How To Write For Television

by Dimaggio, Madeline

• ISBN13: 9781416570455
• ISBN10: 1416570454
• Edition: Revised
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-12-16
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Summary

TV Writing the Right Way!In this guide for every student of the small screen and every scriptwriter dreaming of breaking into the business, writer-producer Madeline DiMaggio hands you the tools of the trade. With dozens of examples from today's hit shows, as well as perennial classics, DiMaggio walks readers through the scriptwriting process, from learning how to watch TV like a writer to developing your script, pitching it, and eventually sealing the deal. DiMaggio answers the questions on every aspiring television writer's mind, with chapters on: The tools of scriptwriting Hooks that sell Creating the pilot Developing the episode, step by step How to create riveting characters Writing long form and cable movies Adaptations and collaborations Marketing your scriptDiMaggio combines her own experience with advice to writers from others in the trade, including agents, producers, animators, and more. This readable, reliable book has been a trusted reference for nearly two decades and is now revised to include the most up-to-date information from today's television climate, from writing for cable, reality, and TV-movie formats to the ever-evolving face of the sitcom. A must-read for anyone aiming to write for TV,How to Write for Televisionwill continue to help budding writers reach their small-screen goals and will prepare them for working in the rapidly changing world of TV.

Author Biography

Madeline DiMaggio has written for TV under contract to Paramount Studios and as a TV freelancer. Her work includes over forty hours of produced scripts for successful sitcoms, one-hour dramas, TV pilots (both half hour and one hour), soaps, animation, documentaries, Movies of the Week, cable movies, and films.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. 1
The Story of Kevin Falls
The Tools of Scriptwriting	p. 9
Locales
Narrative/Action
Dialogue
The Scene
Restrictions of the Medium and How You Can Make Them Work for You	p. 33
Time Limitations
Characters Are Set
Locales Are Set
Budget Limitations
The Hooks That Sell	p. 45
Hook 'em Fast
The Quick Setup
The Star Is Pivotal
Personal Involvement for the Star
Twists and Turns in the Plot
Powerful Act Ends
A Good Runner
The Button
The Teaser and the Tag
Thoughts to Consider Before Writing Your Spec	p. 72
Writing the Half-Hour Sitcom	p. 79
Comedy and Collaboration
Writing Funny: Can It Be Taught?
Structure: The Most Essential Element
Writing the Hour Episode	p. 104
The One-Hour Structure
Creating Suspense
The Hour Setup
Build to the Act Ends
Developing an Episode Step by Step	p. 116
Serials and Parallel Storylines
How to Create Riveting Characters	p. 122
A Character's Back Life/Present Life
Professional Life
Personal Life
Private Life
The Compelling Characteristic
The Television Pilot	p. 138
The Pilot Concept
Filling in the Concept
Treatments
Movies for Television and Cable	p. 149
The Two-Hour Movie: The Basic Three-Act Structure
The Movie of the Week: The Seven-Act Structure
What Is Meant by High Concept?
Developing the Two-Hour Movie	p. 230
Defining the Spine
Establishing the Time Frame
Breaking Down the Turning Points
Broadstroking the Beats
Developing Character
Scenes/Sequences
Interior Voice
First Draft
Rewrites
Polish
Adaptations, Collaborations, and My Biggest Mistakes	p. 241
Adaptations
Collaborations
My Biggest Mistakes
A Word from Animation Writer Stan Berkowitz
A Word from Reality Writer Gardner Linn
So It's Written. What do I do Now?	p. 263
A Word from Agent Mitchel Stein
The Most Frequently Asked Questions About Marketing	p. 275
A Final Note from the Author	p. 287
Glossary	p. 290
Resources	p. 297
To Find Scripts
To Buy Scripts
For Networking
For Links and Information
Screenwriting Software
Fellowships and Writing Competitions	p. 301
Acknowledgments	p. 305
Index	p. 307
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

Excerpts

1. IntroductionTV is where it's happening. It's where the money is, where the jobs are, where product is pumped out fast, and where writers have the privilege of seeing their material produced. This isn't necessarily so in films, where the process is very slow and the writer can be a one-hit wonder.According to Writers Guild of America statistics, TV jobs outnumber film jobs by two to one. There are about four hundred movies made a year, and about three thousand television episodes. In television, if writers can find a way in, if they have the talent and know how to play it, they can go from a freelancer to a staff position, to story editor, to producer/creator, and even rise to the pinnacle of television, the showrunner. It happens; one of my former students even managed to pick up four Emmys along the way. And there are others who have achieved success. They have wonderful stories, some of which I will share with you.I don't take credit for their success. It doesn't validate me as a teacher: they had what it takes. But their success validates what I believe in -- that achieving dreams does happen.The business of television has changed since this book was first written, and I have changed as well. I continue to write, and I have sold movies to cable and television and sold two feature films. I'm currently attached to numerous projects, have a number of screenplays under option, and continue to teach. My screenwriting workshops have taken me to colleges and universities across the country, and farther. I've taught soap writing in Finland, where conflict is considered disrespectful (try that one!), and sitcom writing to the Chinese who don't speak a word of English (that one's even better!). My favorite workshops are the small private ones, where I work with writers in helping them develop their scripts. Getting to know my students and watching them grow as writers has made teaching a very satisfying part of my life.Many of these writers are on their fifth and sixth screenplays. They get better with each script. If I see a project I think has market appeal, I will try with all my power to help them find access.Two years ago I joined forces with another writer/producer, Joanne Storkan, and we formed the banner Honest Engine Films. I see the market from a different perspective now -- from both the buyer's and seller's point of view. I've become one of those people who too often says, "I'm sorry, we have to pass." I hate saying those words, because I know how the writer feels on the other end. But producing has given me many new insights, which I have shared with my students and will share with you throughout this book.I make no false promises about this business. Let's face it: deciding to make a living by writing television scripts is not often a practical or easy career choice.Television agent Mitch Stein, whom I interview later in the book, told me that when he speaks at conferences he likes to sit at the end of the dais, so when they finally get to him and ask his advice, he can tell everybody in the room, "Go buy a bus ticket and get out of town. Someday you will thank me for it."Consider this: The Writers Guild of America, West, and Writers Guild of America, East, together represent about 11,000 members, about half of whom work in a given year. According to Chuck Slocum, Assistant Executive Director who tracks all the numbers for both Guilds, out of the working half of the membership, the median income from writing over a five-year period is $62,000 per year.There are about 3,000 episodes of television written each year. Almost all of them are written by staff writers. On average a series has about a dozen writers. Now for the good news.It can be done -- youcanbreak into television writing. It happened to me; it's happened to some of my students. The industry is full of writers who somehow managed to buck the