General Hospital’s writing team gives inside look to the heart of GH

General Hospital’s writing team got a shake-up last year when Elizabeth Korte and Chris Van Etten became the co-head writers at the show after a series of chair shuffling backstage.

The writing duo did their first interview together recently and shared their experience and thoughts on what viewers can expect as we move into the new year.

General Hospital writes a new future

In a recent interview with TV Insider, Elizabeth Korte and Chris Van Etten shared what it’s like to work together since becoming co-head writers at General Hospital. “We have a collaboration in the truest sense. Soap opera requires generating such a volume of story that we never stop riffing. One of us may throw out an idea, and the other will build on and embroider it,” the writers said.

Van Etten and Korte shared that they “keep the atmosphere safe for voicing any idea, even the ludicrous ones.” They explained that by throwing all the ideas out there, the “ludicrous idea is the most exciting one.”

The way Van Etten and Korte envision Port Charles is “volatile and sexy.” That’s a pretty exciting version that’s hard to debate viewers would want to see. As for the writing duo, sometimes their ideas conflict, but they said that they talk about it and find common ground to work with. That way, they can “proceed in a direction that speaks to the characters and to the larger canvas. We hear one another out and never feel handled.”

Elizabeth Korte has been at General Hospital for over 30 years and acknowledged how invested the audience was. She said they wanted to honor that as they wrote new stories.

As for the switch to co-headwriting, Korte loved the challenge and the honor of the position. “I could not ask for a better collaborator and writing partner than Chris, who brings so much creativity, enthusiasm, and experience to the task. I hope that my history with the show enables me to understand the characters, to hear their voices clearly, to honor their complex history, and to track off that history as we move them forward.”

As for Van Etten, he was grateful to return to the show. “Writing for GH is a dream twice come true,” he shared, adding, “And it’s an honor to work with our team of writers, and especially Elizabeth. She has a steady hand, abundant empathy, and an awesome imagination.

Van Etten and Korte agreed that the writing for GH was an “incredible responsibility.” They concluded by stating they “must honor the show’s history and the audience’s love for it, as well as the work of all those who preceded us — all while creating a new story to challenge and grow its characters.”

The writers also noted that they felt privileged and humbled to be writing for a talented cast of actors. “We work daily to earn and maintain the trust of our audience and colleagues,” they said.

You can watch new episodes of General Hospital weekdays on ABC or stream live or on-demand on Hulu.