Show Bible: Constructing a Show’s “Gospel” in Two Pages

A guest post from Tom Benedek, screenwriter (Cocoon), teacher, and co-founder of Screenwriting Master Class:

Building out the outline for a TV series means thinking in a few different dimensions. There is the pilot script itself as a stand alone — an enticing teaser, engaging main character, grounding in a story-generating workplace or family setting. And the long terms issues — how will people evolve over time, where will those story arcs go. The practical issues of “Which channel? Which network could want this show?” too.

Writing a two pages summary, a statement of purpose about the characters, the mindset of the show, the personal relationship that you, the writer, have to the show may be the most important thing you can do?

Bottle your inspiration, the fire, the magic which you are bringing to whatever is you see this show as being and plant it in words in a 500–750 word document. You can use it to pitch verbally, for queries, as a leave behind in meetings — AND just as a source of inspiration, a road map to keep you fired up and grounded as you write your draft. You may want to add examples of episode stories, even concrete details of a whole season or more to this document.

But, mainly, expressing the mindset of your show, its characters, their relationship to their own world of story , AND your relationship to all of it will create a compelling, useful document for you, the writer, and out in the world of producers, TV execs, managers, etc..

We’ll be looking at strong examples of these Show Bibles and much more in my upcoming Pages TV: Writing the Original TV Pilot Workshop — starting this Monday, January 18. Consider joining the class.

For more information on the pilot workshop, go here.