Ever dreamed of writing a TV show but didn't know where to start? Now's the perfect time to pick up your pen (or keyboard) and dive in - no experience needed, just your imagination.
In a new series, screenwriter Ray Lawlor - creator of RTÉ's popular black comedy series Obituary - offers some tips for the budding TV writer...
There's one universal truth about screenwriting: the first draft will never be the draft that gets filmed. Writing is rewriting. Notes are part of the process, and how you handle them can make or break your career.
Obituary was the first of my works to appear on our television screens. This means that for most of the production, I didn’t really know what I was doing. But it also meant I didn’t come in with a big ego. I was new and eager to learn from those who had more experience. The biggest learning curve in the process was all about rewriting. I heard new phrases like "people are bumping up against this" or "people find that scene a bit crunchy," which all mean the same thing: that scene or twist you think is brilliant isn’t working. We don’t know how to fix it, but our instincts tell us something’s off. This is the toughest note to handle, but also the most common. And as a writer, your job is to take a vague note like this, unpack it, and then fix your script. This is why they pay you the big bucks. Writing is problem-solving.
Remember: A first draft is merely rough material. It helps you get the idea out of your head and onto the page, but it’s never the final version. Rewriting is where jokes land more effectively, dialogue feels sharper, and story logic finally falls into place.
This means that for most of the production, I didn't really know what I was doing.'
An example of a big rewrite from Obituary was in Season Two, where I became obsessed with sending Elvira off on a murder mystery weekend. No one was really on board with this, but the producers trusted me and let me write the episode. I was convinced this was the best thing I would ever write. Unfortunately, no one agreed, and the note was clear: scrap the entire episode. Sure, I sulked for a bit, but time was ticking and I did as told. Everything worked out fine, and the replacement episode is now one of our best. Only after rewriting the episode did we figure out what didn’t work: this episode was straying from the DNA of the show. It was me trying to be clever as a writer rather than giving the viewers what we promised: a story about a killer in a small town.
Writing is rewriting. Notes are part of the process, and how you handle them can make or break your career.
Bottom line: When you submit a draft, you’ll receive notes from script editors, producers, and sometimes even actors. Some notes will sting; others will miss the point. Your job is to stay receptive. If you oppose every note, you won’t be invited back. If you accept every note without question, you’ll lose your voice. The ideal approach is to engage with feedback, explain your reasoning, and be willing to adjust when it improves the script. One thing I’ve learned is that everyone has a voice. Don’t dismiss anyone. Ensure everyone feels part of the team; otherwise, the team will fall apart. Handle notes well; not only will your scripts improve, but people will want to work with you again.
In the next article, we’ll explore collaboration in more detail: what a script editor does, how to work with a director, and why your script needs to be crystal clear long before it reaches the set...
Season 2 of Obituary is on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player from October 14th - catch up with both seasons here
