Phrases like “stop watching that TV, it’ll turn your brain to mush” are extremely common, especially amongst parents. And parents do have a point, you need to exercise your brain with complicated tasks that help you improve your overall intelligence. But the more interested in writing I got, the more engaging I found TV to be.

While some people watch TV to unwind and turn off their brains, writers like myself watch TV to learn. This doesn’t mean we only watch educational documentaries (although those are cool too). We watch whatever we want: sitcoms (my personal favourite), medical dramas, cartoons, game shows, reality TV, etc.

In the same way that reading helps you become a better writer by allowing you to learn from other writers and expand your own creativity, so does watching TV. There’s much to be learned from the way that any show is written that will help you in your writing, whether you aspire to be a TV writer or not.

The simplest way to explain what my brain does while watching a TV show is that it asks: what works and what doesn’t work? Sometimes what works is the way the characters feed off each other, sometimes it’s the complicated plot, sometimes it’s the commentary on social issues. And sometimes what doesn’t work is clunky dialogue, a simplistic plot, or jokes that don’t quite hit. Paying attention to these details shows me how I want my writing to come across and how I should go about ensuring that happens.

TV’s insights are not limited to the explicit writing details, however, as it is a complete art form in all of its facets. From the writing, to the set design, to the acting, TV opens of up an entire world of artistic exploration.

Though TV is often regarded as less engaging than reading because everything is visually presented to you, not requiring the use of your imagination, the visual presentation can still play a crucial role in bettering your writing. For someone like me who struggles with imagery, TV opens up a plethora of ideas. I really like writing historical fiction, but I struggle to picture what other time periods actually look like. Watching accurate, historical TV helps me to solidify specific images in my mind and better describe them to my readers.

Actors in TV shows can also teach you a lot about writing. If you like the way that a specific actor plays a character, examine what about how they play their role makes them so convincing. Knowing details like this helps you develop stronger characters in your own writing.

Like all art forms, TV has plenty to teach and I have only scratched the surface of how watching TV can benefit writing specifically. So next time you sit down to watch a show, take notes on how the show functions for you. You’ll be surprised at what you learn, and your brain will be anything but mush.