Have you ever watched an episode of Eastenders, Coronation Street, Casualty, Spooks, Hollyoaks, or even an old classic like The Good Life and thought … it could do something like that?

I have to be honest, writing for television is probably not the easiest way to make money writing … but there are many more opportunities than you think. I know for a fact that television is absolutely desperate for talented new writers with original ideas. It also looks like a lot of fun.

The rewards of writing for television can be great. All for having a good idea. Did you know that even fairly ordinary TV screenwriters can earn between £ 5,000 and £ 15,000 … for writing just one episode of a drama or soap opera?

I think you can see that at those kinds of rates you wouldn’t need to write that many screenplays in a year to make a very lucrative full-time income from writing.

So this week I thought it would be a good idea to see how you could get into television script writing:

* You can come up with your own idea for a TV show or write for an existing one. It’s probably easier to start by writing for an existing one. Popular TV shows often have teams of dozens of writers writing for them.

Television is a mass market medium, so your idea must be a fairly mass market. So, look for ever-popular, mass-market topics to write about. For example: crime. Mystery. Comedy. Popular story. Science fiction … there’s a reason Doctor Who has lasted so long. Real life stories. Romance. Look for modern twists on these new ideas.

It’s not just fiction either. You can write a documentary or an investigation. Or write some kind of fact-based show … like cooking, gardening, travel, or a children’s television show.

* Take some time to study screenwriting. Look for short courses that your local writing groups can offer. Or read some books on the subject; You can find a selection of screenwriting books on Amazon.

* You will need an example of your work to get started. This is known as a “business card” or “showcase” script. Don’t write a complete series of programs. A 10-20 minute script of your show idea would probably suffice.

Your script should be: Well structured, have a good plot and strong characters. Keep it simple enough: let’s say a conversation between 2/3/4 characters in the pub. (Hint. Don’t write a script that needs a massive cast roster or exotic location. Thinking about cost puts buyers off before you start!)

Your script must be written in dialogue.

* You must then market your script. The person to contact is the script editor of the television show or television company you want to write for. Script editors are responsible for commissioning the writers.

It’s a long shot … but it’s worth a try. Try calling and asking to speak to the script editor. Ask them if they would be interested in reading your sample script. Assuming you can’t talk to them (which is more likely) send a letter describing your idea. Do not send them your sample script unless they say they are interested.

There are several places you can try to sell your television writing. Here are some ideas:

* The BBC. Not only is the BBC one of the biggest buyers of television writing, it is also more open to new writing talent. So okay, they’re going to be on a very tight budget for the next few years, but that’s really good news for new writers, not bad news. As successful writers are poached by business ventures, they will need many new writers to replace them.

Most of the new writing opportunities for the BBC are handled through its centralized service called Writersroom: http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom

* ITV. The ITV network is made up of 15 regional licenses, 11 of the licenses in England and Wales are owned by ITV Plc. You will need to find the right department to submit your idea to; take a look at their website. However, this is probably not the easiest way to start.

* Independent production companies. These are private companies that make television programs for the BBC, ITV and other television stations … all Channel 4 programs are made by independent production companies, for example. They’re a pretty good bet for new writers, although you’ll probably be expected to do some work on your idea and only get paid for it if they can broadcast it to a TV channel.

Most independent production companies specialize in one or a small number of topics, so you’ll need to find those that are most likely to be interested in your type of idea. The PACT trade association has an online directory of members. Or better yet, just watch a lot of TV and write down the name of the production company at the end!