Welcome to the third edition of our weekly Shadowhunters Debriefs, a collaboration between Basic Stuff Magazine and ShumDario News that features interviews with the writers and crew behind this award-winning, fan-favorite TV show. Previously in this series, we have interviewed the show’s make-up crew as well as the VFX team. This week we spoke to writer Zoe Broad, who has been with the show since Season 1 and most recently penned episode 3×14 “Kiss From A Rose.” We discussed the process of writing a script for TV, her favorite scenes from the last three seasons, and how the Clace ice skating date almost didn’t happen.
What was a typical day in the Shadowhunters writers’ room like for you?
My favorite thing about working in a writers’ room is that there’s no such thing as a ‘typical day.’ Every day is different and presents unique challenges and also, in the case of the Shadowhunters writers’ room, unique fun. But most days involved a roundtable discussion of story, usually broken down by characters, and a lot of coffee and honey wheat pretzels. And for me, usually some salami and dark chocolate thrown in for good measure.
How long did it take on average to write an episode?
Typically, we spent about two weeks ‘breaking a story’ for each episode (a.k.a. discussing the story we wanted to tell). Then a writer would go off to outline and then script, where they would have anywhere from three days to three weeks to finish writing. Some episodes took longer to write and some writers had much less time, but we mostly had the process down to a science.
What is the process of writing a TV show script like?
I think it depends on the writer. For me, I camped out in my favorite cafe and subsisted off of cappuccinos and vegan scones for a few weeks. And it was really fun and rewarding bringing the characters I’d spent so much time with to life! When the room has broken the story well, the writing itself is sort of like the icing on the cake. It’s the best part!
Zoe Broad writing at home. Pictured with her cats, Hannibal Lecter and Clarice Starling. (Zoe Broad)
How did you keep track of everyone’s plot arcs? Did you guys have spreadsheets or charts or…
Oh boy. I wish I still had pictures of our boards. Our room was actually covered in color-coded charts reminding us of each character’s season and episode arcs. It was honestly really beautiful, like a rainbow. Also a little bit daunting, because we have so many wonderful characters we wanted to service. But mostly beautiful.
You have been there since Season 1, can you talk a little bit about how your role on the show evolved?
My role on the show has evolved a lot over the years! I started off as the showrunners’ assistant when the show first began, and I continued on to assist Todd Slavkin and Darren Swimmer when they first came on as [the new showrunners in Season 2]. And on my third year on the show, I got to move into the writers’ room as a writers’ assistant and also got to write a script. It’s been really rewarding to grow with a show I love. When I first got assigned my episode, I’m not going to lie, I was terrified. But then when I started writing it, I was like, ‘Wait, I totally know these characters. I’ve spent three years with them!’ Writing the script felt like hanging out with old friends.
When did you know that you wanted to be a writer? And what made you initially want to be part of Shadowhunters?
I knew I wanted to be a writer when I was eight years old. My mom is a journalist – and also my idol – so it was no question for me when I was a little girl that I wanted to do what she did. But unlike my mom, I gravitated towards making up my own short stories. I did a lot of theater as a kid and I started writing plays in addition to short stories when I was maybe 10 years old. And then in sixth grade, I was assigned an ‘I Search’ report where I researched screenwriting. As a part of the assignment, I wrote my first screenplay and I loved it. Right away, I was like, ‘This is it; this is what I want to do with the rest of my life!’ So…here I am. I can’t imagine anything else I’d rather do.
[With regards to] Shadowhunters, I’ve always loved genre storytelling because I think it offers an amazing platform for telling powerful character stories. Genre constraints push characters to be their best selves and their worst selves, and that’s always fun to mine as a writer. And when I read The Mortal Instruments books, I really identified with Clary’s journey of self-discovery and growth within the constraints of the genre. I think it’s a powerful story with the capacity to really empower young women.
Zoe Broad, far right, with the Season 2 Shadowhunters writers’ room and actress Kat McNamara. (Taylor Mallory)
What kind of stories and experiences are you inspired by?
I gravitate towards stories that push characters. Any experience that makes someone stretch and grow as a human is a lot of fun for me to write. And I love a little levity. It’s been fun to dig out some of the more humorous moments in the show.
Which type of scenes are your favorite ones to work on in general?
I love soap and romance! I consider myself to be a character writer, so any scene mining character or character interactions is a blast for me. I was super excited to get to write the Clace date.
Was there any scene that you remember being particularly difficult on Shadowhunters? If so, why?
Not scenes in particular, but I’d say the biggest challenge in the writers’ room was that we had so many talented actors on the show and so many amazing characters with great personal stories and arcs. It was hard to find the space in a one-hour episode to tell all the stories we wanted to tell!
Is there a particular story you would have loved to tell or scene you would have wanted to write if the show had continued?
I’m a huge Sizzy fan and really related both to the story of falling in love with a good friend against your better judgment and to Isabelle’s reservations about letting down her guard to let romance in. The slow burn is my favorite way to tell a romance story, and I wish we could have had more episodes to let the heat build!
Which is your favorite moment from each season up until the 3A finale?
My first is the Season 1 Clace kiss after Clary realizes that the demon pretending to be Jace isn’t actually him and kills it. It’s such a powerful moment for Clary coming into herself, and the kiss that follows is adorable. My second favorite is the Malec kiss in the Season 2A finale, when Alec finds Magnus after thinking he’s dead. That moment makes me cry every time. And in Season 3, I loved the dinner with Magnus, Alec, and Maryse. Who doesn’t love a good meet-the-parents moment?
The Shadowhunters cast are known to have improvised some of the scenes. Is that something that was encouraged?
Yes, it was definitely encouraged! Kat and Alberto improvised a lot, and it was always adorable. Alisha had some great improv moments as well.
Behind the scenes of Clary and Jace’s ice skating date in Shadowhunters 3×14. (Kat McNamara)
What was your favorite thing about being part of the Shadowhunters writers’ room?
The people! I met so many amazing, talented, inspiring humans in my three years working on the show. Many of them continue to be dear friends of mine who I trade writing materials with regularly. I truly could not have asked to work with a more wonderful group.
What do you think was your most important contribution to the Shadowhunters writer’s room? What do you think you brought to the table?
Soap! In particular, ways to keep couples apart and then get them back together. I also love story tracking and character arcs, and I was definitely the keeper of a lot of those huge color-coded character charts. I kept track of where each character was coming from and driving towards, which hopefully helped to create a satisfying build for each character within the show.
Thinking back to when you first joined the Shadowhunters writers’ room, what piece of advice would you have given yourself?
Maybe to go easy on the salami? Just kidding. I would never go easy on the salami. I guess I would have told myself to enjoy the ride. It’s easy for me to put pressure on myself and worry about whether I’m doing a good job and how I can continue to push myself to do better. I guess you could say I’m a little bit like Clary in that way. But it was such a pleasure to work on a show I loved with wonderful people alongside me. I wish I could have reminded myself to savor every day.
What was the most important thing you gained from your experience working on Shadowhunters? What are you most proud of?
Working with so many wonderful writers helped me learn to own my voice and feel confident in what I bring to the table. When I started on the show and people asked me what I did for a living, I’d tell them, ‘I’m an aspiring writer.’ Now, I just say I’m a writer.
If you could have sent the characters from the show into another TV/cinematic world, which one would you have liked to send them to?
Harry Potter! Hermione Granger ain’t got nothin’ on Clary Fray.
Favorite flavor of La Croix?
Not a La Croix girl! I know, get at me.
Shadowhunters 3×14 “Kiss from a Rose” was your first TV writing credit. Talk to us a little bit about how that felt, and how did you find out you would be writing this episode?
It was all very exciting. I was in the writers’ room taking notes one day, and Todd and Darren came in and were like, ‘Zo, can we talk to you for a minute?’ And I got that irrational feeling of terror, like, ‘Oh, crap, I’ve been summoned to the principal’s office.’ And then when Todd and Darren told me I was going to get to write a script, I was totally over the moon. I remember sitting in the writers’ room for the rest of the day and secretly just wanting to scream with happiness. And then Todd and Darren came into the room later in the day and announced the news to everyone, and all the writers were like, ‘Zo, why didn’t you tell us hours ago?’ And honestly, I still have no idea why I didn’t. It was like if I said it, it would suddenly not be true.
The script for 3×14. (Zoe Broad)
How was this episode initially pitched, and was there anything major that ended up changing from the initial concept to what we saw on our screens?
I got super lucky, and my episode ended up being very similar to how it was originally pitched! We went back and forth about a million times over whether Maia and Jordan were in a freezer or a refrigerator. And also about another hundred times over whether Magnus trades away his apartment to Lorenzo, or some other object of significance. But all the major stuff stayed pretty much the same.
Is there a scene or a line that was deleted that you really wish had made the cut?
There was one cute Sizzy scene in the original script where Simon tells Isabelle that he and Maia broke up. It was a blast to write because I love romance and the budding romantic tension. But at the end of the day, it took away some of the dramatic tension from both Isabelle and Simon’s individual stories. I think it was a good cut in the end. And you guys will see more Sizzy moving forward. Promise.
What was your favorite moment from the episode and why?
Definitely the Clace ice skating date. I loved the playfulness in the Clace relationship in The Mortal Instruments books, and I really wanted to channel some of that into this particular scene. And Clary and Jace have both been through so much, it felt like it was time for the two of them to find some happiness together. When I saw the dailies of Kat and Dom doing this scene, they really took my breath away.
The perfect ice skating rink for Clace’s date. (John Rakich)
Can you share anything about the filming itself?
I wasn’t on set for production, but before we started shooting, we’d been worried about locking in an ice skating rink as a location. There was even some talk about having to change the Clace date entirely to make it more production-friendly. But secretly, I was hoping the ice skating would stick because it’s my personal favorite date activity. I was thrilled when I opened my email one day during pre-production to find an email from our amazing location manager, John Rakich, with photos of the most beautiful ice skating rink that he’d officially locked in for production! Making television is truly a collaborative effort.
Read our FitnessHunters interview last year with Zoe Broad, where we talk workout routines and fitspiration.
Shadowhunters airs on Freeform on Mondays at 8pm EST and is available the following day to stream on Hulu and Netflix International.
