Writing the TV Drama Series 3rd edition. Pamela Douglas
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TV.” Also the “Procedurals” section is more comprehensive and now includes House and The Good Wife as well as CSI. The Pilot section has been amplified as well.
Among the fresh interviews, I’m especially proud of landing one with Charlie Collier, the President of AMC Cable TV. I never had a network president in the book before, but the rise of basic cable as a phenomenon made this relevant. Other new interviews include: David Isaacs (M*A*S*H, Mad Men), Michelle and Robert King (The Good Wife), David Simon (The Wire), and others. In the Reality segment I have a candid interview with a Reality producer, and other writer-producers have been quoted throughout.
I re-interviewed Steven Bochco, and edited his earlier interview to blend with this one. I also re-interviewed my former students, creating a unique longitudinal study of what happens to film students in the 14 years after they graduate.
To make room for all these enhancements, I had to edit out some interesting material from the Second Edition. Interviews with the producers of Lost, Battlestar Galactica and Deadwood are gone, as is the blogging chapter on Grey’s Anatomy. Instead, I incorporated portions of those in other chapters. You can access the full deleted interviews in the Archives section of my website www.PamDouglasBooks.com.
My motivations for working so hard on this Third Edition are partly in response to how much television is evolving, and partly in response to the respect with which this book has been met, for which I’m grateful. Not only has it been recognized as the premiere book on the subject worldwide, but I’ve discovered that it has two distinct readerships. The main one, of course, is people who hope to become writers, both students and the general public. But we’re gradually accruing a second audience: people reading for insights into contemporary media. For example, Critical Studies scholars and Communications analysts have been referring to this book, and my interviews (including those for the international translations) have asked more about the nature of dramatic television than about how to break in or how to write a scene. That’s a little different from a few years ago. I wanted this new edition to be truly comprehensive in order to keep its mantle as THE book on this subject.
HOW TO USE THIS BOOK
IF YOU’RE A WRITER…
The entire template is here. All you have to do is follow the chapters, step by step.
I recommend this process: First, read through the entire book for an overview. During this early read don’t worry about taking notes or writing your script. Understand the terrain and the many options. Chapter One, Chapter Eight, and all the interviews are especially helpful for this kind of survey.
Second: Prepare to write your own scripts. It’s a good idea to generate at least two — one spec episode for an existing show and one original pilot. It’s even better to have more than one of each, but you have to start somewhere. Of course, some of you are more advanced and already have scripts. In that case, use this process for revisions.
If you begin with a spec episode, it’s up to you to study your show on your own. That means watching every episode available and accessing all relevant websites. The systems in this book will work for any hour drama series, but some shows are better choices than others.
Rule One: Choose quality. Even the worst shows hire the best writers they can find, and by best I mean writers who deliver authentic characters and situations. Imitating weak or contrived writing will just make you look untalented. At the beginning of 2011, samples being widely read by agents and producers include Breaking Bad, Dexter, House, The Good Wife, and a few others. If you’re reading this in future years, you can figure out what’s worth speculating by following the most-current Writers Guild and Emmy award nominees for writing.
Rule Two: Choose a show in current production. This requires a bit of research because shows may be on the air but in a final season. So an excellent series like Friday Night Lights, which concluded production, would not be useful even though it’s still running. The reason is purely practical: writing contests tend to require current samples. But that absolutely does not mean you should avoid learning from great classic shows like The Sopranos. In fact, you must! Just don’t spec those shows.
Rule Three: Choose a show where you can bring a fresh insight or experience that fits its world. For example, if you don’t know the culture of New Orleans, don’t even think of writing for Treme; no matter how much research you might do, it will come out fake. On the other hand, you don’t have to be a psychopathic killer to write for Dexter — although you do need to understand how he thinks.
Once you’ve chosen the show and learned it well, turn to the book. Re-read Chapter Three. See the analysis of the classic series? Now go to the show you’ve chosen and see if you can break it down into scenes like this, or into sequences. Define the “A,” “B,” and “C” (and maybe “D”) stories. See if you can make a grid for an episode, even in very rough form. Then make a grid for your own episode.
Next, go on to Chapter Four and follow each step — Outline, First Draft, Second Draft, and Polish. While you’re working, check in with the scripts (or DVDs) from the show. Have you caught the voices? The rhythm of the scenes?
If you’re writing a pilot, start by re-reading the “Spotlight On Writing Your Pilot Script,” which is between Chapter Four and Chapter Five. Then go back to Chapter Four and follow all the development steps — Outline, First Draft, Second Draft, and Polish.
While you’re writing, be an artist and set aside your marketing head. After you’re done, you’ll be able to use Chapter Six on how to break in. And if you’re fortunate, you’ll be ready for Chapter Five about working on a staff. But take your mind off “Ka-Ching!” — at least until you have something worth offering. Pandering to a quick buck will sabotage your career. As I told you, even the worst shows try to hire the best writers.
IF YOU’RE A TEHCHER…
This book follows a syllabus I’ve honed over the years and I’m consistently using, so I know it works. Each student is required to have a copy of this book, and I’ve found it helps to refer students to specific pages to see how to pitch and outline, and to read about scene structure, act structure, and all the aspects of storytelling. That doesn’t eliminate the need to teach those subjects, but seeing examples makes life easier for everyone.
I teach the chapters in the same order they appear in the book, except that the class in writing spec episodes is separate from the class in writing pilots. My students spend a semester in the spec class to learn the essentials of writing for series, and at USC that class is a prerequisite to writing an original pilot. Both classes use this book, but I emphasize different chapters.
I also amplify the text by screening and analyzing episodes. The explications of two NYPD Blue segments in Chapter Three are examples of deconstructing scenes purely from a writing point of view. For the spec class I begin with a show they might write, and later in the term I screen clips from classic shows that demonstrate specific principles. I’ve found that students may learn better from a classic they’re not attempting so the techniques stand out. For instance, selected scenes from The Sopranos and The Wire are especially revealing though the students wouldn’t write those shows. For the pilot class I like to screen opening scenes from Lost and The West Wing because