How I Joined the WGA
The Quietest Milestone of My Career
When I first started screenwriting, joining the Writers Guild of America felt out of reach. I knew it existed. I knew it mattered. But the how? Completely unclear. I’d ask around and still walk away with vague answers. It started to feel like screenwriters were sworn to secrecy about the process. And when I finally joined the union myself, I realized I had no idea what I was stepping into until it was already happening.
So I’m writing this to pull back the curtain. Because if you’re an aspiring writer, you deserve real, practical answers. Not gatekeeping. Just a roadmap.
Image Credit: Coverfly
What Is the WGA and Why Does It Matter?
The Writers Guild of America is the labor union that represents screenwriters in film, television, news, and digital media. On paper, it protects writers through minimum pay rates, credit arbitration, health insurance, residuals, a pension plan, and more. In practice, it’s a powerful safety net in an industry that doesn’t always treat creatives fairly.
More than that, it’s a community. One that fights for the future of storytelling and the people behind it. The recent strikes only deepened my pride in being a member. They brought professional writers together during an incredibly difficult time and reminded us that our union is not just symbolic. It is a force actively working to protect our rights.
