Netflix and Novel: 3 Shows Every Writer Should Watch Once

It is impossible to just write all the time, sometimes you’ll want to take a break and take a creative vacation. But why not make that break productive? Many people will think that tv shows and movies have nothing to do with writing and that you can only learn how to write books from other books, but this is the furthest from the truth.

You can learn a great deal about storytelling from shows on tv, especially by making note of popular tropes, themes, and character types! You don’t have to only learn by reading the writing of other famous authors, you can also learn from watching the writing of others!

Putting it into Practice, How to Learn from Shows

There are many things to consider when watching shows: character development, plot advancement, story flow, scene setup, and more. It is important to try to keep yourself actively listening and paying attention to the writing aspects of a show so you can learn from it. Take notes, jot down your favorite scenes to come back to, or make a timestamp on your phone to come back to when you are writing.

3 Netflix Shows Every Writer Should Watch Once

Stranger Things

Starting with a fan favorite is Stranger Things by the Duffer Brothers. One of the most loved things about the show is the characters. Each character has a distinct voice and unique style which makes them memorable.

The biggest thing in Stranger Things I make note of is they have a large cast of characters, but to handle this they break them each up into groups with their own storyline. Each group has its own plotline to follow. If you want to write a multi-point-of-view story, this is a good show to watch.

Stranger Things Season 4

The King

If you’re interested in writing historical stories, fantasy, or anything with political aspects you need to watch The King. The story begins with Hal, the prince who does not wish to rule and continue any of his father’s foolish battles.

His character seems like a mess at first, but we quickly see how compassionate he is when he chooses to fight instead of his brother and the army by challenging the other army's leader to a one-on-one fight. This story handles kingdom politics, plot twists, and character arcs so excellently that I still try to watch it for inspiration in writing.

This is an excellent watch to learn more about realistic combat, plot twists that intrigue, and symbolism.

The King (Netflix Movie)

Bridgerton

This one is mainly for romance and period drama writers, handling fun plot twists, well-done settings, and excellent world-building — It’s not very surprising that this romance became popular quickly.

One of the most important takeaways from this show is the world-building. Its contemporary regency world has many rules set on what is to be expected from the characters and what is not. These rules get crossed a lot and causes problems for the characters, but setting the expectations this allows the viewer to understand the world better before getting started with the adventure of the main characters.

The show balances drama and comedy quite well and has some of the best character arcs: Such as Simon and his oath to his father and going against what is expected of him, and how Daphne matures and learns a lot over the course of the story.

Bridgerton Season 1

Conclusion

There are many reasons to watch Netflix shows as a writer but most importantly are these few.

• You can learn new perspectives of different character types

• You can improve your creativity and imagination for your own works

• You can learn many writing aspects: such as character voices, settings, world-building, handling a large cast, and more.

As a writer, it can be hard to write and envision your story, which is why watching tv and understanding a story with visuals can help you understand how others will read your story and visualize it themselves.

Also by watching tv shows to learn for your own writing, you can get an idea of popular tropes you might want to try. It’s important to always try to find new ways to learn for your own craft through the knowledge of others. This is the strongest ability of a writer.