Category: Resources

40 years worth of TV writing experience and info, yours for the taking.

DENNIS O’NEIL: HOW LONG CAN YOU GO WITHOUT FAKING IT?

glheadacheby Dennis O’Neil

Story ideas are pretty malleable. I once presided over/rode herd on/sweated out an 1,100+ page continuity that began as a plot for two 15-pagers.  Hemingway is credited with writing a story in only six words.  (Go on. Google it.  I’ll wait.)  I did something a while back, just a bit over 500 words, that, I think, qualifies as a story, though some might disagree, (and because we cherish the First Amendment, if for no other reason, we welcome their dissent.)

Slick magazines, back when my mother was reading them, featured stories complete on one page.

Superman’s origin, which, you might recall, involved an exploding planet – we’re not talking small, here – was originally told on one page and the first Batman story ran a mere six pages, but it was very close to a Shadow novel that must have been in the neighborhood of 45,000 words. read article

Troy DeVolld: Pro Tip: You’re Not Going to Make It

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by Troy DeVolld

You read that right.  YOU’RE NOT GOING TO MAKE IT.

Of course, you COULD add an “UNLESS” to the end of that.  And you have to make your own UNLESSes.

Here are some serving suggestions: read article

Leesa Dean: Adventures of a Web Series Newbie

Chapter 50 – Take No Prisoners
by Leesa Dean

keep-calm-and-take-no-prisoners-22So, after a mini-tumultuous time (one celeb bailing, studio problems) we finally went back into the green screen studio last Tuesday and shot.

It was great.

We used Victor Cruz (not THAT Victor Cruz), who played the lead in Chilltown and is ridiculously talented–not only as an actor but a comedian. He just wrapped The Other Woman, starring Cameron Diaz and directed by Nick Cassavetes. I actually saw the trailer and I predict it’s gonna be a huge movie (the crowd in the theater I was in loved it). They’re in post now and I’m not sure of the release date but between that, Annie The Musical (which Victor’s also in–he even made the trailer–he plays the teacher in a blink or you’ll miss it scene; it’s also gonna be HUGE) and a brand new gangster show on FX he just booked, I’m glad we got him now! read article

Peggy Bechko: Good Writing Starts, Bad Writing Starts

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by Peggy Bechko

I think as writers we pretty much get the concept that if we want a reader to continue reading we have to hook ‘em good. And that means we need to interest them, fascinate them, confuse them with questions, whatever it takes, right from the very beginning.
In the ‘olden’ days of writing the writer could get away with setting the stage, of going on at length with backstory and set up. But, as writing is an evolving thing you won’t get away with that now. It won’t work for novels and it especially won’t work for that new-fangled media TV and movies.

One of the biggest mistakes a new writer can make is to underestimate the ability of the reader to grasp what’s going on. No, it’s not necessary for you as the writer to give minute detail on a character’s background (he was 14 when he started smoking, then joined a gang, then ended up in jail, then found redemption, then got out of jail – all to end up where he is now) so the story can proceed.

Instead, it’s imperative to jump right into the ‘action’ of the story (I don’t mean a car chase or a saber duel, I mean what’s pushing the story forward). Then, fill in necessary bits and pieces of backstory as the story moves forward. read article

Are These the Best Instances of Foreshadowing in TV & Film History?

…Um, probably not. But they’re good ones nevertheless. It’s read and learn time, kids. Read and learn:

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5 Movies and TV Shows With Brilliant Clues in the Dialogue
by Amanda Mannen, Lachlan M., Zackarias Speed, Ryan Menezes

Foreshadowing is one of those things that takes a lot of effort from the writers but goes largely unnoticed by viewers — it exists mainly as a reward to those loyal fans who watch a movie or TV show over and over. Yet, as we’ve already pointed out on several occasions, your favorite movies and TV shows are absolutely rife with tiny clues that predict important plot developments. Here are five major plot twists that were actually spoiled by the characters themselves, if you’d just listened closely … read article