Don’t withhold; reveal, ...
A writer I work with as a consultant recently shared a phrase with me that came from her friend Craig Hammill (thanks, Craig!),...
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What makes a good series idea
In my work pitching series ideas and writing pilots (and on good days, selling them to networks such as NBC and Fox), I've learned a few things about what they're looking for, and what makes an idea sellable - as well as what a successful pilot script tends to include...
read moreWriting from a subjective POV
The single most devastating note I could ever hear on one of my scripts (if readers were brutally honest enough to say it), would be,...
read moreSAVE THE CAT genres
Ever since an established producer recommended I read Blake Snyder’s Save the Cat, I’ve found it to be an essential...
read moreWriting miniseries on spec
In my work as a consultant, I often meet screenwriters who are hoping to get into the marketplace with an idea for a potential...
read moreWGA guide to Television Writin...
In my coaching and consulting I help a lot of writers with original series ideas: evaluating concepts, reading pilots, and sharing my...
read morePassion. Openness. Persisten...
I guess I’ve become a fan of acronyms. First, it was “CURE”: what I think we as writers should aim for with every...
read moreBlake Snyder’s “5-...
For those of you who use the Blake Snyder Beat Sheet (which I highly recommend, and use when I consult with writers), I recently came...
read moreMain characters and DRAMATICA
One issue I commonly find in scripts I read is a lack of clarity on whose emotional point-of-view the story is being told through. I...
read moreLoglines and SAVE THE CAT
Most story (and series) ideas fail at the level of concept. Sad, but true. I’ve learned this the hard way. Of course,...
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