How do you write a soap opera?

I write "stories" for my own personal enjoyment and I think they are pretty soap opera like b/c of all the scandals I make up :) What I've found is to make it fun and easier to write, I take people from my own life and exagerrate one of their characteristics to make a character for my story. I even think all the way back to grade school and pick people I used to know to turn into characters. It really helps because you feel as if you can actually picture the person you are writing about, and after that the story almost writes itself! As far as getting into the business, he should probably write a few snippets first and then start sending them off to various soap operas. I'm pretty show those soaps have many writers and even if they only buy his script to use on one show, it's a start!

He needs to really look at the facets of society and what is going on. If he has a theme down all he really needs to do is some research and then figure out what the soap opera will be from there. If it was me, I'd write a pro-male issues soap opera (probably wouldn't be shown in the states for obvious reasons), but really there is a lot to cover in that situation. Dating, paternity fraud, real issues with deadbeat dads, guilty until proven innocent situations, abuse toward men from spouses (emotional, social, financial and physical. yes you read right). Probably a pipe dream if I tried doing it in the states but I think if I did an online comic or something I'd have a better chance. When it comes to your daughter's boyfriend just be sure he does research and writes about something he likes. I wish him the best of luck.

I suspect one must write a few generalised scenes and a plot line and present it to a television studio to sell. Or choose a story already in existance and try to get hired along with the other writers of the show. Your daughter's boyfriend better be prepared because the competition for that kind of work is treacherous

I think you have to have a good eye for people, and lifes situations. You have to have a twist on evertday life and situations, and how to work it. Unrealistic story lines I don't feel will work. I really don't know how he can break into the business.

Right now, soap operas are located in two locations, California and New York. I think he'd have to find a way to get an "in" with the soap industry, be it the networks, the shows themselves, the soap magazines covering the shows...you get the idea. Unless he has experience writing for television before, I'd gather that he'd have to start on the bottom rung, most likely as an assistant in the field, which, unfortunately, doesn't pay well. It's a business where you really have to work your way up before you can expect the huge paychecks you always hear about. As for the way soap opera writing works, there's a head writer that creates the story vision. Then there are breakdown writers who write down the scenes that will be airing everyday each week. Next are the script writers who write the actual dialogue you hear coming from the actors' mouths. Soap writers actually make a large portion less than prime-time television writers. A Wikipedia search states that soap writers (not head writer) make no more than $3,180 a week. Soap opera writers' salaries aren't broadcast like those in prime-time, so this number can either be highly inflated or deflated. But do keep in mind that soap operas don't have an "hiatus" period like prime-time television has. They're on every 5 days, every week, every 12 months, every year, which would probably even out to the same salary a prime-time writer (not head writer) makes. It's a shaky industry at the moment because of lagging ratings and cancellations looming on the horizon, but if the genre can get past this bump, a writing career in soap opera television is probably more stable than prime-time television, as these shows are built to be never-ending, while prime-time shows can be canceled even just a few episodes in.