I used to lament the fact that so many network series focus on cops, lawyers, and/or doctors. I tried pitching and developing multiple series about other kinds of workplaces. I felt, like many aspiring television writers do, that there are many different kinds of job challenges that could make for compelling television. But in my [...]

The point of a spec is to prove you understand the essence of another writer’s show and its world. A good spec uses the relationship fodder of the show, but can be a bit “timeless,” existing outside the show’s actual timeline.

Your job is to determine your show’s over-arching architecture and be able to articulate it, both in a verbal pitch and in the design of your pilot. The good news is, there is no shortage of good model structures on the air as we speak.

There is no bigger sign of an amateur than someone who’s worried about their stuff being stolen. If you worry your show can be stolen… you haven’t written it well enough.