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One of the many things I love about TV Show Production is how everyone is on time. It doesn’t matter about weather, traffic, or mechanical issues; the crew somehow manages to get to set on time, every time.

So what does this have to do with developing and pitching your TV show idea? The expectations the Execs have when you say you’ll get something to them.

Once you’ve developed your show and are in talks with an Executive they may offer you notes on your show: asking for a rewrite, for more or different artwork, or more episode ideas.

It is at this time that you must give them a realistic timeline of how long it will take you to get that to them (and don’t say two months as they’ll have moved on my then) and then you need to stick to that, aka: do anything and everything to make it happen.

You do not get to offer excuses instead of results. There is no “the dog ate my homework” or “there was an accident on the bridge” in this world.

You deliver, or you’re done.

If you need to make an excuse about something make an excuse so that you get it done. Replace “my car wouldn’t start” with “I’m losing sleep because I get up two hours early every morning to rewrite my material”.

People who succeed in this business do so because the only excuses they make up are to themselves to sacrifice sleep and recreation to get their work done. Period.

So if you’re making up excuses for not getting your work done don’t be surprised if those excuses are all you end up with.

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