Writing the TV Drama Series 3rd Edition: How to Succeed as a Professional Writer in TV (44 page)

“I think fracturing the audience into various niches is a good thing. When broadcasting meant broad broadcasting, when only the ‘Big Three’ existed, they had to appeal to a gigantic swath of audience. To hold those huge numbers they had to make the stuff that had the most common denominators. Now, when you break it up into smaller chunks,
Galactica
and shows like
The Shield
can appeal to specific audiences. Critics say it’s the Golden Age of TV because of the quality of the shows, but I don’t think any of them could have survived in the three-network era. Now the high-quality shows can sustain themselves with dedicated fans who are interested in their particular kind of material.”

So where does that leave writers like you? If you’ve read this book because you hope to create a series of your own, special opportunities lie in narrowly-defined new markets. But for all good writers, opportunities abound. A spec script that has guts and passion and the skill to deliver them professionally will always be useful. And storytellers will be as valued in the coming age as we’ve been throughout history. Actually, we may be needed even more to define and link cultures that have fractured.

No matter what the delivery system — broadcast, premium cable, basic cable, mobile devices, Google TV, YouTube, Web, or Internet — the creative process starts with you. So now that you’ve learned what’s special about hour drama series, and how TV development works, and what it takes to work on staff, how a script is crafted, and how to approach writing your own episode, and you’ve even heard how to break in, and what the future may hold — all that adds up to just one moment: when you sit down and start to write. And now that time has come. It’s your turn.

C
ONCLUSION

Thank you
for completing this journey with me.

If you bought the first two editions and are holding the Third Edition in your hand you know that content — writing — is at the core of every form of television, traditional and emerging. Your growth as a writer never ends, and those who are most competitive in this industry are always replenishing their tools and ideas.

If you are new to
Writing the TV Drama Series
, welcome and congratulations! Whether you’re a beginner, a pre-professional, or a working writer, producer or director, this book can help guide you in the years ahead. Thousands of readers before you have worked with the earlier editions in film schools (where it is required in many screenwriting classes), in network mentoring programs (where it is also required reading), and one by one as word has spread. I’m always pleased to hear from people who tell me they read the book a few years ago and just landed their first writing assignment or staff position, and went looking for the latest edition to refresh themselves or bolster their confidence before they take their leap. And I’ve heard that pointers from the craft chapters have been mentioned in writers rooms on major TV shows. So you’re in good company.

R
ESOURCES
F
OR
Y
OU

The Writers Guild of America (WGA), West

www.wga.org

7000 West Third Street

Los Angeles, CA 90048

(323) 951-4000

WGA Intellectual Property Registry

(323) 782-4500

Office is open 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM Monday through Friday.

Drop-off is available 24 hours outside the Guild.

WGA James R. Webb Memorial Library

(323) 782-4544

Located on the first floor of the WGA.

Open to the public to read scripts and view shows.

10 AM to 5 PM, Monday through Friday, and Thursday to 8 PM.

(closed the last Friday of each month)

The Writers Guild of America, East

555 W. 57th Street

New York, NY 10019

(212) 767-7800

(WGA East does not have a script library)

Writers Guilds affiliated with the WGA are located in many countries, for example The Writers Guild of Great Britain and the Writers Guild of New Zealand.

Museum of Television and Radio, West

465 N. Beverly Drive

Beverly Hills, CA 90210

(310) 786-1000

Reading and viewing is free and open to the public,

Noon to 5 PM, Wednesday through Sunday.

Museum of Television and Radio, East

25 W. 52nd Street

New York, NY 10019

(212) 621-6600

$10 admission. Screenings and seminars.

Noon to 6 PM, Tuesday through Sunday.

Academy of Television Arts and Sciences

5220 Lankershim Blvd.

North Hollywood, CA 91601

(818) 754-2800

(The television academy does not have a script library)

G
LOSSARY

A–B–C STORIES.
Parallel plots within an episode. Stories are denoted by letters (A, B, C, D…). Often each story follows the dramatic arc of one of the continuing cast.

ABOVE-THE-LINE.
Production elements at the top of a budget breakdown, usually: producers, directors, writers, and sometimes composer or star. Crew positions are “below-the-line.”

ACT.
A dramatic unit made of a number of scenes. Network TV hours usually have four acts that build to cliffhangers before commercial breaks, though some have five or six acts. Cable shows which do not have breaks may structure episodes into three or four theoretical acts.

ACTION.
In a script, the description below a slug line that tells what is occurring on screen. Also see
DESCRIPTION.

AGENT.
Someone who represents talent. A literary agent advances career opportunities for writers who are signed to him and usually negotiates his clients’ deals. Agents are licensed by the state, and receive 10% commissions.

ANTAGONIST.
A character whose goal opposes the protagonist’s goal. Though sometimes considered the “villain,” in quality drama the best opponent is a “worthy antagonist.”

ANTHOLOGY.
A show whose installments are free-standing and do not have continuing casts, such as
The Twilight Zone
.

ARC.
The progression of a character from one condition to a different dramatic state. Example: A character who is cold in the beginning loves someone in the end.

A.T.A.S.
Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Membership organization for all fields of television. Produces the Emmy Awards, among other activities.

ATTACHED.
Talent (for example, an actor) is “attached” when that person commits to participating in a proposed show.

BACKDOOR PILOT.
A two-hour movie that suggests potential for a series.

BACK NINE.
The remaining nine episodes in a traditional 22-week season after the first thirteen are finished. Even if a series is given a full-season order, the
GREENLIGHT
to produce the back nine may depend on how well the first thirteen perform.

BACKSTORY.
History before the action on screen, usually incidents or relationships that shaped a character.

BACK-UP SCRIPTS.
Extra episodes beyond the pilot that a network orders to assess a show’s potential when it is not given a slot on the air, sometimes called back-up pilots.

BASIC CABLE.
Television channels available for free to cable subscribers.

BEAT.
1. A scene or step of the story; 2. A pause in dialogue or action.

BEAT SHEET.
Also see
OUTLINE
. A list of events (turning points) in the story, often detailed in numbered scenes, though sometimes more generally in sequences or even summaries of entire acts.

BIBLE.
A guide to the series, especially for writers and directors joining a show. Includes character biographies, rules for the world of the show, summaries of past episodes, and sometimes what the producers are seeking in tone, style or stories.

BREAKING A STORY.
Finding the major turning points (and often act breaks) in a story before writing a detailed outline.

CLIFFHANGER.
A suspenseful ending; frequently jeopardy or raised stakes at the act break and end of the season.

CLOSURE.
In episodic drama, a story that is complete (arrives at its goal or conclusion) at the end of the hour.

COLD OPENING.
See
TEASER.

CONTINUING CAST.
Main characters that return each week and “drive” the core stories in the series.

CREATIVE CONSULTANT.
An experienced writer-producer who may oversee, rewrite or write episodes, but might not be a full-time member of the staff.

DAILIES.
Unedited scenes screened after each day of production.

DEVELOPMENT.
The process of bringing a project from concept to production; also the period when a writer works with producers to refine a script through all revision steps.

DESCRIPTION.
The actions, images and sounds on screen, excluding dialogue. See
ACTION.

DIALOGUE.
Everything the characters say that may include expressions (e.g., sighs) and pauses as well as words.

DRAMEDY.
A hybrid of drama and comedy.

ELEMENT.
Significant talent, such as a producer, director or actors that may be attached to a project to enhance its clout.

EPISODE.
In dramatic television, a one hour increment of the season; that week’s group of stories. Also an installment of a continuing storyline.

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER.
The top writer-producer on a TV series, often responsible for supervising both creative and business aspects of the show, overseeing the cast, crew and writing staff. See also
SHOWRUNNER.

EXT.
Abbreviation for Exterior, used in
SLUG LINES.

FIRST DRAFT.
A script written by the writer before responding to notes from a producer. All
SPEC SCRIPTS
and all drafts before submission are “first drafts,” no matter how many times the writer has privately made revisions.

FORMAT.
1. A proposal for a series that may include characterizations, genre,
SPRINGBOARDS
for stories, and suggestions for episodes or a
PILOT.
2. The structure of a story, which may involve a
FRANCHISE.
3.

The printed style of a script, usually set by screenwriting software.

FRANCHISE.
Storytelling categories that generate dramatic situations, such as medical, legal, or detective work. Successful series may also franchise their
FORMAT, as in
CSI
.

FREELANCE WRITER.
A writer who is not on staff and receives an assignment for an episode.

GREENLIGHT.
Approval for a script to proceed to production.

GUEST CAST.
Actors not in the continuing cast who may appear in a limited number of episodes.

HIATUS.
The break between seasons when the entire staff is on vacation.

HOOK.
An early action or situation that grabs an audience’s attention; also an opening of a pitch.

IN THE CAN.
An episode that’s ready to air.

INT.
Abbreviation for Interior, used in slug lines.

LEGS.
A series with legs is capable of generating numerous stories for episodes.

LOCKED.
When a producer has approved the final version of an outline or script, it is locked.

LOG LINE.
A one-sentence summary of a story; occasionally might be two or three sentences. It quickly conveys the
PREMISE
and the dramatic
ARC
or
PLOT.

LONG NARRATIVE.
Stories that have the depth and range to continue for years, especially in serials.

MANAGER.
Similar to
AGENT,
except that managers are not licensed and may represent their clients in areas beyond immediate assignments. Managers typically charge 15%, compared with a 10% commission for agents.

M.B.A.
Minimum Basic Agreement, the agreement between the Writers Guild of America and signatories (production entities) that specifies minimum pay, health and pension, and other contractual issues.

MOBISODES.
Episodes available on mobile devices such as cell phones. These are usually short but might be bits of series.

OUTLINE.
A list of every scene that will appear in the script, in order, beginning with number 1 in each act. Each outline “beat” is like a log line for that scene. However, some shows use outlines that are less specific. An outline is the first paid step in development. Also called
STEP OUTLINE.
See
BEAT SHEET.

OVERNIGHTS.
Quick national ratings that give a preliminary account of how many people watched a show.

PACKAGE.
A commitment from actors or a director to
ATTACH
themselves to a show in the effort to make a network or cable deal; also all of the
ELEMENTS
needed to move a
FORMAT
(proposal) forward, which may include a pilot script and
SHOWRUNNER.
Some packaging agencies want to represent all
ABOVE-THE-LINE
personnel.

PICK-UP.
A decision by a network or cable outlet to air (or renew) a series.

PILOT.
Prototype for a series; usually the first episode.

PITCH.
Telling a story to a potential buyer; a sales presentation.

PLOT.
The dramatic structure of a story; how a story is executed from premise to resolution.

PLOT POINT.
A strong “reversal,” or turning point in the story. Plot points may coincide with
CLIFFHANGERS
and
ACT BREAKS.

POLISH.
A minor revision in a script, usually tightening scenes and refining dialogue, or cutting a shooting draft for production.

PREMISE.
The inciting question or problem at the beginning; answers “what if?” or “why?”

PREMISE PILOT.
Propels a series by placing the main character in a new situation or beginning a quest from which future stories will spring.

PREMIUM CABLE.
Television channels available to subscribers for a fee such as HBO and Showtime. They operate without commercial breaks.