How to Write for Stage and Screen

Tips for Writing for TV - Clare Dowling

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 10:38:17 +0100

- The importance of biography and scene breakdown. Di Burrows, writer and producer, who has written extensively for such shows as ‘Bad Girls’ and ‘Footballers Wives’ and, most recently, was Series Consultant on Fair City, has this tip:

“Depending on your favoured way in, begin with biographies for your characters (so you know who they are, what drives them and how they’re connected to each other) and a synopsis of your story with a cle...

TV Treatments - What to Write About (Part 2 of 2)

Wed, 27 Jul 2011 09:56:59 +0100

The same goes for situation comedy where seeing the funny side of life always has, and always will, be a winner. They reveal truths about our relationships, the way we live and about society in general, albeit in an exaggerated fashion, and give us permission to laugh at ourselves. Moreover, comedies about the everyday are also much easier to write than say parody or satire. It requires immense skill to convince an audience to buy into shows such as BBC’s World War II spoof ‘Allo ‘Allo of t...

TV Treatments – What they are and why you need one (Part 1 of 2)

Wed, 27 Jul 2011 09:51:40 +0100

Academy Award nominated screenwriter and journalist, Norah Ephron (Sleepless in Seattle, When Harry Met Sally), refers to the insatiable demand for ideas for the screen in Telling True Stories,A Nonfiction Writers’ Guide published by Harvard University’s Nieman Foundation:

“There is more justice in the print world than there is in the movie business. If you write something for print and it’s any good, it will probably get printed somewhere. That’s not true with movie scripts. People as...