STORYWISE WORKBOOK: HOW TO WRITE A TV SPEC SCRIPT
Contact Information Jen Grisanti Consultancy Inc. www.jengrisanticonsultancy.com Phone: (323) 944-0962 E-mail: jennifer@jengri jennifer@jengrisanticonsultancy. santiconsultancy.com com Copywright 2010 Jen Grisanti Consultancy Inc., All Rights Reserved
Hello, my name is Jen Grisanti. I am a Story and Career Consultant at Jen Grisanti Consultancy Inc., a writer’s consultancy that is designed to help you accomplish your writing goals and reach your career destination through one on one consults, seminars and teleseminars. In this workbook, I will cover how to write a standout spec script. I will go into my philosophy on what makes story work, I will go into the technical part of writing a spec script and then, I will give you examples of standout shows to illustrate what I am teaching. I will also tell you about a 5 week structure to put yourself on for completing your spec script. Do you ever wonder what makes TV scripts stand out? How does a spec script get you noticed enough to get you staffed on a show? I am going to share with you some of the ingredients and tools that I’ve discovered will help you to write a remarkable spec script, increasing your chances of getting staffed on a show. First, I am going to tell you a little bit about who I am and what inspired me to do this. Before opening Jen Grisanti Consultancy Inc., I was a TV executive for over a decade at two studios. My last job was at CBS/Paramount, where I was VP of Current Programs. Prior to it, I was at Spelling Television Inc., where I was the Head of Current Programming. During my time at both companies, I gave notes all day everyday on top primetime shows. Developing story was my job. We started with the story concept, then the outline, then the script, then we’d watch dailes and the rough cut. We’d give notes all the way through the process, making the episode the best that it could be before it hit the screen. I saw my notes applied on an average of 5 top primetime shows every week. It was an excellent training ground for story. Aaron Spelling was my mentor for the 12 years that I was at Spelling. After leaving CBS/Paramount in 2007, I was inspired to start a company that purely caters to the development of story. I knew that drawing from all of my years as an executive would mean something on the market. If I could teach writers how to write by sharing all the tools that I mastered, I knew that it would increase their chances to make their dreams come true. Since launching Jen Grisanti Consultancy Inc., I have worked with over three hundred and fifty writers working in television, features and novels. Twenty-four of my clients have staffed as writers on television shows and ten have sold pilots, two that went to series. One of the writers she worked with has a big feature coming out. During this time, my knowledge of story has grown and evolved. My goal with this workbook is to share with you a breakthrough that I have discovered that helps writers to write stronger scripts by writing strong log lines, establishing powerful dilemmas and setting clear goals. Once you implement these components into your scripts, it will increase your confidence. Increased confidence leads to belief and belief is the most important part of succeeding. First, I will go into Log Lines, Dilemmas and Goals
LOG LINE A log line is a brief description of the plot of your story that often involves an emotional hook and a twist of irony. I like to tell writers to think of the setup of who, dilemma, action and goal. This is a way of organizing your story lines in the briefest form possible to have the strongest emotional effect. You want to really grab your audience. Writing a log line is something that most writers do after they’ve written their script, but I encourage writers to write their log line before writing their script. Your log line is your story. It is your roadmap. It tells you where you are going and how you plan to get there. It also tells you if you are taking a wrong turn. If your log line doesn’t work, more often than not, something about your story is not working. As discussed earlier, when you’re thinking of your log line, you want to think, “who, dilemma, action, and goal.” When describing your dilemma, draw a picture that makes us feel empathy for your central character. Next, include the action that he or she takes as a result of the dilemma and, finally, include your character’s goal. Very often, your central character’s goal at the end of the story winds up being the opposite of what it was at the start. This is where irony comes into play. Irony is a key part of a successful log line and, therefore, a key part of a successful story. DILEMMAS What is a dilemma? Wikipedia offers this definition, “A dilemma is a problem offering at least two solutions or possibilities, of which none are practically acceptable; one in this position has been traditionally described as ‘being on the horns of a dilemma,’ neither horn being comfortable; or ‘being between a rock and a hard place,’ since both objects or metaphorical choices are rough.” Dilemmas provide tremendous opportunity for drama. If you add dilemma to your stories or strengthen your existing dilemmas, it will elevate your writing. We’ve all been through dilemmas. Start to be conscious of the dilemmas you have faced and are facing in your life. In my experience, I have come to view the set up of the central character’s goal and/or dilemma as the most important component of story. I believe that it is the key to the success or failure of your story. When a goal and dilemma are clear, your story has a much stronger chance of working because your obstacle, your escalating obstacle, your mid-point and your “all is lost” moment will all need to reflect back to your goal. If your goal and dilemma are unclear, then you will be unable to structure your story in the best way possible. When I see films that slightly miss the mark, I can almost always pinpoint a lack of clarity in the set up of the goal and strength of the dilemma of the central character as the major offending factor. If the goal and dilemma are not properly established, your audience won’t know what they’re rooting for. GOALS AND DILEMMAS When you’re thinking about your goal, think about what does your character want to achieve? It wasn’t until these last few years of analyzing story that I really recognized the power of the goal and dilemma. If the goal and dilemma are clear, the story has a much better chance of working because your audience understands what your central character wants and is able to root for him achieving his goal. All the pivotal moments in your story — your obstacle, your escalating obstacle, your turning point and your “all is lost moment” — should reflect back to your goal and escalate your character’s journey to achieving it. If you don’t clearly set up the goal, these moments will lose the impact they could have. When a writer has really mastered the use of g oal and dilemma, it resonates in every scene, building, escalating, twisting, and truly feeling the all-is-lost moment before the writer leads her reader to the resolution of the goal. Many writers have trouble with thinking about clear goals because they are not clear on the goals in their own lives. I have writers do the following exercise as a way to help them to clarify their goals. In the book “Think and Grow Rich” Napoleon Hill tells the story of Charles M. Schwab. “The United States Steel Corporation was born in the mind of Charles M. Schwab, in the form of an idea he created
through his imagination. Second, he mixed faith with his idea. Third, he formulated a plan for the transformation of his idea into a physical and financial reality. Fourth,he put is plan into action with his famous speech at the University Club. Fifth, he applied and followed through on his plan with persistence, and backed it with firm decision until it had been fully carried out. Sixth, he prepared his way for success by a burning desire for success.” I want you to think about the words from this story; Idea Imagination Faith Plan Persistence Decision Burning Desire Now, I want you to picture three goals that you have. These goals could be writing goals or personal goals. I want you to close your eyes and imagine that you achieved each of the goals. Be in the moment of what it feels like. Open your eyes, map backward what it took for you to achieve the goal knowing that you will get there. Use the words idea, imagination, faith, plan, persistence, decision and burning desire. Write up a paragraph/story about how you achieve your three goals using these ingredients. HOW TO WRITE A SPEC SCRIPT In this section, I will teach you all the components of writing a strong spec script. PICKING WHAT SPEC SCRIPT TO WRITE When selecting what spec scripts to write, you want to think about what your end goal is. I tell writers to think about the top 5 shows that they would want to staff on. A way to figure out the top drama and comedy specs to write is to look at the Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for that year. After looking at these, figure out if you are sincerely passionate about any of these shows. If you are, write it. If you’re not, think about another show that does well and that you are passionate about. Your passion will show up in your writing. A rule of thumb is to wait until a show has a firm pickup for a second season before writing it. Also, if a show is in its 4th or 5th season and looks like it’s nearing the end, it’s best to write something that is fresher and will serve you for a longer amount of time. To be a successful television writer, you should write a minimum of one new spec script a year. If you’re just starting out, you’ll want to have two spec scripts that are current. By current, I mean written within the last year or two. Your spec script is one of the most important calling cards that you’ll need as a writer to help get you where you want to go.
THINGS TO CONSIDER ABOUT THE SHOW YOU WANT TO WRITE You need to research and study the show you want to write. With the show websites, IMDB and TV Tracker, you can find out all you need to know. My first suggestion is that you look at the episode recaps. You want to review these for all the prior episodes that have been produced up to the point in the show’s timeline you are going to place your spec at. Notice the hook that each episode has. Also notice the balance of the storylines and what cast member or members are most often part of the A Story. You should be v ery aware of who you are writing toward. Also, if you study the network website for the show recaps, notice if they give the ratings for each episode. Notice the episodes that get the highest marks. This will help you to understand what the audience is
responding to on a universal basis. Next, get at least one script for a produced episode of the show. The more episodes you can get, the better. Ideally, it is better to get an episode versus the pilot if you are writing a spec but if the pilot is all that you can get your hands on, it works fine. Just make sure you watch the pilot episode and take notice of any changes that occured between script and screen. Pilots usually undergo several changes during the development and production cycle. Once you have the script, look at the Teaser and each act. Write down how many scenes are in each act. Note the page count for each act. Note the page count on the full script. Look at the length of each scene. How many scenes is the central character or regular cast members in? Next, think about how this particular show structures most of its episodes. You do this by looking at the story points at the end of each act break. This will give you a strong idea of the formula that the show uses. Later, I’ll share the formula I’ve discovered exists in most of the stand out episodes of telesvision I watch. Notice whether the show you write normally does an A, B and C story. If you’re writing a procedural, you’ll want to understand the balance of personal to professional. A way to dig deeper into the structure and the breakdown of the show is to write a sentence for each scene. This will guide you as to how they build story. You might also want to write a heading for each act. Is the central character that you’re writing flawed? If so, make sure that you stay true to the way that he/she is written. What traits does the central character you’re writing have? What motivates him or her? What is the dynamic of your central character’s relationship with the supporting cast? How do they button their scenes? A “button” is the last line in your scene.. When you “button” a scene, you want to end it in a strong and satisfactory way and provide a set up for the next scene that will happen in the same story line. These are all ways that will help you to write a better spec. The more you know about the show that you’re writing, the better chance you have of writing a standout episode. Next I will discuss what I feel are the three most important components of your story; a strong log line, a powerful dilemma and a clear goal. What I get writers to do is to start by writing several log lines for their script. Wikipedia’s definition is, “A log line is a brief summary of a television program or movie, often providing both a synopsis of the program's plot, and an emotional ‘hook’ to stimulate interest.” I tell writers to write their log lines by thinking about the setup of who, dilemma, action, and goal. You want to set up empathy for your central character, present the dilemma and the action that is taken, and the goal. Strong log lines often have irony in them. An example from a recent episode of “The Good Wife” titled “Unorthodox” is; When collegues are losing their jobs at the law firm, Will assigns Alicia a case representing the daughter of one of the partners and Alicia realizes that she must win this case and secure her spot, despite finding herself attracted to her co-counsel who has an unorthodox approach toward defending their client.
The set up of who is Alicia. The dilemma is that people are being cut from the firm. The action is she is assigned a case representing the daughter of one of the partners. The goal is she must win this case and secure her spot. An additional dilemma is when Alicia has to fight an attraction to her co-counsel.
GOAL AND DILEMMA I believe the most important key to the success of your story is building a strong dilemma and stemming it into a clear goal by the end of Act I. Starting with the goal, the most important question you need to answer when writing your story is: What does your central character want to achieve? Dilemmas provide tremendous opportunity for drama. If you add dilemma to your stories or strengthen your existing dilemmas, it will elevate your writing. After determining your central character’s external goal/dilemma, consider their internal goal as well. Why is it important to them on an emotional level to achieve their external goal? How will it change them inside? Here’s an exercise. Start studying TV. When you’re watching a show that you’d like to write a spec script for, figure out the formula of the show. Write down how the Teaser ends. Write down the story beat at the end of Act I. Write down the story beats at the end of the remaining acts. Think about how they work. In the shows that resonate with me the strongest, all act outs reflect back to the initial goal in some way. This doesn’t mean that every act has to end on your A story. You can have an act end on your B story, but it should still resonate back to the goal in your A story. I will later give examples of two standout shows that I broke down in this way to show you how to do it for the spec you want to write. FORMAT/STRUCTURE SHEET FOR THE ONE HOUR DRAMA (6 ACT STRUCTURE) This is a formula that I’ve discovered from watching current programs that have standout episodes. I studied several episodes of strong one hours. This was the formula that I found resonated the strongest with me. FORMAT/STRUCTURE SHEET FOR THE ONE HOUR DRAMA (6 ACT STRUCTURE) COLD OPEN - DILEMMA Set up of dilemma in your A, B and sometimes C story.
ACT I - SET UP OF GOALS Set up of the goal of your central character in each story. First beat of putting plan into action in each story. By the end of the act, the goal for your central character in your A story should be clear. End act with set up of first obstacle to goal in the A story or clear sense of what the goal is. ACT II - OBSTACLES Obstacle or escalating obstacle for the goal in the A story. Obstacle or escalating obstacle for the goal in the B story and/or C story. End act on escalating obstacle for the A Story. ACT III - ESCALATING OBSTACLES If first plan didn’t work, new plan can be put into Action with the A story or you keep escalating the
obstacles. Escalating obstacle with the new plan or from the old plan with the A story, could also be the B story. End act on esclating obstacle on the A Story, big moment. ACT IV - ESCALATING OBSTACLES OR TURNING POINT Continue escalating the action and creating obstacles in your A story. Esclating obstacle in your B story. End act on esclating obstacle in your A story or turning point. ACT V - BUILDING TOWARD “ALL IS LOST” MOMENT New plan of action could be put into play or continue to escalate the obstacles in your A story. Esclating obstacle in B and/or C story. “All is lost” moment in your A story. This is when your central character in your A story feels as far away as possible from achieving the goal. Something in this moment should trigger them into action to achieve the goal in the last act. ACT VI Confrontation in B story leading to a resolution. Confronation in your A story leading to a resolution or just a resolution in your A story and time spent showing what this picture looks like. If it is a serialized show, you will want to end on a cliff-hanger note that will bring your audience back to your next show.
STRUCTURE FOR A SITCOM The sitcom structure is similar to the drama structure. The one differentiation is that there are usually two goals in a sitcom. ACT I Set up first goal. Show the first obstacle. Show the action taken by your central character to overcome the obstacle. End the act in jeopardy. ACT II Escalate the jeopardy. Set a second goal. The character/characters go into action to solve the dilemma. It gets worse. There’s a twist. Then, there is a resolution. Begin and end your acts with the A story. Make sure that your B and C story have a beginning, middle and end. Thematically, tie them together.
STRUCTURE FOR A THREE ACT SITCOM I’ve noticed that sitcoms that are 3 4 acts are being written more like dramas. There is one goal for each story rather than forming a new goal after the first act. This is the structure for the majority of single camera network shows. TEASER Set up of world and of concept. ACT I Set up of dilemma in the A and B story. By the end of the act, the goals of each story should stem from the dilemma. End act on obstacle to the goal in the A story. ACT II Start the act by escalating the obstacle in the A story. Show obstacles in the A and B stories. You
could also have a C runner. End Act on A or B story in jeopardy. ACT III Hit another obstacle with the goals and then the resolutions in each story, ending on the A story. TAG Your tag could take an element of any story mentioned and expand upon it. I’ve seen strong tags start with the resolution in the A story and end on a beat from the C runner.
STRUCTURE FOR A HALF HOUR CABLE PILOT A half hour cable pilot is often a mix between the one-hour format and the half hour format but more like the one-hour format. There are no act breaks. There is usually an A, B and C story. It runs around 42 pages.
WRITING YOUR STORY I would like to discuss some of the other components that go into making strong story. In this section, I will cover discussion of scenes, dialogue, character motivation, action, conflict, theme, emotional stakes and finding your voice. Starting with the Scene. When you’re writing scenes, your goal is to figure out what it is you want to say and how to bring each scene to life. Structure each scene with a beginning, a middle and an end. Make sure that we understand in each scene what the person wants. This is why the dilemma leading to the goal should be set up in each storyline and felt in every scene. Make sure you have a motivated and active central character who wants something, as well as a strong antagonist. Think about the button on your scenes. Robert McKee says that a scene should start with a negative and end with a positive or start with a positive and end with a negative. Others have said that you should start the scene on a comic note and end it on a dramatic note. The bottom line is there should be a difference between how you start your scene and how you finish your scene. Is there conflict in the scene? If not, there should be a point of tension. Does your scene move plot forward? When writing dialogue in a spec script, your goal is to make it sound like the voice of the character on the show. When you’re studying the show, pay special attention to this. Keep in mind that TV dialogue is short and to the point. Try not to be on the nose with your dialogue. Utilize comedy in drama and drama in comedy. Do your best to assure that the dialogue feels organic to the character. What motivates your character to do what they do? Once you set up your goal/dilemma clearly, you need to also clarify why it is important for your character to attain this goal or figure out the dilemma. Through exploring backstory or current story, you reveal information about your character. If done well, you communicate to your audience why your character is doing what they’re doing. When you set up your central character’s goal/dilemma, think of the following; what is the worst that will happen if your character does not attain their goal? Why is it so important to your character that they attain their goal? If you explore character motivation through dilemma, make sure that you set up both sides of the dilemma. Why is your character torn between the two choices? A way to deepen your script is through the use of universal themes. To write your universal themes in a spec script from an authentic place, think about the times in your life when you felt extreme joy or extreme sorrow, or isolation or the experience of your world being turned completely upside down and your reality shifting, what did you do to heal or escape? Write down your answers to this question. Consider these as
potential motivations for your character. In your writing, theme is the icing on the cake. It is the thread that pulls everything in your mosaic tapestry together. It is an idea that resonates in all your storylines. Theme expresses how your central character goes about achieving his/her goal. It gives us insight into who your character is and helps us understand what drives him. It is the spirit beneath your story that reveals itself very softly throughout but, by the end, is totally clear. In a way, it is the brand of your story. If done well, it will have a universal emotional effect on your audience. If you couple it with symbolism, a visual symbol or an action symbol, you will empower your story and have a stronger chance of affecting your audience. What action does your central character take to achieve his/her goals? Make sure that your central character is active in achieving/solving his/her goal versus just being reactive. This is a common mistake that writers make. Conflict is a very important component to think about when you’re writing your script. What obstacles does your character or characters run into while pursuing their goal? How big is the conflict? How important is it to your character to get over this conflict? If your character solves one obstacle, make sure that when you present another obstacle, you escalate the situation. Your conflict also has to do with your emotional stakes. With the telling of strong story, everything ties into the overall effect. An exercise you can use to brainstorm conflict for your characters is to think about all of your own problems at the moment. Write them down. Think about them. What is the worst that can happen? Think back to your past, what were some life moments where you felt you were dealt insurmountable circumstances? EMOTIONAL STAKES What is the worst that can happen to your central character if he/she does not achieve his/her goal? Do you set up your characters in a way that we understand just how important this specific goal is to them? Do you root for them? Elevating the emotional parts of a script is probably an area that I work with writers on the most. For the story to work in the best way possible, it is necessary to execute this well. Go to the core of what is going on inside your characters. As I mentioned earlier, in addition to thinking about their external goal, also decide why this goal is important to them internally. When I read scripts, I think about what interests me the most within the story. Then, I ask myself whether the writer explored this as much as they could. Your own universal themes play into you getting as deep as you can emotionally. Go into your deepest and darkest moment. Think about how you felt. Is there a parallel with what your character is going through in your story? I encourage you to go there. It is in this experience that you begin to find your voice.
FINDING YOUR VOICE Finding your voice should be o ne of your biggest goals with writing. What does this mean? It means going further than you ever have. It means taking us far enough into your characters that we really understand what they feel in the moment. Attaining this is your gold. This will come from your well of life experience. Think of all the things that cross your mind but that you would never say out loud, because it would make you far too vulnerable. Have your characters say these things. Be willing to go deeper than you ever have. Be willing to take a risk. When a line of dialogue in your favorite show really speaks to you, it’s often because a writer has mastered using his/her voice. You want to achieve this. This will make your script stand out.
WRITING YOUR SPEC SCRIPT I have a Storywise Spec Teleeminar where I set up a 5 week structure for writers to write a spec script. I learned this from being the Writing Instructor for NBC’s Writers on the Verge. In this program, the goal over a 10 week period is to have the eight participants finish a brand new spec and a brand new pilot script. I’ve seen the results in both my teleseminar and the NBC Program. I was also a mentor in the CBS Diversity Program and I saw the results there as well. You can write a spec script in five weeks. I am going to lay out a schedule for you and give you information at each point in effort to help you to achieve your goal.
5 WEEK PROGRAM FOR WRITING YOUR TV SPEC SCRIPT WEEK 1 During Week 1, plan to have your concept completed. What is a concept? Your concept is where you plan to go in your episode. It is a step before writing your outline. For your concept, plan to write a log line. As I discussed earlier, you want to think set up of who, dilemma, action and goal. Then, write a paragraph for each act of your episode, giving a general/overall view of where you plan to go. You can look at my Story Structure Chart in the booklet to help guide you toward a better understanding of what you need to accomplish in each act. Do not stress yourself over the Concept Sheet. It is simply the first step toward starting to develop your story. WEEK 2 During Week 2, plan to have your outline completed. How do you write your outline? In an earlier section, I mentioned that you should break down how many scenes are in each act of the show that you want to write. So, you should refer to this document. Plan to write a small paragraph or a sentence for each scene in each act. You can add a line or two of dialogue in each scene, this helps to bring it even more alive. Also be aware of the structure that I mentioned. Study how the show you’re writing does it. However, generally be aware of the following. In the Teaser/Cold Open, you are establishing the dilemma for your A, B and sometimes C story ending the Teaser on your A story. In Act I, you are writing toward a goal in each story that should stem from the dilemma that you set up. By the end of Act I, in most shows, you should have a clear goal set in your A and B story. In Act II, keeping your goal in mind, you are building obstacles to your goal. In Act III, you are escalating your obstacles or moving toward a turning point. If you are writing a five act show in act IV, you are moving toward your “all is lost” moment.” This is when your central character is as far away as possible from achieving his or her goal. Be aware that whatever happens in this moment should trigger your central character to achieve his or her goal in the following act. In Act V, you are either having your characters achieve their goals or if it’s a VI act structure, you are continuing to build the obstacles and ending your act here with your “all is lost” moment. In Act VI, you are having your characters reach the resolutions to their goals. WEEK 3 During Week 3, plan to have the first half of your script written. Some writers like to write the full draft in Week 3 and give themselves the following two weeks to make revisions. By the time you’re writing your script, if you structured your outline well, it should be easier. So, again, refer back to the notes on the show you are writing. How many acts are in a produced episode? How many scenes are in each act? What is the page count of each act? How many scenes is the central character in,
etc. Your goal with a spec script is to make it feel like a produced episode. One way to get dialogue down is to tape record an episode and listen to it. This will help you to further identify with the voices. WEEK 4 Plan to have the full script written. This is your “vomit” draft. So, just plan on getting it all done and knowing that this is when the molding begins. WEEK 5 Plan to have your first revised draft done. After one revision, you should be in good shape. I would advise to revise your script 2-3 times before sending it out. Check your script against the produced episode. Read each act individually and make sure that you are picking up the tone of the show. Make sure that you are mimicing the show in the best way possible.
10 STORY QUESTIONS What is your logline? Think dilemma, action goal. What is the goal/dilemma of your central character? What are your obstacles, escalating obstacles, turning point and “all is lost’ moment that reflect back to that goal? How does your B story elevate your A story? Do you feel the goal in every scene? Have you set strong emotional stakes? What is the worst that can happen if your central character does not achieve his/her goal? How does your use of symbolism and theme help your story move forward? Is your central character active in pursuit of his/her goal? Is there an interesting twist? If not, could there be? Is it clear how your character has grown between your beginning and ending? What does it look like for your central character after the goal was achieved?
REWRITING - QUESTIONS YOU SHOULD ASK YOURSELF AFTER WRITING YOUR SPEC SCRIPT • Does my script feel like a produced episode of the show? • Have I used all of the central cast? • If I’m writing an ensemble, do I balance the stories well enough? • Did I check the produced episode against my script with regards to where the acts end and how many scenes are in each act? • Did I check out the show website and read ALL of the episode recaps to make sure that they haven’t done the same story or a similar story to the one that I wrote? • Did I watch a bunch of episodes to get the tone of the script down? • Is my page count equivalent to the average page count for a produced episode of the show? • Did I check the produced episode to study how their acts typically end storywise? • Do I give a sense of what the dilemma and possibly the theme is in my Teaser? • Is it clear what my A story is? • Does my story have anticipation, expectation and surprise? (This is from Pamela Douglas, WRITING THE TV DRAMA SERIES) • Do I clearly establish my central character’s goal stemming from his/her dilemma by the end of Act I? • Does my central character actively solve the goal?
• Do I empathize with my lead character? Do I root for him/her to achieve the goal? • Do my B, C and possibly D stories have a clear beginning, middle and end? • Do my B and C story have dilemma, set up of goal, escalating obstacles, “all is lost” moment and resolution? If not, could I structure them better this way? • Do my B,C and possibly D story elevate the A story thematically? • Do I utilize theme as a way to draw the stories together? • Does every scene in my script move the story forward? • Do I have scenes that are just character development or backstory versus moving plot forward? • Did I get the voices of the characters down? Are the voices differentiated enough? • Does my voice come out in the episode? A great place to have your voice come out in your central character is at the end of Act III or Act IV in your “all is lost” moment. It is at moments like this that we usually find out what a character is made of. If you draw from your personal experience here, your story will come alive. • Do my act outs reflect back to the initial goal? • Do I have a dilemma that comes after the goal? If not, could I? • Do I establish the emotional stakes? • Did I read my script from back to front and make sure that every preceding scene in the story sets up the following scene? • Do I spend enough time in the resolution? If I am writing a serialized show, do I end with a strong enough cliffhanger? The following are also things you want to think about while you’re writing your spec script. WHAT AGENTS AND MANAGERS LOOK FOR IN WRITERS I did a survey for one of my Storywise Seminars of a bunch of agents and managers. I asked them what they look for in signing new writers. I received the following answers; Great writing, original voice. Do they network? Do they have strong contacts? What competitions have they won? Amazing personality and salesmanship in meetings. Lots of material and wide range of material. Willingness to write. Openness to Criticism. NETWORKING Utilize Facebook. Go to WGA events or volunteer for them. Create a career group with your peers. Have a networking night. Do not be afraid to ask people for general meetings. If you see an episode of TV or a movie that you like, send the writer or director a letter or e-mail or contact them on Facebook. Call people from other companies at your level or the level above you and invite them to lunch. Try writing agents and managers query letters. If you’re writing on staff, take the time to cultivate relationships. In closing, I would like to emphasize that if you learn how to start your script with a strong log line and then establish a powerful dilemma and stem it into a clear goal, you will elevate your writing and create spec scripts that stand out. I would also like to encourage you to listen to my free podcast, Storywise. You can find it on my website.
Storywise is a podcast designed to give you the story behind some of our top storytellers as a way to inform, inspire and motivate you to believe that you too can make your dreams a reality. My book, Story Line: Finding The Gold In Your Life Story comes out in March of 2011. It is about learning to fictionalize your truth in your writing. Please visit my website at www.jengrisanticonsultancy.com for the latest on my seminars, teleseminars and to get information on how I work with writers in individual consults. Writing is a gift. You should embrace the process and be willing to do the work that it will take to get you to your career destination.
