The TV Writer's Workbook: A Creative Approach to Television Scripts

Why is TV writing different from any other kind of writing? How will writing a spec script open doors? What do I have to do to get a job writing for TV? Writing for television is a business. And, like any business, there are proven strategies for success. In this unique hands-on guide, television writer and producer Ellen Sandler shares the trade secrets she learned while writing for hit shows likeEverybody Loves RaymondandCoach. She offers concrete advice on everything from finding a story to getting hired on a current series. Filled with easy-to-implement exercises and practical wisdom, this ingenious how-to handbook outlines the steps for becoming a professional TV writer, starting with a winning script. Sandler explains the difference between "selling" and "telling," form and formula, theme and plot. Discover: A technique for breaking down a show style so you're as close to being in the writing room as you can get without actually having a job there The 3 elements for that essential Concept Line that you must have in order to create a story with passion and consequence Mining the 7 Deadly Sins for fresh and original story lines Sample scripts from hit shows In-depth graphs, script breakdown charts, vital checkpoints along the way, and much, much more!

Ellen Sandler has over twenty years of experience in the TV writing business. She was Co-Executive Producer and writer on the Emmy-winning hit series Everybody Loves Raymond, and has written for over 25 prime-time network television series, including Taxi, Kate and Allie, and Coach. She is a highly-regarded script consultant, and in addition to her Television Writing workshops in LA and NYC, is a frequent featured speaker at schools and universities across the country.