How to Write a Quality TV Episode or Series

In Hollywood, it's said that everyone has a movie script: lawyers, accountants, janitors, and the teenager flipping your burger. That's only in the Hollywood/Los Angeles area, that's not including the rest of the United States or other major film hubs like New York, Austin, and Miami. Many people want to jump right in and write a major movie blockbuster. However, going straight to that step can be a little overwhelming, not to mention time-consuming. In order to ease yourself in you may want to start with a shorter script, say one episode of a television show.

There are a couple ways you can start your television writing. I suggest starting with a currently running television series, one that you are familiar with and watch frequently. Mine would be CSI (and all it's variants) and Bones. Starting with a series that you know is good because you are familiar with any overarching themes or plot lines, the characters and their backgrounds, as well as specific plot details that have already been used. This technique gives you a good starting point as well as the possibility of selling your script to a currently running show.

Once you get going on writing scripts for currently running shows and you've gotten into a successful rhythm, consider writing a pilot episode for your own television show. You'll need more than just a pilot. You'll also need an overarching story line, at least for the first season.

Here's how to get started on your television writing.

1. Genre.
This is the first thing you need to decide. There are many genres to choose from: comedy, action, forensics, drama, law, and many others. This is the first thing you need to decide.

2. Plot.
Essentially, what happens in your episode. The most basic things a plot involves are the hook, the conflict, the climax, and the resolution. The hook gets your audience involved, the conflict sets up the problem, the climax is the most intense period of drama or the most convoluted part of the episode, and the resolution is how it is solved or not solved depending on how you'd like to end things. Not all ending must be happy, but they must be dramatically satisfying.

3. Characters
If you're working off of a particular show that is currently running you'll need to be very familiar with it's characters and what they would do and say and what they would not do and say. If you are concocting your own characters you need to be even more familiar with them. It's easier to go off of somebody else's creation but it takes a lot more skill to create your own. You'll need to have a very clear idea of what your characters are like. This includes not only their strengths but also their weaknesses.

Perhaps the most important part of writing a television show is knowing how effective it is at drawing in your audience and keeping them entertained. Studios rely on advanced statistical analysis, focus groups, and expensive "experts" who tell them just what audiences are going to like. Unfortunately, many times all the statistics get in the way of really knowing what people are going to like. They miss the forest for the trees. You, however, are the best expert. You know what you like when watching a show and you know what you don't like. Take a look at what you think is effective and what just irritates you. When doing this you'll need to look at the genre you are writing for. For example, if you're writing a comedy show... is the laugh track effective or does it just annoy you? Do you like sexual innuendos or do you consider them lacking in intelligent wit? Use what you like and dislike as a way to guide your writing. Take some time to watch some of your favorite shows and your least favorite shows to identify and analyze what works for you. Chances are, what works for you and what doesn't, will be the same for millions of other people as well.

With these tips you can be on your way to writing your own television show or even becoming a prolific writer for a current show.