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Part IV Creating Original Series
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Part IV Creating Original Series
by Martie Cook
Write to TV, 2nd Edition
Cover
Half Title
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Table of Contents
Preface
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Part I How Hollywood Works
Chapter 1 An Overview of the TV Industry
Out With the Old, in with the New
Get on the Ball
It’s Called Show Business for a Reason
What are Television Sweeps?
Staff Writing vs. Freelance Writing
Do you Have to Live in L.A.?
Chapter 2 The Spectacular Spec
Writing for Existing Shows is Your First Step
What is a Spec Script?
Choosing a Spec Script That Will Work for You
Studying the Show Before You Write
Getting Your Hands on a Sample Script
The Reason Your Spec Probably Won’t Sell
One Down (Sigh!) at Least One More to Go!
Time to Flip
Chapter 3 Getting Your Scripts Read
Plastering the Town with Your Work
The Initial Meeting
The Invitation to Pitch
What Happens if They Buy Your Story?
Will You Write the Teleplay?
Odds are They Won’t Steal Your Ideas
How Much Will You Make and When Will You get Paid?
Where Does it all Lead?
Part II Comedy
Chapter 4 Situational Comedies
What it Takes to Write Comedy
Checklist for Funny
How Sitcom Writing Staffs Work
The Make-Up of a Sitcom Staff
Multi-Camera Comedies vs. Single-Camera Comedies
A Week in the Life of a Sitcom Staff Writer
How a Freelance Writer Fits in
Chapter 5 Developing Your Sitcom Story
Getting Started
The Importance of a Good Story
How to Create an Original Story
Making Original Stories Work for Existing Shows
Study Up
Beating Writer’s Block
Stories to Stay Away From
Making Sure it Hasn’t Been Done
Physical Comedy
Sight Gags
“A” Stories, “B” Stories, and the Occasional “C” Story and “D” Story
Conflict is King
Remember Who You are Writing for
Getting Feedback
Checklist for Story
Chapter 6 Sitcom Structure
The Importance of Story Structure
Classic Two-Act Structure vs. Modern Three-Act Structure
Cold Openings
Tags
Big Block Comedy Scenes
Creating Twists
Running Gags
No-Fail Sitcom Structure
Example of Structure
Checklist for Story Structure
Chapter 7 Outlining Your Sitcom Story
Why You Must Break Your Story Down Act-by-Act, Scene-by-Scene
What a Good Outline Should Accomplish
Good Writing is Key
Format Matters
How Long Should an Outline Be?
Only Tell What Happens When it Happens
Pass on Passive Voice
Leave Out the “We”
Sample Outline for Sitcom
A Few More Rules
How Multi-Cam Shows Differ in Format
Reading Your Work, Out Loud
Getting Feedback on Your Outline
Checklist for Story Outline
Chapter 8 Scripting Your Sitcom
Formatting Your Sitcom Script
The Difference between a First Draft and a Shooting Script
Formatting the Single-Cam Script
Formatting the Multi-Cam Script
A Word about Covers
Scene Writing from Start to Finish
How Many Jokes Should you Have on Each Page?
Setting Up Jokes and Paying Them Off
Why Smart Jokes Will Get a Bigger Laugh
Where Do Good Jokes Come from?
Incorporating Universal Humor
Should You Avoid Jokes that Could Be Considered “Offensive”?
Beware of Jokes that Center Around Current Topics
In Comedy Three’s a Charm
Alliteration
Comedy that Goes Against Character
Putting the Audience in a Superior Position
Don’t Forget to Blow
The Dreaded Punch-Up
Watch Where You Step
Time to Cut
Chapter 9 Other Kinds of TV Comedy
Writing for Animation
Writing for Late Night
Sketch Writing
Stand Up and Improvise
Part III Prime Time Drama
Chapter 10 Plot-Driven Dramas
Ripped from the Headlines
The Importance of Creating Authentic Worlds
Getting the Facts: How to Research Cops, Lawyers, Doctors, and Others
Colleges and Universities
The WGA
Creating Powerful Protagonists and Antagonists
Building Conflict and Jeopardy
One-Hour Dramatic Structure
Scripts for Cable Vary Slightly
How to Structure Your Plot-Driven Drama
How Index Cards can Help (And Why Studios Order So Many)
Checklist for Plot-Driven Drama
Chapter 11 Character-Driven Drama
All about Character
Serials
How Structure for Character-Driven Dramas Differs from Plot-Driven Dramas
Why Colored Index Cards are Key
Everything in Your Life isn’t Fit for the Screen
How to Dramatize Personal Experience
Checklist for Character-Driven Drama
The Dirt on Soaps
Chapter 12 Formatting for Prime Time Drama
Sample Outline for Prime Time Drama
Scripting Your Prime Time Drama
Part IV Creating Original Series
Chapter 13 The Television Pilot
Why You Should Write a Pilot
How Pilot Season Works
Network Schedule: Friend or Foe
Why Some Cable Networks Operate Under a Different Time Clock
Chapter 14 Finding an Original Premise
Networks Long for Longevity (Or at Least a Big Hit)
Knowing the Market
Tapping into Future Trends
Adding Your Own Unique Point of View
A Tall Order: Introducing Characters and Premise All in One Episode
Premise Pilots vs. Non-Premise Pilots
Big Love
Know What’s Out there
Sample Treatment for a Pilot
Kyle’s Turn
Laying Out Your Show’s Future
Note to Self: You Don’t Need to Know What’s Going to Happen in Episode 111
First Pages
Riding Coattails
Checklist for Pilots
Chapter 15 Selling an Original Idea
The Big Idea
Developing the Big Idea
Disappointment Knocks
Back to the Drawing Board
Time to Put it Out There
Preparing the Pitch
Pitching to the Studio
The Deal
Attaching Showrunners
Working With the Showrunners
Network Pitches
The All-Important Script
Green Light, Red Light…What’s it Gonna Be?
My Takeaway
Part V Made-for-TV Movies
Chapter 16 Made-For-TV Movies
Hallmark is the Benchmark
Target Audience for TV Movies (Think Pink)
Most Common Types of TV Movie Stories and Why They Work
Stories to Stay Far Away from
Breaking into the TV Movie Business
Adapting True Stories
Protagonist vs. Antagonist
Bringing Novels to the Screen: How to Get the Rights
Should You Write a Mini-Series?
Don’t Make Your Two-Hour a Four-Hour
Structuring Your TV Movie
Stories that Can Double as Feature Films and TV Movies
Classic Three-Act Structure
Part VI Characters
Chapter 17 Creating Complex and Compelling Characters
Character Broken into Threes
What is Backstory?
Characters Based on Real People
Some of the Finest Characters are not Human
Why it’s Important for the Audience to Like at Least Some of your Characters
Creating Characters with Opposing Viewpoints
Minor Characters Matter
How to Write Quirky Characters (And Why Audiences Love Them)
Character Bios
Twenty Questions to Ask Yourself About Each Character
Part VII The Tween Market
Chapter 18 Tapping into Tweens
The Premise
The Characters
Tween Talk
Tickling a Tween’s Funny Bone
Part VIII Dialogue
Chapter 19 Writing Dialogue That Dances on the Page
First and Foremost: Dialogue Comes from Character
Dialogue is Like Ping-Pong
Incorporating Character Catch Phrases
Diverse Dialogue
Talking the Talk
Swear Words and Slang
Right-on Dialogue: Wrong!!
Watch Out for Names
Keeping Dialogue Where it Belongs
Why Using Dialogue to Reveal Backstory can be Deadly
A Piece of Advice About Devices
What to do When all of your Characters Sound Alike
Checklist for Dialogue
Part IX Rewriting: A Necessary Evil
Chapter 20 Rewrite the Heck Out of It
Your Own Private Table Read
The Road Ahead is Filled With Notes
Things to Look for on your First Pass
Part X How to Pitch your Comedy, Drama, or Made-for-TV Movie
Chapter 21 Essentials of a Great Pitch
Who Will Be in the Room?
Don’t Forget to Google!
Why it’s Essential to Be Early
Dress for Success
Practicing your Pitch
Controlling the Room
A Couple of No-Nos
The Use of Index Cards and Note Pads
Reading the Room: Why No Usually Means No
Going With the Flow When the Story Starts to Change
Be Prepared for Questions
The Pros and Cons of Putting your Pitch on Paper
Practice Makes Perfect
Chapter 22 Pitching Ideas for Existing Series and TV Movies
How Many Ideas Should you Pitch?
The Order of your Stories
How Much Detail Should you Give?
Example of a Pitch
What to Do if They Don’t Buy Anything
Respecting the Big Foot
Chapter 23 Pitching Pilots
The Big Idea
Brevity is your Friend
The Emotional Connection
The Heart and Soul of your Pitch
Some Sample Episodes
Sell it Like a Used Car Salesman
Part XI Writing for the Web
Chapter 24 Writing the Web Series
TV Series vs. Web Series
Creating your Web Series
Think Small, But Outside of the Box
Sizzle Reel Nice
Part XII Reality Television
Chapter 25 Writing for Reality Television
Reality Television is Not New
Why Reality Television is Here to Stay
Why Americans Have Become Reality-Obsessed
Documentary vs. Game Show
Reality is a Producer’s Game
How to Write a Treatment for a Reality TV Show
The Ethics of Reality Television
Part XIII The Business Side of Television
Chapter 26 Agents, Managers, and Entertainment Attorneys
Why you Need an Agent
What Agents Actually Do
How Much Does an Agent Cost?
Don’t Pay People to Read your Work
Referrals are the Way To Go
Why Writers Can Be Protective About Their Agents
Choosing an Agent Who’s Right for you
Los Angeles or Bar Harbor? Does it Matter Where your Agent Is?
Agents Who Take Unsolicited Scripts
Do you Need a Manager?
Entertainment Attorneys
Querying Agents and Managers
Sample Query Letters: Good and Bad
Making Sure you are Ready
Patience is a Virtue
Should you Put your Script on Web Sites?
Checklist for Getting an Agent or Manager
Chapter 27 The Writers Guild of America
What is the Writers Guild of America?
How do you Become a Member?
Key Things the WGA can do for you
How Residuals Work
What is Arbitration?
In the Event of a Writers’ Strike
How to Protect your Work
Miscellaneous Guild Benefits
Chapter 28 Writing Teams
Should you Get a Writing Partner?
The Pros of Partnerships
Being Responsible for Someone Else’s Career
The Cons of Partnerships
How to Choose a Writing Partner
Part XIV How to Get Your Foot in the Door
Chapter 29 How to Get Work as a Television Writer
Why you Need a Plan (And a Back-Up Plan)
The Importance of Internships
Contact Everyone you Know and Tell Them What You Want
Entry Level Jobs That Can Lead to your Writing Break
Ways to Uncover Entry-Level Jobs
Resumés and Cover Letters
How to Write your Resumé
Sample Resumé
How to Write a Killer Cover Letter
Five Paragraphs to a Good Cover Letter
Sample Cover Letter
Generating Informational Interviews
When a Company Says They’re Not Hiring (Baloney!)
The Power of Overnighting your Resumé (Even if you Live One Block Away)
Brushing Up On Phone Etiquette
Why It’s Important to Get the Assistant’s Name
How and When to Use Voice Mail
How and When to Use E-Mail
Chapter 30 Getting the Interview
Preparing for the Interview
Controlling the Interview
Confidence is Key
The Power of Snail Mail Thank-You Notes
Placing the Dreaded Follow-Up Call
Turning a “No” into a “Yes”
Chapter 31 Congratulations, You’ve Got the Job…Now What?
Some Tasks May not Make you Smile
Even the Most Mundane and Menial Tasks can Lead to a Break
Finding a Mentor
Taking Responsibility for Your Goof-UPS
Remember Your Goal: Get a Writing Schedule and Stick to it
How Long Should you Stay in an Entry-Level Job?
Planning the Next Step
Chapter 32 The Power of Networking
Keeping in Touch is Job Number Three
Order Your Own Personal Note Cards (You’ll Need Them)
Stock Up on Business Cards
Creating Your Own Little Black Book
The Importance of Sending Holiday Greetings
How to do Lunch
Who do you Invite?
Taking the Lead
When and How to Ask for What you Really Want
Who Pays?
Should You Bring Your Spec Scripts?
Chapter 33 Other Things That Can Help You Succeed
Get Yourself Out There as Quickly as Possible
Writing Buddies
How to Turn Up Contacts When you Think you Don’t Have Any
Attend Seminars and Conferences
Using Technology to Get YOUR Work Seen
Enter Your Work in Contests
Use Your Talent to Help Others
Learn to Be a Good Critic
Off to See the Wizard (Or Five Months to My Dream Job)
Not Giving Up on What you Want
AWord to Women
Take Care of your Mind and your Body
Oh, The Places You’ll Go! The Warmth and Wisdom of Dr. Seuss
Some Final Thoughts
Some Leftover Pearls
Index
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Prev
Previous Chapter
Chapter 12 Formatting for Prime Time Drama
Next
Next Chapter
Chapter 13 The Television Pilot
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PART IV
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CREATING ORIGINAL SERIES
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