What a friggin' RIOT. I've written a pilot (two actually, but developing one right now) and am taking a course on developing the series bible. I LOVE this shit. So much to learn, so much to do, so much to contemplate. Characters change, the storyline changes, but it all comes together and it makes me so happy that I'm taking the steps to do something with this. How many don't? How many write something once and give up? How many pitch it and say, "Those execs are asses, they don't know a good series when they see one." I don't know enough about this industry, but I know this: I have to keep doing, learning, writing, reading and rewriting to see anything of mine come to light. If I die and never sellanything, at least I'll die knowing I tried. Everyday. I did what I loved and I kept going. This class alone is GOLD. And it's pushing me to go above and beyond myself.This platform is GOLD. I try to talk to people about what I'm writing and they have NO INTEREST. Just grateful for these little pockets of people. SO.....What has writing a series bible done for you? Your idea? Your characters?
Screenwriting : Writing the Series Bible by Joleene DesRosiers
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Hey Joleene. That's cool that class is good...I might take it this summer. I loved smashing out a basic bible for my two tv ideas. It really helped me feel like I have a plan for when I pick them up again.
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Joleene, I have to admit I love this shit also !!!!!
I suppose if we didn't, we should consider a different line of work. :)
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I've written a pilot but won't write a bible for it unless there is interest by producers, networks, etc.
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@Jody I won't know there's interest unless I put it before them. I want to master this process so I can be prepared fully when I do pitch. I'm also discovering it helps me flush out my characters and my season. I'm discovering the bible is a crucial piece of the puzzle. Just putting it together has improved my pilot a ton.
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@Jolene you don't have to have the bible in order to pitch the pilot and vice-versa. For example, my boyfriend is currently working on a project for a series with a producer. They have a bible, synopsis, etc, but no pilot episode. Chances are, if the idea gets picked up, they won't be hired to write the show anyway (although of course they want to try to negotiate that) so there is no point in writing both bible and pilot right now. But I'm glad the process is working well for you. Sometimes it is helpful to flesh out the story and characters that way.
Who is teaching newbie writers to write an original spec pilot, a bible and episodes? How would a person with 0 TV writing experience know how to script a series?
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Jody's comments are right on. Someone might sell a pitch to a company but if they have no TV experience or haven't worked on a series they will almost never be hired as part of the writer's room (unless their they relative of the showrunner...then maybe a writing asst. job). Movie studios are the same way... you might sell a script, but five other people will be hired to rewrite it (people the studio/producers know or who have track records). Just the way of the world. Of course... there are the outliers but again... that's all lottery ticket getting hit by lightening, etc.
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@Joleene. I don't know anything about writing for television but I love your passion.
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Wasn't that sci-fi show that Halle Berry acted in last year and the year before, EXTANT? I think was the show? Wasn't it written by a new showrunner? Which, btw, season 3 was cancelled, this year, most likely poor ratings. Just saying. I will agree, if I ever get around to writing a TV series , all I would concentrate is on the PILOT Episode and try to incorporate in a 45 mins. to 60 mins. enough sub plots and loose ends, to leave room for other writers (showrunners as they're called) to take over. Right now, I would just do it as a learning experience. Hey, one never knows? I get a feature option (which I know I will, let's not be so negative, right Joleene, my darling?) and that leads to more work. After all I do have seven SPECS completed and will have nine by years end. HOPE never quits! Keep writing happily, Happy (fellow) Writers, remember on Stage 32 Happy Writers - No writer is left behind. No one pay me to say that, btw. LOL!
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fyi, Mickey Fisher was the creator of EXTANT, not the showunner. http://www.thetvaddict.com/2014/07/09/extant-scoop-creator-mickey-fisher... http://deadline.com/2015/02/elizabeth-kruger-craig-shapiro-extant-showru...
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What/where is the class you referred to in the original post? Sounds interesting.
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@Dan M. You may be confused. The class teaches how to write the bible.The pilot was already written. @Dan G @Jorge Thank you, gentlemen. xoxo @Jody The process is fun, thanks. :) For those of you that think its a waste of time, I don't think any act of learning is. My choice to take it was so I could understand my story better. (Which I've said twice.) Maybe that's not how you choose to do it, but it's how I chose to do it. The choices we make to improve are never wrong. I will pitch it. It may be rejected, it may be criticized, it may be chosen and rewritten beyond recognition. It may be an outlier that has the one in a million chance of being a lottery ticket getting hit by lightning. (Which is still a chance, by the way.) I don't count the odds. I don't mourn the possible negative outcomes. I write. I learn. I grow. Therefore, I win.
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@Mark https://www.screenwritersuniversity.com/ It's very interesting. Learning lots about the writing process. I find it helpful because it helps me think beyond the pilot. I mean, I had ideas beyond it, but to put them down in writing and in a format that creates more ideas and more excitement has been very valuable for me. The instructors are working in the industry and, at least in my humble experience, are very open to giving it to you straight. No BS, no fluff. This instructor has helped me improve my logline, my synopsis, and my overall story.
Thats fine to learn. We are all learning but write smart and learn the business end. There are 1000s of working WGA writers Inside writing rooms right now writing for next season. Dont u think they want to create their own pilots? Bibles, writing make believe episodes are just for practice. Thats all. Cmon, do u think youre gonna walk into a major network and pitch without a TV track record? Executives dont hand out checks for flashy log lines. Anyways, there is a guy today teaching "How to be a TV Staff Writer" on Stage 32. Thats the webinar u want to buy. Mickey Fisher is a unicorn, he won powerball.
Yes, Regina the creator/ producer is M. Fisher, on the link you cite they also mention a show runner, Greg, I think, could not get last name because the cite keeps being rejected by my Explorer, I did read somewhere, maybe here by Joey, that this was a created by a newcomer. You probably know if its true or not. Too bad, it seems is not coming back this summer.
Joleene: That is great to hear, that you found great instructors. You know I'm a fan of your work already. You write great visual description of your characters and that is essential in TV, more than in film, I think. I'm sure others here might disagree. Best of luck, girl.
Here's the link (wow google is amazing) that mentions M. Fisher and how a writing contest lead to EXTANT being produced by Spielberg company. http://variety.com/2014/tv/news/extant-how-a-contest-led-creator-mickey-...
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Joleene: Like I said, one never knows. It's like the lottery, you got be in it to win it. The odds are really high, but not impossible. Nothing is impossible, it's called FAITH, hope. Period. Lol (:
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A great script finds away --- sometimes through the best advertisement of all (WORD OF MOUTH) Sometimes by happen-stance. Hell it could fall out a window land on a producers head. You never know.
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Jorge , always on point, faith without works is useless.
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Mickey Fisher story http://gointothestory.blcklst.com/2016/06/mickey-fisher-on-writing-selli...
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This is fascinating to me. I was a theatre major, like him. I've written plays for the stage that have been produced, like him. And I'm an award-winning investigative television series journalist. I realize there are a million of us out there writing our shit and doing what it takes to break in...but THESE are the stories that keep me going. The Mickey Fisher stories.
Joleene, you go girl. Follow your instincts, they never fail you and being a woman, even more. I'm on your team, till you tell me to leave you the hell alone.