Writers are often told: “Read widely.” That’s good advice, and I live by it. Here’s something I don’t hear said often enough: watch widely, too.
Stories aren’t only found in books. They’re on screens big and small, acted out with dialogue, visuals, pacing, and emotion. If you’re deliberate about how you watch, television and film can become part of your writer’s toolkit.
Not About Copying—About Learning
Let me be clear: this isn’t about lifting plots or characters wholesale. It’s about learning from how other storytellers do their work, then applying those lessons in your own medium.
For example, I’ve been watching Billions. It’s a finance drama with hedge funds, power brokers, and high-stakes manipulation. I’m not writing a business novel. I’m writing science fiction. But in sci-fi, I want to show how corporations pull strings behind the scenes, how power is leveraged through influence and control. Billions gives me the human mechanics of ambition and greed—and I can transplant those lessons into a very different world.
Watching Action With a Writer’s Eye
Think about superhero shows—Arrow is a personal favourite. At first glance, they might look like nothing but CG-heavy fight sequences. But watch closely: every fight has a rhythm. Tension builds, releases, twists, pauses for breath, then escalates again. The choreography isn’t random; it’s carefully paced.
If you’re writing fantasy, those rhythms can inform how you describe sword fights or magical duels. A written fight scene isn’t just about who punches whom—it’s about momentum, anticipation, reversal. By watching how action feels on screen, you can write action that lands with the same impact.
Listening for Dialogue
Shows like The Newsroom are a masterclass in dialogue. Aaron Sorkin’s characters speak in whip-smart exchanges that overlap, pivot, and cut off mid-sentence. There’s energy in the interruptions, the rhythm of speech, the way words collide with body language.
In prose, you can’t reproduce the audio-visual experience exactly, but you can capture the effect. Shorter sentences. Dialogue tags that emphasise timing. Beats of silence that hit harder than words. By studying how dialogue feels in a well-constructed scene, you can bring that sharpness to your own pages.
As well as that, look at the facial expressions. If you’re watching by yourself (or if you have a very understanding viewing partner), pause, and look at them. Figure out how you’d write them.
Other Genres, Other Lessons
- Political dramas show you how subtlety works—characters rarely say exactly what they mean, yet you feel the undercurrent of threat or alliance. Perfect if you’re writing intrigue.
- Courtroom dramas highlight the mechanics of persuasion: cadence, pacing, reveal, and emotional payoff. That’s invaluable whether you’re writing a trial scene or a high-stakes negotiation.
- Documentaries show you how to ground emotion in fact. They reveal the power of restraint—when a simple image or a pause in narration is more powerful than any speech.
Every genre you watch has lessons waiting, even if they’re far removed from what you’re writing.
Watch Differently
The key is to stop watching passively. Pause a scene and ask yourself:
- What changed between the start and end of this scene?
- Where’s the tension, and how did the writers build it?
- How much of the story is told through subtext rather than dialogue?
If you start paying attention this way, you’ll notice things you can use. Suddenly, watching TV isn’t procrastination—it’s research.
The Takeaway
Reading will always be the cornerstone of a writer’s development. But don’t dismiss the screen. Film and television are built on craft, and when you look closely, you’ll find lessons in pacing, dialogue, structure, and conflict.
So next time you hit “play,” give yourself permission. You’re not just watching for fun—you’re sharpening your storytelling instincts.