How to Write a Tv Pilot Script

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STORYWISE EBOOK: HOW TO WRITE A TV PILOT SCRIPT

Hello, my name is Jen Grisanti. I am a Story Consultant, Writing Instructor for NBC's Writers on the Verge, Blogger for The Huffington Post, and author of the books Story Line: Finding the Gold In Your Life Story, TV Writing Tool Kit: How To Write A Script that Sells, and Change Your Story, Change Your Life: A Path To Success.

In this workbook, I plan to tell you about a breakthrough method that I discovered during my past 22 years of analyzing story. I believe that this method will help you to write a stronger TV pilot script. It all starts with a strong log line, the setup of a powerful trigger incident that pushes the central character into a dilemma and a clear goal that stems from the dilemma. I will go much deeper into this philosophy in a little bit.

I created this workbook because I recognize that the pilot script is the hardest script to write out of any script out there. I want to help unmask some of the mystery behind to the process of writing a strong pilot script. I want to give you the tools that will help you to succeed.

First, I’d like to tell you a little about my background. I started my career as an assistant to Aaron Spelling 22 years ago. Aaron was my mentor for the next 12 years as I climbed the ranks and eventually ran Current Programs at Spelling Television Inc. covering all of Spelling’s shows including Beverly Hills, 90210; Melrose Place; and Charmed. Current Programming is the department that takes over the shows once Development sells the pilots to series. During my climb, Aaron used to send me all the pilots to read and give notes on even though my department was Current Programming versus Development. I loved doing notes on both pilots and series because I loved understanding the whole process. In 2004, I was promoted to Vice President of Current Programs at CBS/Paramount where I covered shows including Medium, Numbers, NCIS, The 4400 and Girlfriends.

In January 2008, I launched Jen Grisanti Consultancy Inc., a consulting firm dedicated to helping talented writers break into the industry. By drawing from my 12-year experience as a studio executive where I gave daily notes to executive producers/showrunners, I personally guide writers to shape their material, hone their pitches, and focus their careers. Since launching, I have worked with over 600 writers working in television, features and novels. I’ve helped over 50 of my writers to staff, 28 have sold pilots and four have gone to series. I do seminars, teleseminars and I have a podcast series called Storywise that gives the in depth story behind some of our top storytellers. It's on itunes and my website at:

www.jengrisanticonsultancy.com

WRITING THE PILOT SCRIPT I am going to start by giving you a little more information about my philosophy, starting with the log line. I like to have writers start by writing what I refer to as a “Log line For Your Life.” This is a way to start identifying universal life moments and themes in your own life. I believe that your well is where your gold for your writing lies. With a log line you want to think set up of who, dilemma, action and goal.

LOG LINE FOR YOUR LIFE To help you understand how to write log lines for your life, let’s dissect a log line from the movie, Pretty Woman: “A cutthroat businessman who wants to remain detached needs a date for some social engagements, and hires a beautiful prostitute he meets... only to fall in love.”

This log line sets up the dilemma while making us feel empathy for the central character with the words, “A cutthroat businessman who wants to remain detached needs a date for some social engagements....” Then, it gives us the action that he takes, “and hires a beautiful prostitute he meets....” The irony is the goal: “fall in love” is completely the opposite of what he set out to do.

An external/internal log line for my life is, “When a work obsessed corporate executive is told that her contract is not being renewed, she is forced to turn her plan B into her plan A and discovers that her plan B was her plan A all along.” The set up of the central character is, “When a work obsessed corporate executive....” The dilemma is, “is told that her contract is not being renewed....” This is becoming a life experience for millions. The dilemma is prevalent. What do we do when our “moment,” which we’ve worked for all of our life, ends? The action is represented with “She is forced to turn her plan B into her plan A.” Many of us can connect with the idea that life takes a turn and we are forced to design a new plan. After this happens, many of us discover that the universe nudged us because it was our time. The goal is, “and discovers that her plan B was her plan A all along.” This utilizes irony as well. This is very universal. We can go back to our core and figure out what made us happy about doing our jobs in the first place. Then, we can design a new plan.

By writing theses types of log lines, you can find your truth. By finding your truth, you can write story from an authentic place. This will help you to identify your voice.

WRITING A LOG LINE FOR YOUR SCRIPT Writing a log line is something that most writers do after they’ve written their script, but I encourage writers to write their log line before writing their script. Your log line is your story. It is your roadmap. It tells you where you are going and how you plan to get there. It also tells you if you are taking a wrong turn. If your log line doesn’t work, more often than not, something about your story is not working. As discussed earlier, when you’re thinking of your log line, you want to think, “who, dilemma, action, and goal.” When describing your dilemma, draw a picture that makes us feel empathy for your central character. Next, include the action that he or she takes as a result of the dilemma and, finally, include your character’s goal. Very often, your central character’s goal at the end of the story winds up being the opposite of what it was at the start. This is where irony comes into play. Irony is a key part of a successful log line and, therefore, a key part of a successful story.

EXAMPLES OF LOG LINES:

BREAKING BAD LOG LINE – “When Walt, a high school chemistry teacher with a wife and a handicapped son, is given a diagnosis of terminal cancer, he turns to what he knows best, chemistry, and decides to make and distribute meth in order to have something to leave his family.”

WHO – A high school chemistry teacher with a wife and handicapped son DILEMMA – is given a diagnosis of terminal cancer ACTION – decides to make and distribute meth GOAL – in order to have something to leave his family.

Series Dilemma – Walt (Bryan Cranston) is diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. He has very little to leave his family if he dies because he is a chemistry professor. He comes up with the idea of dealing meth. The two sides of his dilemma are if he deals meth, he risks getting caught and going to jail, but he will have the money to leave his wife and their handicapped son; second, if he doesn’t make the meth, he will have very little to leave his family, and he will die feeling like he didn’t provide for them.

MAD MEN LOG LINE – Donald Draper, a conflicted ad man in the 1960’s, must figure out how to keep the secret that the picture he paints and the world he creates is not from an identity that is his own in order to remain at the top of his game.

THE GOOD WIFE A betrayed housewife must pick up the pieces after her husband’s very public and political scandal lands him in jail, and she returns to the workforce to secure her family’s future.

DILEMMA What is a dilemma? Wikipedia offers this definition, “A dilemma is a problem offering at least two solutions or possibilities, of which none are practically acceptable; one in this position has been traditionally described as ‘being on the horns of a dilemma,’ neither horn being comfortable; or ‘being between a rock and a hard place,’ since both objects or metaphorical choices are rough.” Dilemmas provide tremendous opportunity for drama. If you add dilemma to your stories or strengthen your existing dilemmas, it will elevate your writing. We’ve all been through dilemmas. Start to be conscious of the dilemmas you have faced and are facing in your life.

During most of my career as a TV executive, I analyzed story by focusing on the goal of each story line. It wasn’t until later in my career that I got to know and understand the true value of linking the trigger incident, dilemma and pursuit. By analyzing story for over 21 years, I have learned that having a clear goal that stems from the choice made in your dilemma that was caused by the trigger incident will give your story a much stronger chance of working. It is when the goal of the story is unclear that things fall apart. I find that most writers have a problem with this area of story because the majority of people are not clear about what their own life goals are. Think about your goals at the moment. Are they clearly defined? If not, think about ways you can clarify them. We write what we know. If we don’t know what our goals are, it will be harder to write toward this in your story.

TRIGGER INCIDENT, DILEMMA AND PURSUIT (GOAL) I believe the most important key to the success of your story is building a strong trigger incident that forces your central character into a dilemma. Then, the choice that they make in the dilemma defines the pursuit/goal. This should happen by the end of Act I. Starting with the goal, the most important question you need to answer when writing your story is: What does your central character want to achieve?

Dilemmas provide tremendous opportunity for drama. If you add dilemma to your stories or strengthen your existing dilemmas, it will elevate your writing.

STRUCTURE FOR A DRAMA SERIES

TEASER Set up the personal dilemma of the central character. Show the world. Set up of theme. Have a strong trigger incident that forces the central character into a dilemma. Decide if you’re going to have a series trigger and dilemma and a pilot trigger, dilemma and pursuit. If you do start with a series arc, make sure that it links to the pilot arc.

ACT I If you’re going to have a pilot trigger, show the pilot trigger that leads your central character into a dilemma and pursuit. Set up the rest of your characters. Set up the conflict. End the act with total clarity on what the goal is for the A story. Very often, the goal in the B story is also established by the end of Act I but the act should end on the A story. The goal should stem from the choice made in the dilemma in each story arc. You could end the act with the clear set up of the goal or the first obstacle to the goal in the A story.

ACT II Your central characters in both the A and B story should start actively trying to achieve his/her goals. End the act on an obstacle or escalating obstacle that directly gets in the way of this goal.

ACT III When your character gets over one obstacle, present another one, escalating the situations in your A and B and sometimes, C stories. Keep in mind that you are building toward your “all is lost” moment. This means that you couldn’t be further

from the initial goal. In a four-act script, your “all is lost” moment happens at the end of Act III. In a five-act script, you can end this act on a stronger obstacle or a turning point. Maybe the goal shifts as a result of the last obstacle. You can send your central character on a new mission.

ACT IV This act ends with your “all is lost” moment in a five-act script. In a four-act script, this is your resolution. Your central character achieves their external goal.

ACT V In a five-act script, this is your resolution. Make sure that your central character actively solves the goal that was set up at the end of the first act in the A and B story.

In thinking about your B and C story, you should also set up a trigger incident, dilemma and goal for your characters, have obstacles that get in the way, an escalating obstacle or turning point and an “all is lost” moment and a resolution. Every single scene in your story should have purpose and inform the goal, the obstacle, the escalating obstacle and or turning point and the resolution. This will give you the most well rounded story.

If you have a clear understanding of your goal in each story, then you’ll understand much better how to map out the rest or your act outs because they should all reflect back to the goal.

STRUCTURE FOR A SITCOM The sitcom structure is similar to the drama structure. The one differentiation is that there are usually two goals in a sitcom.

ACT I Set up first goal. Show the first obstacle. Show the action taken by your central character to overcome the obstacle. End the act in jeopardy.

ACT II Escalate the jeopardy. Set a second goal. The character/characters go into action to solve the dilemma. It gets worse. There’s a twist. Then, there is a resolution.

Begin and end your acts with the A story. Make sure that your B and C story have a beginning, middle and end. Thematically, tie them together.

STRUCTURE FOR A THREE ACT SITCOM I’ve noticed that sitcoms that are 3-4 acts are being written more like dramas. There is one goal for each story. The goal doesn’t change at the end of the first or second act.

COLD OPEN - Set up of world and of concept.

ACT I Set up of trigger incident and dilemma in the A and B story. The goal for the A story should be established by the end of the act. The goal should stem from the trigger incident and dilemma. End the act on an obstacle to goal in the A story.

ACT II Top of Act, escalate the obstacle in the A story. Show obstacles in the A and B stories. You could also have a C runner. End the Act on A or B story in jeopardy.

ACT III Hit another obstacle with the goals and then the resolutions in each story, ending on the A story.

TAG Your tag could take an element of any story mentioned and expand upon it. I’ve seen strong tags start with the resolution in the A story and end on a beat from the C runner.

GOALS AND DILEMMAS IN CURRENT PILOTS

BREAKDOWN FOR SILICON VALLEY

Kid Rock performs at a new millionaires party in the dot.com company.

There’s a group of computer nerds (RICHARD, EHRLICH, BIG HEAD and more) that haven't made it yet. They are the poorest ones at the party. (CREATE EMPATHY)

Ehrlich motivates them to network. It is clear that he wants the guys in his incubator to find the same kind of success.

The guy gives a speech about the success of Hooli and the huge deal that was made. (SERIES TRIGGER & DILEMMA)

ACT I

Ehrlich talks to Richard and tells him that he thinks his idea for Pied Piper is weak. Ehrlich tells him that he has to do more to pull his weight in Eric's house. (PILOT TRIGGER AND DILEMMA)

Gavin speaks about Hooli. Stakes for Richard when he mentions to Big Head that Ehrlich threatened to kick him out of the house and how he can't afford to live there. (PERSONAL STAKES)

Richard and Big Head talk about the upcoming Ted talk with Peter Gregory. (ACTION)

Richard talks w programmers. They ask about Pied Piper. Richard sends it over to them (ACTION) and then realizes that they were teasing him. (OBSTACLE)

They listen to Richard at the Ted Talk about college dropouts. Peter is pro dropping out. He questions the system.

Richard approaches Peter Gregory. To get his attention he tells him that he dropped out, but could go back to college. (ACTION TAKEN TOWARD GOAL) This gets Peter's attention. He pitches him Pied Piper.

Peter's girl walks up and points out what could be an obstacle with the concept. Richard loses his chance with Peter. She tells Richard that she'll look up Pied Piper. (OBSTACLE TO GOAL)

Programmers check out Richard's website. They are shocked by the quality of the sound, the file size and how quick the search is on a compressed database.

Gavin's guy, Jerod, tells him about the strengths of Pied Piper and what it could be used for other than just music.

Ehrlich hears a pitch at the house. It's not what he wants.

At the house, Richard gets a call from Jerod. He tells him that Gavin likes Pied Piper and wants to meet with him. Richard shares the news. Eric says that he owns 10% of Pied Piper. (ACTION TOWARD GOAL)

Richard is kept waiting for Gavin. A VP tells him that he only gets to see him 10 minutes a month. (OBSTACLE TO GOAL)

Gavin makes a comment to his spiritual guru about what each group of computer nerds seem to be made up of.

Richard gets a call from Peter Gregory while he is waiting. He tells Jerod that Peter Gregory is calling. (ACTION TOWARD THE GOAL)

Richard is talking w/Peter Gregory when Gavin shows up. Richard asks Peter Gregory if he can call him back.

Jerod pitches Richard about what Gavin is willing to offer him: a raise and promotion. Ehrlich arrives w/Big Head and announces that he owns 10%.

Gavin tells Richard that he'll give him $600,000 for it. Peter Gregory calls Richard on Big head's cell. Gavin tells Richard that he'll give him 3 million. Peter offers $300,000 for 10%. Gavin offers 4 million. Peter offers $200,000 for 5% and says that he will help him to build this company.

Richard tells Gavin that he has to go to the bathroom. Gavin offers 10 million. Richard leaves saying that they'll talk in a bit. (ESCALTING OBSTACLE TO THE GOAL)

Richard throws up. He goes to the doctor. The doctor tells him that he had a panic attack. Richard tells him that he has to make the decision. The doctor tells him the story of a guy in a similar life circumstance. He tells him that he shot himself because he didn't take the money. Then, he said that he couldn't remember what he regretted. The doctor pitches Richard an idea and tells him that they're looking for investors. Richard leaves and throws up again.

Monica, the girl that works with Peter Gregory approaches Richard outside the doctor's office. He tells her that he is going w/Gavin. She tells him all the things that they believe that Pied Piper will be able to do. She says that this is game changing and questions why he wouldn't want to be in the driver's seat when this happens. Does he really just want to turn it over to Hooli and walk away? She offers to give him a ride.

Richard gets home. He asks what the guys would feel about taking Peter Gregory's

offer and starting it from scratch. Richard tells Ehrlich that he's going to go with Peter's offer. He tells him that he's excited about his choice.

Richard accepts the offer and tells his group that he'd like for their company to be different and think different. (GOAL ACHIEVED)

BREAKDOWN FOR THE BLACK LIST

Reddington turns himself in (SERIES TRIGGER INCIDENT) Information is given on Reddington.

Stakes set up when he reveals that someone thought to be dead is actually alive. This sets up the dilemma. Reddington reveals more; he tells them that three major events they view as seperate are linked. He suggests that they work together. Reddington tells them that he's alive. They confirm it.

Reddington says that he'll give them Zamani, but he has one rule, he will only speak with Elizabeth Keen. (PILOT TRIGGER AND DILEMMA)

Elizabeth tells her husband that she's not going to let the job come between her and her family. A fleet picks Elizabeth up. (SET UP OF PERSONAL DILEMMA)

Meeting between Cooper and Keen. She tells him that she has no history with Reddington. Cooper asks her to profile herself. Link between her first day as a profiler and Reddington thinking that he can manipulate her. (Set up of WHY NOW, WHY HER)

Keen meets with Reddington. We learn about her wound, (abandoned by a father who was a career criminal and a mother who died of weakness and shame). He tells her that Zamani will abduct a US General's daughter, Beth. Keen tells the FBI that she believes Reddington, Beth is going to be taken.

Keen tells husband that she won't be able to make the meeting with the adoption people. (OBSTACLE IN PERSONAL ARC)

Her personal wound with her past, being abandoned by her father, is connected to her personal goal of adopting a child. It also links with the professional goal of

saving a child.

Keen goes with fleet to pick up Beth. (ACTION TAKEN TOWARD THE GOAL)

Their car is hit. Zamani’s men about about to take Beth, Keen promise Beth that she will find her. Zamani’s men take Beth. End of Act I. (OBSTACLE TO THE GOAL)

Reddington tells Keen to tell him about the scar on her hand.

He tells her that she won't find Beth unless she looks at the situation differently, like a criminal. He instructs her to make it personal.

Keen figures out that Zamani is dying and connects the kidnapping to an action taken by the US General. Zamani wants revenge. He is going to use Beth to settle the score. (ACTION TAKEN TOWARD THE GOAL)

Reddington tells them that he'll need to travel freely to help them out.

Keen gets home. Zamani has her husband. He tortures her husband as he tries to get more info. She calls 911. END OF ACT II (ESCALATING OBSTACLE TO THE GOAL – PERSONAL/PROFESSIONAL)

Keen speaks with Reddington. She stabs him in the neck with a pen. (ACTION TAKEN TOWARD THE GOAL)

Reddington and Zamani meet. We learn that Reddington was behind what happened to her husband.

Reddington tells Keen that Zamani wants more than just the General's daughter. He asks Lizzy what she saw when she was in the house with him. She figures out that Zamani is going to bomb the DC Zoo. (ESCALATING OBSTACLE AND STAKES)

Keen finds Beth. She has a bomb strapped to her. There are less than 3 minutes on the clock. Zamani is killed. Keen tells Beth about how when she touches her scar, it makes her brave. The bomb is stopped. Daughter is saved.

The man who saves the girl takes off with the bomb (GOAL ACHIEVED)

Reddington speaks to the FBI. He tells them, that Zamani is only the first name on his list. It is called The Blacklist. He tells them that Zamani was a small fish.

Reddington gives them his terms including that he only speaks with Elizabeth Keen.

Elizabeth finds a box full of cash and fake passports belonging to her husband. (SET UP OF THE SERIES) FOUNDATION IN WRITING A PILOT SCRIPT

There are so many things to think about when you sit down to write your pilot script. Here are some important questions to consider:

What is my world? Is it a world that continuous story can come out of? When and where does it take place? Who are my characters? What is their backstory? What is the story I’d like to tell? Is there a hook? How can I tell my story so that it hits the audience in a universal way? Does the goal stem from the dilemmas in the A and B story? Do I write character in a way that you feel empathy for the lead so that you are rooting for him/her to achieve the goal? What are my characters’ motivations? What is the conflict? What are the emotional stakes? What is the worst that can happen if my central character does not achieve his/her goal or the dilemma is not resolved? Within the story, do I hear my voice? What is the structure of my series? Is it more about the cases that come in, or is it more about how they resonate with my characters? Do I set up the series? Can I imagine what episode #100 will be? Can the reader/viewer imagine this?

In this next section, I will breakdown some of the elements that go into writing a strong pilot script.

THE WORLD Does your story have a franchise? What is your world? Is there a strong engine for story? The most popular worlds are medical, legal, and law enforcement. Over the years, television has evolved to a place of much more complex and intelligent story telling.

When you’re designing your world, think of an arena that appears to have endless story that could come from it. Chances are that it’s an arena that has been explored before. So, add an original twist to it that doesn’t make it derivative.

Some new shows that have added strong twists to existing worlds include: MAD MEN, BREAKING BAD, BIG LOVE and DAMAGES.

THE PLACE Where does your story take place? What is the place like? Does the place fuel the concept even more? If it’s a serialized show, is there one meeting place where the core cast comes together?

WHEN When does your story take place? Is it in the present or is it a period piece? Think about what your concept is and consider what historical time frame lends itself best to making your concept interesting.

A, B and C Story Lines Your “A” story is your dominant story in your pilot. This is the primary story. Most of your act outs will usually end on your “A” story. Your “B” story is also very important. You don’t spend as much time on it but if done well, your “B” story can elevate your “A” story by exploring the same theme but taking a different approach to it. In procedural shows, many of them use the “A” story as the case and the “B” story as the personal story. Your “C” story is often your runner. You spend the least amount of time on your “C” and sometimes “D” stories but they can still have an impact. They often add humor and are lighter.

With your “A” and “B” story, you want to think: set up of dilemma, establishment of clear goal, obstacle, escalating obstacle or turning point, “all is lost” moment, and resolution. You want to hit all beats in both stories even though your “A” story is more dominant.

With your “C” story, even though you don’t hit all the beats, you want to have a beginning, middle, and end with it as well.

FORMULA When I speak about formula, I mean how your show is structured. What are your story beats at the act outs?

Also, what goes into your formula is knowing what your “A” story will be versus your “B” story from week to week. Usually your “A” story is about the world of your series and your central character. Very often, your “B” story is your emotional story. In other words, your “A” story is often the professional part and the “B” is often personal.

Think about all your favorite shows. Start to figure out what are the elements that you see in their “A” stories versus their “B” stories.

You will also want to think of the balance of your show. What is the balance of professional to personal? Some procedurals are all about the case versus others are more about the characters and just use the case as a way to enhance the banter between the characters and build on their situations. So, think about what you want the balance of your show to be.

CHARACTERS In the past few years, the characters in the series that work and go the distance are very often, complex, flawed and vulnerable. You want to set up your story so that the audience empathizes with your central character. You want to see growth between where the character starts and where he/she ends. You want to connect with and root for him/her.

This started with THE SOPRANOS and THE SHIELD. We learned so much about the value of having a very strong, but flawed, character through the brilliance of the writing in these shows. Since then, some other shows that explore the beauty of complex characters include; HOUSE OF CARDS, HOMELAND, ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK, MASTERS OF SEX, THE GOOD WIFE, HANNIBAL, THE BLACK LIST, BREAKING BAD, MAD MEN, and DAMAGES.

Recognize that good story reveals character.

EXERCISE

When thinking about who the characters will be in your world, create a bio for each. As you design your characters’ lives, make sure you take advantage of the resources you have at your disposal. Think of all the people you have in your life and around you. Think of the friends or family who bother you the most or get on your nerves. Think about the qualities that contribute to you feeling this way. Observe people and their habits when you’re out. Write down what you see. Never miss an opportunity to recognize the value of a situation. Honestly, your greatest gold for story is your own well of experience. So, start to look at the awful things that have happened to you with a new light: these will be great on the page. Think about your own qualities. Very often what we hate in others, we hate in ourselves. This is where growth is inspired.

STORY What do you want to say in your pilot? What is the story? Do you get a strong sense of the journey? Do you root for your character?

For those of you contemplating writing autobiographical stories, I encourage you to do this as an exercise of getting story out, not as your pilot. In my experience, it is better to draw from your life experiences to enhance your fictionalized story, not to tell your own story. It’s rare that our story is going to be as interesting to others as it is to us. It is best to tell story in a more detached way. When you are so close to a story, you cannot see things that you would otherwise be able to see.

In studying story, I have found one key question that is relevant across the board to story in every medium: What does your central character want? For television, do you clearly set up the goal stemming from your dilemma of your central character by the end of Act I? I’ve discovered that if you don’t establish what your central character wants in the first act, your story will not build as effectively as it could. Every other act out should reflect back to this initial goal in some way.

I’ve also found that clarity is the key to everything. If we understand what your characters want and why they want it, your story will connect better with your audience.

Here are some story mistakes that are common in pilot scripts:

Too much story and not enough character Confusing storylines

Not enough time spent setting up your world and the story that travels through it Not enough time spent on the development of your characters. Making the first four acts mostly backstory and having the series start in the last act.

The biggest question I ask myself when I am watching a pilot or an episode of television is “Why do I care?” If I don’t know the answer to this question in 20 minutes, I change the channel. Make sure you answer this question as early as possible.

HOOK Does your story have a hook? If not, think of how to write it so that there is one. A hook is something unique to your story that sets it apart from the rest.

With BREAKING BAD, the hook is the dilemma the central character faces when he is diagnosed with terminal cancer and has to figure out how to provide for his wife and handicapped son after he’s gone, even though he only makes a teacher’s salary. So, utilizing his knowledge as a chemistry teacher, he decides to make and distribute meth.

MAD MEN is set in the world of advertising. The hook is the world, the time period and the backstory of the central character and what haunts him.

BIG LOVE is about the world of polygamy. Its hook is its exploration of what it’s like to be a polygamist and one of the multiple wives participating in this world. It explores an existence that many of us don’t know.

UNIVERSAL THEMES What is a universal theme? This is an experience that appeals to the masses. It’s how your audience connects to your story and your characters. I love a writer who has the maturity and the know how to execute them well.

How do we find universal themes? I teach that we can find them in our own stories. Think back on your life. Think of all the firsts you went through: the first time you rode your bike, the first time you got through a day of school without missing your mother or father, the first time you played a sport and excelled in it, the first time you got a good grade, the first time you were punished, the first time you felt real isolation, the first time you kissed someone, the first time you fell in love, the first time you had your heart broken, the first time you heard about your parent’s divorce, the first time you felt betrayed by a friend or lover, etc. The list is endless.

Superficially, we have a lot of these experiences in common, if not all of them. Yet, no one experiences joy and pain exactly like we do. It’s this unique personal interpretation that informs what most of us want to find, our voice.

TRIGGER/DILEMMA/GOAL The set up of the trigger incident that leads your central character into a powerful dilemma is the key to your story working. As a result of your dilemma, your central character makes a choice. This choice defines the external goal. The most important question you need to answer when writing your story is: What does your central character want to achieve?

If you don’t know the answer to this, you need to figure it out before writing your story. The strongest stories I’ve seen even take it a step further. Rather than just setting up a goal for your central character, at the end of Act I your central character is faced with a dilemma where neither option is a strong choice. This is where all the drama comes from.

After determining your central character’s external goal consider their internal goal as well. Why is it important to them on an emotional level to achieve their external goal? How will it change them inside?

Exercise - Start studying TV. When you’re watching a pilot that you like, figure out the formula of the show. Write down how the Teaser ends. Write down the story beat at the end of Act I. Write down the story beats at the end of the remaining acts. Think about how they work. In the shows that resonate with me the strongest, all act outs reflect back to the initial goal in some way. This doesn’t mean that every act has to end on your A story. You can have an act end on your B story, but it should still resonate back to the goal in your A story.

If you follow this method, you will begin to understand story in a whole new way, just like I did.

CHARACTER MOTIVATION What motivates your character to do what they do? Once you clearly set up your goal stemming from your trigger incident and the choice made in your dilemma, you need to also clarify why it is important for your character to attain this goal or figure out the dilemma. Through exploring backstory or current story, you reveal information about your character. If done well, you communicate to your audience why your character is doing what they’re doing. When you set up your central

character’s goal, think of the following; what is the worst that will happen if your character does not attain their goal? Why is it so important to your character that they attain their goal? If you explore character motivation through dilemma, make sure that you set up both sides of the dilemma. Why is your character torn between the two choices?

ACTION What action does your central character take to achieve his/her goals? Make sure that your central character is active in achieving his/her goal/dilemma versus just being reactive.

Think about the exercise I mentioned in the Universal Theme section. During the times in your life when you felt extreme joy, sorrow, isolation, or the experience of your world being turned completely upside down and your reality shifting, what did you do to heal or escape? Write down your answers to this question. Consider these as potential motivations for your character.

CONFLICT What obstacles do your character or characters run into in while pursuing their goal? How big is the conflict? How important is it to your character to get over this conflict? If your character solves one obstacle, make sure that when you present another obstacle, you escalate the situation. Your conflict also has to do with your emotional stakes. With the telling of strong story, everything ties into the overall affect.

An exercise you can use to brainstorm conflict for your characters is to think about all of your own problems at the moment. Write them down. Think about them. What is the worst that can happen? Think back to your past, what were some life moments where you felt you were dealt insurmountable circumstances?

EMOTIONAL STAKES What is the worst that can happen to your central character if he/she does not achieve his/her goal? Do you set up your characters in a way that we understand just how important this specific goal is to them? Do you root for them?

Elevating the emotional parts of a script is probably an area that I work with writers on the most. For the story to work in the best way possible, it is necessary to execute this well. Go to the core of what is going on inside your characters. As I mentioned earlier, in addition to thinking about their external goal, also decide why this goal is

important to them internally. When I read scripts, I think about what interests me the most within the story. Then, I ask myself whether the writer explored this as much as they could.

Your own universal themes play into you getting as deep as you can emotionally. Go into your deepest and darkest moment. Think about how you felt. Is there a parallel with what your character is going through in your story? I encourage you to go there. It is in this experience that you begin to find your voice.

FINDING YOUR VOICE Finding your voice should be one of your biggest goals in writing. What does this mean? It means going further than you ever have. It means taking us far enough into your characters that we really understand what they feel in the moment. Attaining this is your gold. This will come from your well of life experience. Think of all the things that cross your mind but that you would never say out loud, because it would make you far too vulnerable. Have your characters say these things. Be willing to go deeper than you ever have. Be willing to take a risk. When a line of dialogue in your favorite show really speaks to you, it’s often because a writer has mastered using his/her voice. You want to achieve this. This will make your script stand out.

SETTING UP YOUR SERIES Make sure that by the end of your pilot, your audience has a clear understanding of what your series is. Why will they want to come back? In your pilot, did you give them a strong sense of the type of stories that they’ll be watching from week to week? Or, did you spend too much time setting up the characters and situation and not enough time on the story? The goal of writing your pilot is to provide a sense of what the series will be. Very often, writers wait until the last act to explore what the series will be. A note that is commonly given to pilots is “Move Act IV to Act I.” If you do this, you can explore what your show will be. In other words, do not spend several acts setting up backstory. Your backstory can reveal itself and your characters can be established throughout your story.

As a way to help writers deepen their writing to help make their scripts stand out, I like to teach them about universal life moments and then get them to write a “Log line for your Life.” In my book, STORY LINE: FINDING THE GOLD IN YOUR LIFE STORY, I explore these concepts in depth and how you can see when the writer fictionalizes their truth in their writing.

A strong place to utilize your truth and fictionalize it into your writing in your pilot script is in Acts III, IV and V. These are often strong places to reveal more to your audience about why your central character is the way he/she is. When they are in the moment of an escalating obstacle or the “all is lost” moment, it is a good time to flesh your character out more. What makes them tick? Drawing from your truth in these moments and fictionalizing it in your writing will add more authenticity to your story allowing your reader to connect more with it.

EXERCISE One great way to begin thinking of pivotal moments in your life is to go through photo albums. This is an excellent way to extract story. There is often so much emotion behind every picture we take. If you go through your albums, you will be shocked at how many stories you’re reminded of and how they make you feel. We often smile for pictures because we know that our picture is being taken. However, we know the truth behind the mask. It is having the courage to go there and understand it that is the true test of a writer.

RESOURCES

SCRIPT MAGAZINE If you want a deeper understanding of my concepts, you can read my blogs on story structure with Script Magazine.

STORY STRUCTURE: THE EVOLUTION OF AN IDEA http://www.scriptmag.com/features/story-structure-evolution-of-idea-script

STORY STRUCTURE: THE ART OF THE DILEMMA http://www.scriptmag.com/features/story-structure-the-art-of-the-dilemma

AWARD WINNING STORY STRUCTURE FOR FILM FESTIVALS http://www.scriptmag.com/features/award-winning-story-structure-for- film-festivals

STORY STRUCTURE: LINKING YOUR SERIES DILEMMA TO YOUR PILOT DILEMMA

http://www.scriptmag.com/features/story-structure-linking-your-series- dilemma-to-your-pilot-dilemma

STORY STRUCTURE: EVOLVING TO A DEEPER PLACE http://www.scriptmag.com/features/writer-profiles/story-structure- evolving-to-a-deeper-place

THE HUFFINGTON POST For more of my BLOGS http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jen-grisanti/

MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/user/jengrisanticonsult

FILM COURAGE INTERVIEWS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pdu9oeG5vvg&list=PLez8jOvskc- OUbv7miv0DNQzcj1Rhw-VQ&index=2

WRITER PROPOSALS PAGE for one-on-one consults: http://jengrisanticonsultancy.com/services/proposals/

MY FREE PODCASTS ON ITUNES: https://itunes.apple.com/podcast/jen-grisanti- consultancy/id315874121?mt=2&inf_contact_key=b4784b4d1525c570d82ba 891fadf69fb4a3a679e4397a73b16bcf56e5d0be0eb

With my Premium Story Subscription, for $22.95, you will get Story Tips and Podcast Tips. Every month, you can turn in 3-5 log lines and or a 1-2 page pitch document and I will give you written feedback. This is valued at $300.00. You get it for $22.95 a month.

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