3 Big Screenwriting Lessons From 'The Office'

When I settle in for the night and need a show that just makes me laugh, I'll put on The Office. It was the perfect sitcom, one that lasted a while with the best characters, that also delivered some of the most rewatchable jokes.

Now, watching TV can be a way to procrastinate on my new writing, but you'd be surprised how much gold you can mine from Scranton's most dysfunctional paper company when it comes to crafting a script.

So, let's dive into three big lessons this mockumentary masterpiece can teach us.

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1. Character is King (and Queen, and Dwight)

I know, I know, "character is king" is practically etched on every screenwriting guru's expensive tombstone. But The Office lasted as long as it did because it created people you wanted to keep watching.

Every single character, even the seemingly minor ones, has a clear want, a distinct personality, present flaws, and a unique way of interacting with the world.

These people were easy to understand, and what was complicated about them was seeing them try to get what they wanted. Think about how long it took Jim and Pam to get together, or how Michael was able to be loved by his staff, or even the idea that Dwight just wanted power.

So, don't just give your characters a job description. What do they desperately want? What are they afraid of? What's their biggest flaw, and how does it drive the story?

Dial down on these people and flesh them out.

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2. Embrace Conflict

The Office thrives on conflict. Every scene has opposing forces. Michael's constant social blunders, Dwight and Jim's never-ending pranks, Angela's passive-aggressive judgments – these are the engines that drive so many episodes.

And even on smaller levels, getting in and out of scenes usually has people butting heads or saying the wrong things. The show isn't afraid to let its characters be uncomfortable, to fail, or to clash.

So, don't shy away from putting your characters in difficult situations.

There are no TV shows about a bunch of happy people having a good time. What obstacles, both external and internal, can you throw at your protagonist? How can you create friction between your characters that moves the plot forward?

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3. The Power of "Show, Don't Tell"

One of the brilliant things about The Office is how much it conveys without explicit dialogue. Those looks from Jim to the camera, the Angela eye-rolls, the pauses or looks at Michael – they tell us so much.

When you're working on a sitcom idea, you may feel the need to rely on dialogue all the time, especially if you're a good dialogue writer.

But take a step back and see what you can do or say with just action.

Does your character say they're angry, or do they clench their jaw and slam a door? Does someone tell us a relationship is strained, or do we see them avoiding eye contact and speaking in clipped tones? Trust your audience to pick up on the stuff you layer in there.

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Summing It Up

So, next time you're binging The Office for the tenth time, pick up on some of these writing lessons. You can learn a lot from great shows, and watching them is absorbing it. And a little procrastination.

Let me know what you think in the comments.