In my work pitching series ideas and writing pilots (and on good days, selling them to networks such as NBC and Fox), I’ve learned a few things about what they’re looking for, and what makes an idea sellable – as well as what a successful pilot script tends to include.
In many ways it’s not so different from selling a feature, in terms of the concept and basic pitch of it needing to possess some key elements. This is what inspired my book and course called THE IDEA: The Seven Elements of a Viable Story for Screen, Stage, or Fiction.
Most of these lessons I’ve learned the hard way, from having people not want to move forward with one of my projects at some point in the process – be it the network, studio, producers, or even my own agents at CAA.
Here is the number one lesson I’ve learned from that process:
Don’t think of a series primarily as one long story, but really focus on how it can be “many little ones.”
We writers often are most interested in how a character and situation arcs over the course of many episodes and seasons. Maybe it’s because most of us started in features, where that arc is so central to the point of the movie. When asked what happens in a typical episode, we might just think each one is a chapter in a larger story.
While there can be some truth to that, each hour (or half hour) really has to work as a complete unit and story experience on its own, as well — and a big part of your series pitch (which your pilot would then demonstrate) is how a typical episode of this series would do that.
Ideally within your concept you have an endlessly repeatable story engine — an ongoing source of problematic situations for the characters that is going to create new “story” in every episode. And usually more than one story, with more than one main character, which is the series model as opposed to the single-main-character feature model.
What potential buyers need is a clear demonstration of what generates such stories for your characters in an average episode – and how those would play out in a compelling and entertaining way, which takes a full episode to resolve. They want to see that there is a seemingly limitless well of these.
A feature screenplay tends to be about a single character who has some sort of problematic life, then is hit with a catalytic event which leads them to develop a goal for that story. They then pursue the goal, and things get more complicated, difficult and urgent as they do so – until finally there is some resolution in the end.
The average television episode is largely the same, regardless of how serialized or binge-able the show is. They all tend to begin with a problem or crisis that the series regular you’re focusing on feels they must solve, to get things back to their normal status quo — however compromised and unsatisfying that status quo might be. It’s very important to them, and they’re basically in hell trying to solve it – but it’s really entertaining for us to watch. (And usually there are several such stories intertwined in any half hour or hour.)
Buyers want to know what’s generating those problems every episode. So it’s something we must be crystal clear on, in our pitch and our pilot script. Once that’s clear, then the larger question of season and series arcs becomes more worth talking about — because the half-hour or hour-long viability of a typical episode is clear.
If it’s not a heroic/procedural show (doctors, lawyers, cops, adventurers), usually stories stem from the challenges of personal desires and relationship conflicts for a web of characters, each of whom want something that is important to them, that they can never quite get.
Our goal in a pilot becomes demonstrating who these people and problems/goals are, and illustrating how a typical episode would take a full hour (or half hour) for them to resolve some specific episode-length problem related to them.
If you can achieve all that, you’ll be on the right track!
Your Band of Brothers was a critical success. As a beginning writing, what are your thoughts on books like Minnick’s 300 Writing Prompts for War Fiction? Do books like this help stimulate ideas?
I actually don’t know that book or the process it promotes, so it’s hard for me to say. But I will say that I think virtually any/every book or tool for writers has something of value, and recommend exploring anything that resonates with you.
Really useful – thanks!
Great post, Erik!
Really clears up a lot of the problems I’ve had with previous pilot attempts – they were merely introductions to longer stories.
Loads of useful stuff here, especially for writers like me who’ve never been in the pitch room.
Thanks for sharing!
Nick
Hi Erik,
As other writers have mentioned, your blog came just at the right time for me. Happily I seem to have hit a number of the points you mention in the first half of my TV pilot and was just about to begin on the second half…going down all the avenues!
Thanks for pulling me back…so here I go again!
Very best from the UK.
Joyce Howard
Thanks for sharing your insight and experience with aspiring beginning writers like me!
Thanks
Select a specific genre of show, and write a synopsis detailing the content of the show. This means that you should select a certain base subject and then write the show’s meaning, or goal. Make sure that your idea is one that can go on for seasons and seasons if necessary.
I like your discussion regarding tv v. screenplay .
–katharine Jones
(New York)
Excellent advice! Thanks Eric. My writing partner and I are at EXACTLY this juncture with our pilot script. Your advice couldn’t have come at a better time. Thanks again!
Paul
Thank you for this article! It’s truly inspiring for me right now. I love that your tone is conversational, and not critical of new writers. I only wish I had found your blog earlier. Your articles are greatly appreciated!
Had the good fortune to set in on two of your forums at the Writers
Conference July 20th-22 2012. Extremely helpful in getting me to
Understand creating story peaks and valleys. Especially helpful is
Your vast knowledge of movie examples you used. My only disappointment
Was every forum was only an hour. Thanks for sharing your wisdom
On line . I can hear you voice in your on line teaching
Look foreword to your accomplishments.
Mary pease
Good advice. Thank you for sharing. I’m going to apply your tips to a couple spec TV scripts I’m developing.
Thanks ! very smart ! I’m pitching in 2 days and had a problem with this exactly !!!! Perfect timing.
Couldn’t agree with you more Erik.
I know…taking a break from feature script writing, while also putting together an indie feature package for some current investors; I am also writing a tv series pilot. I’ve started off with an overall, big picture for the story world itself…knowing full well that the 100 little stories you mentioned is the actual, concrete skeleton for hat same overall story world. It’s like…
Here’s my main character, my story hero on his journey. The big journey with a big goal in mind.
But then, like all solid drama…there are these main conflicts that get in the way — the per episode conflicts.
Then, I break those episode main conflicts into bits and pieces.
And then, after I do the hard work…the writing and rewrites — I can then go into my pitch meetings
and discuss the little stories as you mentioned. Exactly the way you mentioned…because I want to create a success for those I’m pitching to. I really want to help them achieve their goal.
Buy doing so, i achieve my goals in the process.
And sometimes after many trial and errors…I simply wake up and realize this teleplay episode may
be really a short story in fiction I meant to write all along. And not a tv series episode.
And if you love to write and create stories as much as I do…in the end, it doesn’t matter what form that writing really takes.
Thanks for the wisdom again Erik.
Love the idea of 100+ little stories, as well as using your pilot to set up what the franchise’s future episodes will look like. Am working on my first spec pilot, so this is perfect timing. THANK YOU for the insight and inspiration.
This is really great stuff! I would tend to be the person who focused on the bigger picture to the exclusion of the individual episodes. Great food for thought, thanks.