Well it’s Halloween. A time for dressing up like things that should be so scary they make you lose sleep. Ghosts, and goblins and TV execs that ask you questions you don’t know the answers to!
There is one thing that separates a TV show idea from a TV show. Well, actually there a lot of things, but one of the first things is knowing what your show will look like from beginning to end, so that when you sit with an Executive and they say “So what happens in your show?” you can tell them, from start to finish.
They likely won’t want to know about an entire episode, but what if they ask how it ends? Or what does the second act look like? If you have the script written it will prepare you to answer any and every question about what your show looks like.
I was discussing this with a friend the other day and he had a look of horror on his face when I answered his question about what to do next with “you need to write the script”. But I’ll tell you what I told him.
“Nobody is ever going to read this script. It is only for you to get a better understanding of how the process works and what your show is. You will never submit this work to an Exec.”
And a great way to find that out what your show is, is to write a script.
Oooohhhh the script can be scary. It seems so daunting. There are not many people that believe they can write a script until they’ve actually done it. So, why not use some of the work that others have done to help yourself and your show move to the next step?
If you’ve read the free eBook you know that you need to become an expert on shows that are similar to yours. So pick the show that best resembles your show. Then, take an episode and write it out. Yeah sure, you might be able to find a script online but I recommend going through the show, and typing it out. You will learn more if you do it this way.
Write it out including commercial breaks: voice-overs, sub-titles, or any text on screen. Basically if it happens on the show, you write it in the script.
Then, using that template replace their text with yours. Replace their settings with yours. Replace their stories with yours.
Remember, no one needs to see this but you. I will delve into this deeper in the Members Area but in the meantime, write out your script as you see it on the screen.
By using the script of the similar show it gives you a rough outline of how writing for television works. Remember that every single writer had to do it for the first time once.
It’s a scary venture. But hey, it’s Halloween.