Television and Screen Writing, 4th Edition

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Soap, Talk Show, and Variety

Writing Soaps

One of daytime television’s best-known writers, Thom Racina, discusses how to break into and thrive in the soap market.¹ Racina was Head Writer of “General Hospital,” “Days Of Our Lives,” “Another World,” “Generations,” and “Santa Barbara,” and is now writing thriller novels. He mentions how important it is to know the history of every show. “I did “General Hospital,” and I learned pretty quickly, but when I was done there and went to “Days of Our Lives,” I had two weeks to learn the show. Sometimes you get writers not knowing certain things about the characters.”² He says that he learns a new show by reading documents given to the Head Writer about the history of the show, as well as by discussing ...