The creative process, is, as any writer will tell you, a personal, specific and unique activity.
So I am not going to go into a great blurb about how important it is to put your bum down on the seat each day and produce x amount of pages – I assume, unless you follow Hemmingway and write standing up, that you do sit down to do the deed and the amount of pages you produce is entirely up to you – to some writers a page is a great achievement – to others it represents slacking.
So I will leave the specifics for you to organise and channel as you see fit.
Suffice to say, if you are a writer who is either currently producing stories for television or a writer who wants to do just that, then you will be doing so via process that for most of the time let’s assume, works for you, and if it isn’t working for whatever reason, then get in touch with me and I will help sort you out!
I want to metaphorically pop my head around your door to give you 3 main steps to making sure the stories you are creating for television tick specific boxes.
If you follow these steps your story has a good chance of developing from the tiny, weightless embryo, to the staggering, struggling toddler and finally to the fully grown hairy teenager that demands food and hogs the tv remote.
PIN POINT THE CENTRAL THRUST OF THE NARRATIVE:
In every story there’s a message that runs through it; it can be a straight and linear path, like the word Blackpool through a stick of rock…but it can also ripple throughout the narrative like raspberry sauce through icecream. However you chose to distribute your message structurally in your script, make sure there is one and that you know what it is.
IDENTIFY WHO OR WHAT DRIVES THE STORY FROM SCENE TO SCENE:
In every story there sits a character central to the plot and the message – he/she sits at the centre of your story and therefore your script like that circle in the middle of a bicycle wheel from where all story lines (and bike spokes) radiate. You may have an ensemble; a group of characters who fulfill this function. Make sure you know who they are why they are in this pivotal position both structurally and in terms of narrative.
CLARIFY WHAT MOTIVATES YOUR CHARACTER/S:
In every story there is a strong and powerful subtext chugging away underneath the action and this is what you need to make sure is working in every scene; as an under-pin and counter point to the action and the words on the page.
Having nailed your story line – it’s time to tackle your first draft – let’s focus on just the first ten pages – START YOUR STORY ENGINE WORKSHOP there are 4 places left for the workshop 11th FEBRUARY so do get in quick if you want help shaping your vital first minutes and the chance to not only pitch to industry players but also to have your script read by Jake Lushington – Head of Drama for World Productions.
Get in touch with me, Yvonne Grace Script Consultant – I help you write better television scripts.