by Jenna | May 21, 2022 | ScriptMag Articles
Welcome to the latest installment of my “Ask the Coach” column on Script Mag! This month, I’m sharing more from my interview with Neil Landau, author of the recently released book, The TV Showrunner’s Roadmap: Creating Great Television in an on Demand World (2nd edition) and the Director of Screenwriting at the University of Georgia, who helped me answer last month’s question “How do I find a showrunner?”
He shared some invaluable tips with me about the process of having your script requested, and what to be ready for in the room once you’re pitching. So today we’re answering the question, “What do I need for a TV pitch?” [more…]
Getting ready to pitch your show involves a whole lot more than simply writing a pilot script. It’s about your materials, your deep knowing of your story, your readiness, your team, and your passion for the project too.
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by Jenna | Apr 21, 2022 | ScriptMag Articles
Welcome to the latest installment of my “Ask the Coach” column on Script Mag! This month, I’m addressing a question about finding a showrunner:
“I have a solid idea for a TV series, but I need help to execute it. Where do I go to ‘meet up’ with a showrunner who’d be open to helping a somewhat ‘newish’ writer?”
This is an intriguing question, though I’m not sure it’s the right question to be asking. Whenever you have an idea for a writing project, I see it as your role to develop and execute it, rather than looking for someone else to do that work for you.
As a newer writer, this means studying and reading TV pilots, taking classes, reading books on TV writing, and developing your concept as fully as you can on your own, before then pitching your concept to production companies, streaming services, or even showrunners. Along the way, you’ll also want to be developing and building relationships into a network of colleagues and industry professionals who might help you along the way, and vice versa.
The other thing to understand is that most showrunners are writers themselves, and in all likelihood, are developing their own shows. This means finding a showrunner who’s free — or willing — to take on your project is, well, tricky.
Since I’m not a television writer myself, I reached out to three TV writers and instructors for their input on first developing an idea and then getting to the stage of finding a showrunner. [more…]
“Finding a showrunner” means doing the work to develop your concept as fully as you can on your own, seeking representation and attention for the work, and packaging your project as completely as you can before pitching it for consideration for development — and a showrunner.
by Jenna | Mar 20, 2022 | ScriptMag Articles
Welcome to the latest installment of my “Ask the Coach” column on Script Mag! This month, I’m addressing a collection of shorter questions about Finding Your Voice, Getting Unstuck, and Abandoning Scripts for Books.
“I think I need the most help with networking and finding my voice as a writer. What are some ways to find your voice and churn out script after script?”
“I have the concept of my script and my characters broken down but when I’m writing I get stuck at times. What can I do to keep my creative juices going in the process of writing my script?”
“How do I know if I should just ‘give up’ screenwriting and focus only on writing books? I’ve been writing screenplays on and off for 10 years… so tired of all the ‘It’s not ready’ B.S. but I still have many screenplay ideas. Thanks!”
As writers, we have a lot to navigate, from sorting out who we are and want to be on the page, to getting unstuck and keeping our creativity alive, choosing our creative projects, and more. My intention is to give you perspectives, tools, and questions to help you keep moving forward as a writer. [
more…]
As we write, we build confidence in ourselves, which is expressed through our voice on the page. Therefore, to find your voice as a writer, writing itself — frequently — is the best pathway to pursue.
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by Jenna | Feb 19, 2022 | ScriptMag Articles
Welcome to the latest installment of my “Ask the Coach” column on Script Mag! This month I’m addressing a question about
being superstitious about writing:
“Do you ever feel superstitious about your writing time? Like you have to write in the same place, at the same time, after eating the same thing, to recapture the same success of a particular writing day that went well? Or do you find yourself giving up on a day’s writing because you weren’t able to do those things?”
This is an intriguing set of questions because whether or not a writer considers themselves superstitious about their writing practice, it speaks to underlying strategies and challenges around having a consistent writing practice, which is something I recommend for most writers. Let’s discuss. [more…]
Create a routine or container for your writing practice, but don’t be afraid to experiment and refine. Being a creature of habit is useful for writers, but we don’t have to be locked in.
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by Jenna | Jan 21, 2022 | ScriptMag Articles
Welcome to the latest installment of my “Ask the Coach” column on Script Mag! This month I’m addressing a collection of shorter questions that haven’t quite warranted a full article but are useful nonetheless, from screenplay formatting to finding feedback for horror short stories, capitalizing nouns and proper nouns, and more!
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by all the questions and choices and decisions we have to make as writers. The good news is that as you build a library of trusted resources, coming by those answers gets easier and easier over time.
Read my responses to 5 reader questions and get a glimpse into the resources I turn to when I have writing-related questions, on Script Mag:
Ask the Coach: Odds & Ends
by Jenna | Dec 18, 2021 | ScriptMag Articles
Welcome to the latest installment of my “Ask the Coach” column on Script Mag! This month I’m addressing a reader’s question about how much (or whether) to plan writing time:
“How much should I be planning my writing time vs. just showing up to write each day?”
Much like the answer to most writing-related questions, it depends.
Here are some things to think about:
1. Showing up to write consistently is one of the most consequential actions you can take as a writer.
Whether you plan or don’t plan, showing up to write consistently and regularly throughout the year is the best way to see your body of work building over time.
Writing regularly has other benefits as well: According to a study by researcher Robert Boice, writers who write daily are twice as likely to have frequent creative thoughts as writers who write when they “feel like it.”
Writing consistently is also the best way to “find” or develop your voice, something writers often ask about too.
I typically advise most writers to aim to write 5 to 7 days each week, leaning to daily for newer writers or writers getting back on track after time away. Longer gaps between writing sessions make it harder to restart.
On the other hand, “just writing” without any kind of plan won’t necessarily help you see a script (or other writing projects) through to Done. Yes, ideas and voice development, as well as personal growth and insight are valuable. But planned writing leads to completion. At the same time, you can design it in such a way as to allow for flexibility. [more…]
While you certainly can be detailed in your day’s planning, I recommend working within the context of a well-structured goal and overall plan and setting up daily average targets in terms of time, page counts, and/or to-do’s.
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