| |
| |
Acknowledgments | |
| |
| |
Introduction | |
| |
| |
| |
How Hollywood Works | |
| |
| |
| |
An Overview of the Tv Industry | |
| |
| |
It's Called Show Business for a Reason | |
| |
| |
Technology is Changing the Face of Television | |
| |
| |
Product Integration | |
| |
| |
The Role of Production Companies, Studios, and Networks | |
| |
| |
The Difference Between Network and Syndication | |
| |
| |
What are Television Sweeps? | |
| |
| |
Staff Writing vs. Freelance Writing | |
| |
| |
Do You Have To Live In L.A.? | |
| |
| |
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 | |
| |
| |
Purchasing a Sample Script of the Show You Want to Write | |
| |
| |
Why Two (Sigh!) Specs Are Better Than One | |
| |
| |
Writing is Rewriting | |
| |
| |
The Reason Your Spec Probably Won't Sell | |
| |
| |
Declaring Your Major (and Minor) | |
| |
| |
| |
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? | |
| |
| |
| |
Comedy | |
| |
| |
| |
Situational Comedies | |
| |
| |
What it Takes to Write Comedy | |
| |
| |
Check List For Funny | |
| |
| |
How Sitcom Writing Staffs Work | |
| |
| |
The Make-up of a Sitcom Staff | |
| |
| |
Multi-Camera vs. Single-Camera Shows | |
| |
| |
A Week in the Life of a Staff Sitcom Writer | |
| |
| |
How a Freelancer Fits In | |
| |
| |
| |
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 | |
| |
| |
Finding An Original Spin | |
| |
| |
Study Up | |
| |
| |
Beating Writer's Block | |
| |
| |
Stories to Stay Away From | |
| |
| |
Getting the Poop | |
| |
| |
Physical Comedy | |
| |
| |
Sight Gags | |
| |
| |
"A" Stories, "B" Stories, and the Occasional "C" Story and "D" Story | |
| |
| |
Getting Feedback | |
| |
| |
Checklist For Story | |
| |
| |
| |
Sitcom Structure | |
| |
| |
The Importance of Story Structure | |
| |
| |
Traditional Two-Act Structure vs. Modern Three-Act Structure | |
| |
| |
Creating Twists | |
| |
| |
No-Fail Sitcom Structure | |
| |
| |
Example of Structure | |
| |
| |
Teasers | |
| |
| |
Tags | |
| |
| |
Checklist For Story Structure | |
| |
| |
| |
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? | |
| |
| |
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 | |
| |
| |
A Word About Covers | |
| |
| |
Checklist For Story Outline | |
| |
| |
| |
Scripting Your Sitcom | |
| |
| |
Formatting Your Sitcom Script | |
| |
| |
The Difference Between a First Draft and a Shooting Script | |
| |
| |
Formatting the Single-Cam Script | |
| |
| |
Sample Format For Multi-Cam Scripts | |
| |
| |
Scene Writing From Beginning to End | |
| |
| |
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 | |
| |
| |
Runners | |
| |
| |
Alliteration | |
| |
| |
Comedy That Goes Against Character | |
| |
| |
Putting the Audience in a Superior Position | |
| |
| |
Don't Forget to Button | |
| |
| |
The Dreaded Punch-up | |
| |
| |
Watch Where You Step | |
| |
| |
| |
Other Kinds of Tv Comedy | |
| |
| |
Writing For Animation | |
| |
| |
Writing For Late Night | |
| |
| |
Sketch Writing | |
| |
| |
| |
Prime Time Drama | |
| |
| |
| |
Plot-Driven Dramas | |
| |
| |
Why Law & Order Thrives and Survives | |
| |
| |
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 | |
| |
| |
| |
Character-Driven Drama | |
| |
| |
All About People | |
| |
| |
Everything In Your Life Isn't Fit For the Screen | |
| |
| |
How to Dramatize Personal Experience | |
| |
| |
How Structure For Character-Driven Dramas Differs From Plot-Driven Dramas | |
| |
| |
Why Colored Index Cards Are Key | |
| |
| |
Continuing Storylines From Week to Week | |
| |
| |
Checklist For Character-Driven Drama | |
| |
| |
The Dirt on Soaps | |
| |
| |
| |
Formatting for Prime Time Drama | |
| |
| |
Sample Outline For Prime Time Drama | |
| |
| |
Scripting Your Prime-Time Drama | |
| |
| |
| |
Creating Original Series | |
| |
| |
| |
The Television Pilot | |
| |
| |
Reasons Why You Shouldn't Write a Pilot | |
| |
| |
One Reason 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 | |
| |
| |
| |
Finding an Original Premise | |
| |
| |
Networks Long For Longevity | |
| |
| |
Knowing the Market | |
| |
| |
Tapping Into Future Trends | |
| |
| |
Adding Your Own 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 | |
| |
| |
Creating a 13-Week Episode Guide | |
| |
| |
First Pages | |
| |
| |
Riding Coattails | |
| |
| |
Checklist for Pilots | |
| |
| |
| |
Made-For-TV Movies | |
| |
| |
| |
Made-for-TV Movies | |
| |
| |
Hallmark Is the Benchmark | |
| |
| |
Target Audience for MOWs (Think Pink) | |
| |
| |
Most Common Types of MOW Stories and Why They Work | |
| |
| |
Stories to Stay Far Away From | |
| |
| |
Breaking into the MOW 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 MOW | |
| |
| |
Stories that Can Double as Feature Films and MOWs | |
| |
| |
Classic Three-Act Structure | |
| |
| |
| |
Characters | |
| |
| |
| |
Creating Compelling Characters | |
| |
| |
Character Broken into Threes | |
| |
| |
What is Backstory? | |
| |
| |
Character Bios | |
| |
| |
Why It's Important For The Audience to Like At Least Some of Your Characters | |
| |
| |
Some of the Finest Characters Are Not Human | |
| |
| |
Creating Characters With Opposing Viewpoints | |
| |
| |
Minor Characters Matter | |
| |
| |
How To Write Quirky Characters (And Why Audiences Love Them) | |
| |
| |
Twenty Questions To Ask Yourself About Each Character | |
| |
| |
| |
Dialogue | |
| |
| |
| |
Writing Dialogue That Dances on the Page | |
| |
| |
First and Foremost: Dialogue Comes From Character | |
| |
| |
Keeping Dialogue Where it Belongs | |
| |
| |
The Rhythm of Dialogue: How To Avoid Long, Rambling Speeches | |
| |
| |
The Use of Slang in Dialogue | |
| |
| |
Right-On Dialogue: Wrong!! | |
| |
| |
Watch Out for Names | |
| |
| |
Why Using Dialogue To Reveal BackStory Can Be Deadly | |
| |
| |
Stay Off the Phone!! | |
| |
| |
What To Do When All of Your Characters Sound Alike | |
| |
| |
| |
How to Pitch your Comedy, Drama, or Movie of the Week | |
| |
| |
| |
How to Get a Pitch Meeting | |
| |
| |
Who Will Be in the Room? | |
| |
| |
Why it's Essential to be Early | |
| |
| |
Dress for Success | |
| |
| |
How Many Ideas Should You Pitch? | |
| |
| |
The Order of Your Stories | |
| |
| |
How Much Detail Should You Give? | |
| |
| |
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 | |
| |
| |
Example of a Pitch | |
| |
| |
What To Do if They Don't Buy Anything | |
| |
| |
The Pros and Cons of Putting Your Pitch on Paper | |
| |
| |
Respecting the Big Foot | |
| |
| |
Practice Makes Perfect | |
| |
| |
| |
TV News Magazine Shows | |
| |
| |
| |
Writing for TV Magazine Shows | |
| |
| |
"There's Always Going to be News" | |
| |
| |
It Takes a Special Breed | |
| |
| |
Is it News or Entertainment? | |
| |
| |
Why So Many TV Magazine Shows? | |
| |
| |
The Power Structure of a TV Magazine Show | |
| |
| |
Writing vs. Producing | |
| |
| |
The Power of Enterprising Your Own Stories | |
| |
| |
| |
A Mock Assignment | |
| |
| |
Getting the Right Angle | |
| |
| |
Producer Means Boss | |
| |
| |
You Can Up the Emotion by Using Real People | |
| |
| |
Why You Need at Least One Expert | |
| |
| |
How to Find Experts | |
| |
| |
A Story on J.K.Rowling, Please: Where Do You Begin? | |
| |
| |
| |
The Shoot | |
| |
| |
Before You Go | |
| |
| |
Working With Talent vs. Working Solo | |
| |
| |
Taking Care of Your Crew | |
| |
| |
Once You Arrive at the Location | |
| |
| |
What to Do While the Crew Sets Up | |
| |
| |
When You Do the Interview | |
| |
| |
When Talent Does the Interview | |
| |
| |
One Camera or Two? | |
| |
| |
Getting B-Roll is Key | |
| |
| |
The Importance of Natural Sound | |
| |
| |
B-Roll for the J.K. Rowling Story | |
| |
| |
Do You Need A Stand-Up? | |
| |
| |
| |
Writing the Script | |
| |
| |
Sorting Through Your Tapes | |
| |
| |
What Is Timecode, and Why It Will Save You | |
| |
| |
What Is a Sound Bite? | |
| |
| |
Picking The Right Sound Bites To Tell Your Story | |
| |
| |
What Is Track? | |
| |
| |
Making Sure Video and Sound Lock Up | |
| |
| |
When You Don't have the Video | |
| |
| |
How to Write Your Script | |
| |
| |
If You Care to Give it a Try | |
| |
| |
Checklist For TV News Script | |
| |
| |
| |
In the Edit Bay and Beyond | |
| |
| |
Preparing For Your Edit | |
| |
| |
Working With an Editor | |
| |
| |
Bringing Your Story in on Time | |
| |
| |
Getting Story Approval | |
| |
| |
Writing Powerful Leads and Tags | |
| |
| |
Ethics in Television News | |
| |
| |
Other Things You May be Asked to Do | |
| |
| |
| |
Reality Television | |
| |
| |
| |
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 | |
| |
| |
Real Compelling Characters | |
| |
| |
How to Write a Treatment for a Reality TV Show | |
| |
| |
The Ethics of Reality Television | |
| |
| |
| |
Children's Television | |
| |
| |
| |
Writing for Munchkins and Rugrats | |
| |
| |
What Good Children's Programming Should Accomplish | |
| |
| |
Brand Loyalty | |
| |
| |
Dual Audiences | |
| |
| |
Content is Key | |
| |
| |
Selling Your Children's Show | |
| |
| |
The One-Minute-Thirty-Second Grind | |
| |
| |
| |
The Business Side of Television | |
| |
| |
| |
How to Get an Agent | |
| |
| |
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 | |
| |
| |
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 | |
| |
| |
| |
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 | |
| |
| |
| |
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 | |
| |
| |
| |
How to Get Your Foot in the Door | |
| |
| |
| |
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 | |
| |
| |
Resumes and Cover Letters | |
| |
| |
How to Write Your Resume | |
| |
| |
Sample Resume | |
| |
| |
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 Resume (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 | |
| |
| |
| |
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" | |
| |
| |
| |
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 | |
| |
| |
| |
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? | |
| |
| |
| |
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 | |
| |
| |
Enter Your Work In Contests | |
| |
| |
Using Technology to Get Work Seen | |
| |
| |
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 | |
| |
| |
A Word 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 | |