You have a great idea for a new TV show but are not sure write it. After writing film scripts for so long you do not know shift from one form of entertainment to another. Follow this tutorial and you will no longer fall into the aforementioned categories.
Instructions
1. Write the Pilot episode. Pilots are used to determine if a show will get picked up, so avoid including anything supremely important to the whole series. Essentially, write a stand alone show.
2. Introduce character quirks in intervals. If writing a thirteen episode season, you have four months to reveal attributes, as opposed to all at once in one episode.
How characters react and act in certain situations throughout a given episode tells audiences loads of information.
3. Remember to write for commercial breaks. An hour long show will have four, and a suspenseful or important plot point should be introduced before.
4. Determine the style of language. A movie is a one-time deal, usually written by one or two collaborative writers. TV shows have staffs of writers and if no language is established, each show will sound different.
5. Start and end with a bang! TV shows only last if ratings are high. Starting and ending with a mystery or cliffhanger leaves audiences wanting more.
6. Stay true to the timeline and, depending on the show, reference previous episodes. Your audience should feel that even though episode three is aired a week after episode two, it actually takes place the following day.
