How To Write For Television » (Revised and Updated)

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.

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 script

DiMaggio 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 Television will continue to help budding writers reach their small-screen goals and will prepare them for working in the rapidly changing world of TV.

1 Introduction 1

The Story of Kevin Falls

2 The Tools of Scriptwriting 9

Locales

Narrative/Action

Dialogue

The Scene

3 Restrictions of the Medium and How You Can Make Them Work for You 33

Time Limitations

Characters Are Set

Locales Are Set

Budget Limitations

4 The Hooks That Sell 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

5 Thoughts to Consider Before Writing Your Spec 72

6 Writing the Half-Hour Sitcom 79

Comedy and Collaboration

Writing Funny: Can It Be Taught?

Structure: The Most Essential Element

7 Writing the Hour Episode 104

The One-Hour Structure

Creating Suspense

The Hour Setup

Build to the Act Ends

8 Developing an Episode Step by Step 116

Serials and Parallel Storylines

9 How to Create Riveting Characters 122

A Character's Back Life/Present Life

Professional Life

Personal Life

Private Life

The Compelling Characteristic

10 The Television Pilot 138

The Pilot Concept

Filling in the Concept

Treatments

11 Movies for Television and Cable 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?

12 Developing the Two-Hour Movie 230

Step 1 Defining the Spine

Step 2 Establishing the Time Frame

Step 3 Breaking Down the Turning Points

Step 4 Broadstroking the Beats

Step 5 Developing Character

Step 6 Scenes/Sequences

Step 7 Interior Voice

Step 8 First Draft

Step 9 Rewrites

Step 10 Polish

13 Adaptations, Collaborations, and My Biggest Mistakes241

Adaptations

Collaborations

My Biggest Mistakes

A Word from Animation Writer Stan Berkowitz

A Word from Reality Writer Gardner Linn

14 So It's Written. What do I do Now? 263

A Word from Agent Mitchel Stein

15 The Most Frequently Asked Questions About Marketing 275

16 A Final Note from the Author 287

Glossary 290

Appendix A Resources 297

To Find Scripts

To Buy Scripts

For Networking

For Links and Information

Screenwriting Software

Appendix B Fellowships and Writing Competitions 301

Acknowledgments 305

Index 307