Anton Schettini is a TV writer best known for writing sitcoms like Happy Together and Superior Donuts – and even a drama called Snap. But before he was an actual writer, he spent years working his way up the Hollywood ladder as a production assistant, writers’ assistant and script coordinator. Now Schettini has written a book about his journey to becoming a professional TV scribe where he demystifies the process of breaking into the biz and offers other writers his best advice at all stages of their careers.
Breaking into TV Writing: How to Get Your First Job, Build Your Network, and Claw Your Way Inside the Writers’ Room is chock full of Schettini’s personal insight into the labyrinthine TV business. The book is highly informative, on top of being a fast, fun read as Schettini weaves his strong sense of humor throughout. Most importantly, however, he talks about the state of the business in 2024, post-WGA strike, post-pandemic and post the takeover of streaming shows. Schettini’s wisdom on this “new world” of television is a must-read for anyone interested in writing for TV. We discussed his book over Zoom and here are five key takeaways.
Yes, L.A. has earthquakes, traffic and a pretty intense housing shortage, but this is the heartbeat of the TV industry. If your dream is to write for a late-night talk show, there certainly are opportunities in New York, but keep in mind they are highly competitive. Schettini actually started his career in New York working in production. He was even a Page for The Late Show with David Letterman. But he was set on becoming a writer and says he felt limited by the narrow field of opportunities in New York.
“It’s really all about increasing your network, which is why I encourage people to move to L.A., where you’re immediately surrounded by people in the business,” he says.
While it’s unlikely your first job in L.A. will be as a writers’ assistant, it’s possible to get a job in production as some type of assistant. From there, you can establish yourself (and your strong work ethic) and keep an eye out for writers’ assistant jobs. Schettini explains why becoming a writers’ assistant can be so helpful.
“First of all, I think getting into TV and TV writing is all about who you know and increasing your network. And nothing is going to increase your network like being in a writer’s office, or in a writer’s room and being around those writers all the time,” he says, adding that it’s not network or studio executives that hire writers – it’s the showrunner. “Showrunners are going to bring in the people they know that have worked for them in the past,” he says.
But he adds an important caveat that has to do with the changing nature of the industry.
“There used to be more of a trajectory in these assistant roles. There are still levels to it, like you can start as a night PA, [production assistant] then a writer’s PA, then a writers’ assistant and script coordinator, hopefully getting to staff writer. That happens, but it’s very rare at this point,” he says, due to the limited number of episodes that are getting made these days. It was much easier to climb up the totem pole when shows needed to crank out 22 episodes over a season and went on for multiple years. “These days, writers’ rooms only last a few weeks to a few months. Shows get one to maybe three seasons, and it doesn’t really allow you enough time to rise the ranks as it once did,” he says.
But it’s still a great way to establish yourself. “I still think if you’re coming into the industry and you’ve just moved to L.A., there’s really no better way to increase your network than these assistant jobs,” Schettini says.
Whatever road you follow to help build your network in Hollywood, the next logical step is to make sure you have at least TWO original pilots as writing samples. Why do you need two? It’s because if a manager, producer or executive likes one of your samples, they'll usually ask to read something else. If you don’t have a second sample, they may feel you are too inexperienced for them to invest in you. You need to prove you can deliver consistent work, hopefully in the same genre.
“Have two pilots in your arsenal and have both within the same genre to a certain extent. This is a strategic choice. I don’t want to limit anybody’s creativity, especially now. You can work in comedy and then jump to a drama and then jump back. But the people who are hiring, and the agents and managers whose attention you want to get, they’re trying to classify you in a snapshot. If you’re giving them a procedural drama and then an Adult Swim-style animated comedy, they’re going to have a hard time thinking about you when they hear of the right job or the right meeting,” says Schettini.
Most of us are on some form of social media so it makes sense to use it to highlight your writing or, at the very least, connect with other writers. Schettini says there are many ways having a strong social media presence can help your career. “I think it’s simply another advantage that you can give yourself. Developing a community, whether it’s online or in person, I think, is really helpful in terms of just getting your stuff out there. That could be for any art that you do. Maybe you like to make short little videos, and somebody could recognize that. The chance of being plucked from that is very small, but if you like to make your art and put it out there, then there’s no reason not to. And you’re going to form a community around that,” he says.
Schettini says he only took the power of social media more seriously when he started marketing his book. “That was kind of my first foray into social media, and I discovered this whole screenwriting community on TikTok and on Instagram. It can definitely be fruitful for increasing your network,” he adds.
There is no one perfect way to break into TV writing. Each writer’s path is going to be different and nearly all writers will face challenges. So here are a few other suggestions Schettini has to help you on your road to becoming a working TV writer.
The first is entering your TV pilot into one of the more reputable competitions. “The top-tier competitions can be helpful in getting interest from managers,” he says. But he urges writers to use caution and do your due diligence before handing over your hard-earned cash. “These competitions can be very difficult to win or to advance far into the competition, even with a great script,” he says.
For those writers who went to college, even one outside or L.A. or New York, Schettini suggests reaching out to your alumni association. “Many schools will be willing to put you in touch with people in the field you’re looking to get into. It may not be a TV writer, but it may be somebody in entertainment who can get your foot in the door,” he says.
Another idea is to join online groups on Facebook and Google. “There are many groups focused exclusively on crew jobs or production assistants, and they’re one of the few places you often see jobs posted. These groups tend to be closed, so you’ll need to prove you’re already working in the industry to get into them. But if you have a friend or acquaintance who’s working, you can have them keep an eye on the groups,” he says.
To hear more ideas on the best ways to break into TV writing, read Schettini’s book that’s not only practical, but up to date and puts a realistic yet positive spin on one of entertainment’s toughest businesses.
More more information on Breaking Into TV Writing, visit https://www.antonschettini.com/.