Episodisten

Episodisten is a term used in some European languages to denote a writer who specializes in creating individual episodes within a serialized narrative. The role is most commonly associated with radio dramas, television series, podcasts, and web serials, where a writer contributes one or more episodes while the larger arc is coordinated by a showrunner or head writer. The term implies a focus on self-contained story units that still fit into an overarching plot.

An episodisten's duties typically include crafting character-driven incidents, developing subplots, and engineering cliffhangers that propel audiences to the next installment while preserving continuity with previous episodes. The work requires strong knowledge of the series canon, pacing, and an ability to adapt tone to fit the ongoing project. Collaboration with editors, script coordinators, and other writers is common to maintain consistency.

Origins and usage: The word is formed from episode plus an agent suffix found in several European languages, used to denote an occupational role. In English, the closest common terms are "episodic writer" or "episode writer." The concept is closely related to roles such as scriptwriter, writer's room member, and showrunner, but emphasizes the episodic unit rather than the whole series.

See also: Scriptwriter, Showrunner, Writer's room, Radio drama, Television writing.