job prospects, though this is not essential.

Useful subjects include:

  • creative writing
  • English
  • media and communications
  • film studies
  • journalism
  • psychology

Your university careers service can give advice on societies, work experience, internship and year placement opportunities that will help you build your creative network and develop your skills.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree
  • a degree in any subject for a postgraduate course

More Information

College

When you're starting out you may find it useful to take a college course to help develop your skills.

Courses are available in:

  • creative writing
  • scriptwriting
  • creative and digital media

Adult education centres, colleges and universities sometimes run short courses in writing for screen.

Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

More Information

Direct Application

If you want to get directly into this job, it will be useful if you have writing experience, for example, from journalism, advertising copywriting or acting.

You'll normally start by coming up with your own screenplays and ideas, and trying to sell them to agents and producers. Once you've had some work accepted and started to build a professional reputation, producers might then commission you to produce scripts for them.

Other Routes

You could take short courses in screenwriting run by film schools, regional screen agencies and private training providers.

More Information

Career tips

As a new writer, you could get yourself noticed by entering screenwriting competitions. These competitions are run by broadcasters and regional screen agencies to discover new talent.

You can also find advice about submitting your work through schemes like:

You might also write scripts for short films appearing online as part of film or animation festivals.

Create a LinkedIn profile to connect with people in the industry and make sure you have a portfolio to show off your writing skills.

Further information

You can get more advice on writing careers in film and TV from ScreenSkills.

You can get more information on working in creative careers from Discover Creative Careers.

Interested in More Career Paths?

Explore other careers or use our AI to discover personalised paths based on your interests.

Browse All Careers Generate New Career Path

Stay connected

Join our newsletter to stay up to date on features and releases

Address
Developing Experts Limited
Exchange Street Buildings
35-37 Exchange Street
Norwich
NR2 1DP
UK

Phone
01603 273515

Email
[email protected]

Developing Experts

LessonsAboutResearchReportingPlans & Pricing

Legal

GDPRPrivacy PolicyTerms and ConditionsCookie Policy

Contact Us

Get in touchRequest SubscriptionChildren's CodeAbout UsCareers

Copyright 2026 Developing Experts, All rights reserved.