facebook_pixel Press "Enter" to skip to content

Looking to start your TV writing journey?

Posts tagged as “Lost”

TV Characters 101 (PT46)

Update: PT46 transcript now available

Alex and Nick discuss one of the most important parts of television writing: creating compelling characters.

Why are characters so vital to television shows? What are some key elements to watch out for when writing characters in a TV script? Why are character introductions so important in screenwriting? How can you create interesting people that fit your TV show?

The Paper Team explores their existence…

SHOWNOTES

Content

A special announcement (00:46)
1 – Television is a character’s medium (01:41)
2 – Describing characters: introductions, archetypes, and traits (02:42)
3 – Character voices, filler characters, and empathy (17:38)
4 – Characters in the story: goals and arcs (23:43)
Takeaways and Resources (28:25)

Links

House, M.D.
Hugh Laurie
“The Hero’s Journey” – Joseph Campbell
“The Writer’s Journey” – Christopher Vogler
Michael Clayton (Film)
Sam Seaborn
“Pilot” (1×01 – The West Wing)
“Pilot” (1×01-02 – Lost)
“Pilot” (1×01 – Community)
Legion (TV Series)
Anton Chigurh
“Assisting TV Comedy Writers ft. Gary Sundt” (PT43)
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

Resources

“The Art Of Dramatic Writing” – Lajos Egri
“The Emotion Thesaurus” – Angela Ackerman & Becca Puglisi

This episode brought to you by Tracking Board’s Launch Pad Writing Competitions

Use code PAPERTEAM to get $15 OFF when you enter a Launch Pad Competition

Special thanks to Alex Switzky for helping us edit this episode.

If you enjoyed this episode (and others), please consider leaving us an iTunes review at paperteam.co/itunes! :)

You can find Paper Team on Twitter:
Alex@TVCalling
Nick@_njwatson
If you have any questions, comments or feedback, you can e-mail us: [email protected]

TV Viewing Habits: Writing for the Binge (PT42)

Alex and Nick discuss how television viewing habits impact the writing and enjoyment of TV shows.

How does the way you consume a show influence the audience? How have changes in viewing habits transformed television writing itself? What are some ways to use that paradigm shift in your own writing?

The Paper Team binges in one sitting…

SHOWNOTES

Content

1 – How people consume TV today (00:52)
2 – How viewing habits impact the perception of TV shows (11:37)
3 – How viewing habits affect and influence TV writing (25:44)
4 – A little about the future of TV viewing (42:20)
Takeaways and Resources (45:45)

Links

Over-the-top content (OTT)
YouTube TV
YouTube Red
“Why mythological shows are often idolized” – TV Calling
The Hatch
Final Five
“Damon Lindelof Doesn’t Want Critics To Binge Season 3 of The Leftovers” – IndieWire
“The Art of the TV Episode” (PT20)
“Two Boats and a Helicopter” (1×03 – The Leftovers)
“Guest” (1×06 – The Leftovers)
“The Bythewoods and The Writers Retreat” – 3rd & Fairfax
Flesh and Bone

Resources

“Netflix Studied Your Binge-Watching Habit” – The New York Times
“Series, Movie, Series, Repeat: A New Netflix Binge Routine” – Netflix

This episode brought to you by Tracking Board’s Launch Pad Writing Competitions

Use code PAPERTEAM to get $15 OFF when you enter a Launch Pad Competition

Special thanks to Alex Switzky for helping us edit this episode.

If you enjoyed this episode (and others), please consider leaving us an iTunes review at paperteam.co/itunes! :)

You can find Paper Team on Twitter:
Alex@TVCalling
Nick@_njwatson
If you have any questions, comments or feedback, you can e-mail us: [email protected]

TV Procedurals (PT40)

Alex and Nick discuss television procedural shows and how they work, from writing them to reinventing the genre itself.

What kind of procedurals are there on TV? How do you juggle between the characters, the overall story, and the case-of-the-week? What are some common tips for writing a procedural? How does the structure evolve between episodic and serialized procedurals?

The Paper Team solves the case…

SHOWNOTES

Content

1 – Defining TV procedurals (00:46)
2 – Writing TV procedurals: structure, case of the week, and reinventing the genre (03:22)
Takeaways and Resources (28:29)

Links

Carol Mendelsohn
“How Joss Whedon and the Buffy writers’ room broke episodes” – TV Calling
“My Overkill” (2×01 – Scrubs)
Colin Hay
“The Art of the TV Episode” (PT20)
“Subway” (6×07 – Homicide: Life on the Street)
Andre Braugher
Dancing Baby
“Tracking the long career of half-forgotten TV auteur David E. Kelley” – Stephen Bowie/The A.V. Club
Ann Donahue
Steven Bochco
Century City (TV Series)
“When every Fox show becomes a procedural, it gets very boring” – Daniel Fienberg/THR
Michelle King
Robert King
“Common Descent” (2×17 – Stargate Universe)
“Should You Pay for TV Writing Education?” (PT19)

Resources

“How The Good Wife broke the rules for legal dramas, and then broke itself” – Noel Murray/The A.V. Club

This episode brought to you by Tracking Board’s Launch Pad Writing Competitions

Use code PAPERTEAM to get $15 OFF when you enter a Launch Pad Competition

Special thanks to Jason J. Cohn for helping us edit this episode.

If you enjoyed this episode (and others), please consider leaving us an iTunes review at paperteam.co/itunes! :)

You can find Paper Team on Twitter:
Alex@TVCalling
Nick@_njwatson
If you have any questions, comments or feedback, you can e-mail us: [email protected]