September isn’t just back-to-school time for the kids; it is also a great time to start getting back to work on the scripts for next year’s fellowships and pitch meetings. Here are some resources for writing a new TV script.
DYNAMIC CHARACTER RELATIONSHIP
Television is about character. It is a format where we get to stay in the same world with the same ensemble of people for season after season, and it can be hard to figure out ways to keep our stories feeling fresh, fun, high-stakes, and compelling. This article shows you how your favorite TV shows successfully create characters. Give it a read, let it inspire you, and use it as a resource for writing a new TV script.
PILOT STRUCTURE
If your characters are the heart of your story, the structure is your skeletal foundation. This article briefly discusses different ways Script Anatomy structures a pilot and why having a sense of structure is important.
SERIES LEGS
A TV show needs to last over multiple seasons. This article will help you find the legs to keep your story moving and interesting over many years.
SCREENWRITING BRAND
With the insurmountable odds and number of scripts out there yours will compete with, you need something to help your script stand out and rise to the top of the pile. This article teaches you how to do this by creating a brand.
RESOURCES FOR TV WRITERS
This article has lists of helpful resources for writing a New TV script. It has publications on the Industry and craft of writing to information, script formatting, and resources for putting together a table read for your script.
BOOKS ON THE CRAFT
When writing a new script, it never hurts to polish up on all the tools of the craft. You might find a new way of doing things or see a technique in a new light that helps you take your script to the next level.
USING YOUR PERSONAL STORY FOR INSPIRATION
Another surefire way to make your script stand out is to infuse it with your personal story. Most often when we use real things from our life, they are much more relatable than we realize. This article has tips to help you use your own life to inspire your story.
WGA LIBRARY
The WGA Library is a wonderful resource. You can look at scripts for shows similar to yours, read their scripts, and study how they structure their pilot. They also have workshops, panels, events, historical research, script formatting primers, and much more.
Written by Susan Sassi
Susan Sassi’s scripts have received recognition from Austin Film Fest, Women In Film, Emerging Writers, CineStory, Fresh Voices, The ‘Breakk’, Stage 32, Genre Screenwriting Contest, and ScreenCraft TV Writing Contest. You can find her satire in The Belladonna, Weekly Humorist, Slackjaw, Widget, Robot Butt, Jane Austen’s Wastebasket, and Greener Pastures. Website | Medium |Twitter
