3 Things I’ve Learned from Grey’s Anatomy

I love Grey’s Anatomy. Sue me. I know the show isn’t nearly as good as it used to be. I know that it’s a chick flick turned into a TV show. I know that the actors are a little elitist.

I still love it, and I have since about season two, when my college friends got me hooked.

Image: Newscom

Why do I bring this up to you all? Well, the Grey’s Anatomy season finale was a few weeks ago, and that episode, along with the rest of the season, have really made me realize that this show has a lot to teach writers. The things I think about in my free time…

If you haven’t seen the finale yet, I promise not to spoil it for you! Here are three things I’ve learned about freelance writing from the Grey’s Anatomy series finale:

1. Have a style – and embrace it.

The writers of this show have a very specific way of writing. It isn’t so much about the individual characters’ way of speaking, because they all have the same little oddities. Like saying “seriously” all the time. It’s not necessarily a bad thing. I mean, you want to be versatile in your writing, and you don’t want to fall into a rut, but people will hire you for you, at least most of the time. My writing, for example, is extremely conversational. I also know writers who are more formal, as well as writers from the UK who put a little British spin on every article. Finding your voice as a freelancer is important. It’s almost like having a nice within your niche.

2. Old formats work.

Without spoiling anything, part of the plot from the season finale was TOTALLY recycled from another television show that I used to watch. That doesn’t mean it wasn’t effective. It was very effective. I may have screamed a little. When something’s good, it’s good, even if it’s already been done. Look at the show itself. Nearly every episode starts and ends with a monologue by Meredith, and although they do deviate from that occasionally, they stick to the format most of the time because it makes sense. In your writing, you should be creative, but at the same time, remember that old formats are used so often because they are desirable. For example, I use this very format often – an intro, a list of points, and a closing. It works.

3. Your ending needs a punch of energy.

The finale of Grey’s was good – and the end was amazing, in my opinion. Too many writers end on a sour note when they’re writing an article. The end is important, though – you aren’t writing a newspaper article here. Throw out the idea of an inverted pyramid, unless you’re doing news. You want your readers to read every work, not get progressively more bored with the writing. You don’t need a cliffhanger per se, but make sure that your articles wraps up nicely and has relevant info the entire way through.

It doens’t matter if you like Grey’s Anatomy or not; these points are relevant to every writer. I know that show isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s popular for a reason – they have good writers. Even if you don’t like the storylines and characters on the show, you can learn something about being a better writer from the show.