Screenwriting : Ask Me Anything (AMA) 1/7 to 1/8- Everything You Want To Ask About Writing A Great Pilot Script by Anna Marton Henry

Hi, Anna Marton Henry. I hope you enjoyed the holidays! Thanks for having this AMA! I'm outlining a TV series. What's one of the best ways to start a pilot?

Hi Anna Marton Henry - I am curious about the idea of not having all critical characters appearing in the pilot. I have gotten feedback when parties hve reviewed my pitch materials that identify characters not yet introduced in the pilot, suggesting that ALL OF THE MAJOR characters should appear in the pilot. Just curious on your thoughts.

Thank you Anna Marton Henry for participating in this AMA! What a great opportunity for everyone to ask questions from a seasoned producer who knows what executives and reps are looking for. In this risk-adverse market, do you think emerging writers need both a full bible and a pilot?

Hi, Anna Marton Henry. When developing an anthology series, what do you feel a pilot needs to accomplish differently from a traditional serialized pilot in order to hook readers and buyers, and from a market perspective, what elements make an anthology concept more appealing to executives today? Thank you for doing this AMA for us, and Happy New Year.

Sandra Isabel Correia There are two kinds of anthologies on television and the answer is pretty different so can you clarify if you mean a season-long anthology (American Horror Story, White Lotus) or an episodic anthology (Black Mirror).

Hey, Anna Marton Henry! When you’re developing a pilot script with a writer, what tends to separate the projects that move forward from the ones that stall out, especially when it comes to world-building and series engines? Are there any common blind spots newer writers should look out for when building a pilot that’s intended to launch a larger series?

Hi Anna Marton Henry - so cool of you to do this AMA and bring your experience and knowledge to the community. Thank you!! I’ve heard folks say that it’s really important to pack a series pilot script with all big plot points and use it to clearly launch the trajectory of the drama/action/dynamics so a buyer or studio can fully understand the show and where it’s going from just reading the pilot. Some writers like to use a pilot script to set things up and really have the action start in episode 2 or 3. What are you thoughts on how best to approach that?

Hello, Anna Marton Henry! It's lovely to have you here. Thank you so much for joining us for this AMA! I'm curious: what's your favourite part of the creative process? :)

Hi Anna, thanks for being here. I'm curious the answer to Ashley's question - I was wondering about how much of the main characters background do you want in the pilot - if it's a half hour comedy (or 22 minutes!) what ideally is packed into the pilot but still keeping pace and staying fun/interesting. Thanks!

Hello Anna - I keep being told that no one wants period pieces because they are so expensive to produce. Yet - in 2024, there were four true story WWII films made, including "Masters of the Air" because Hanks and Spielberg continue to back stories about men in WWII. My true story is about women pilots in WWII and the most famous female pilot in America who took over for her friend, Amelia Earhart. This story has Disney IP but I doubt young Execs know it. How do I inform them?

Hi Anna Marton Henry. Thanks for having this AMA and spending your time with us. Question: Are there regions that are more open to certain types of shows (drama, comedy, sci-fi, etc.)? Thanks in advance.

Leonardo Ramirez 2 Just to clarify by regions do you mean parts of the world like UK, Europe, Africa, etc.?

Yes Anna Marton Henry - exactly!

Hi Anna, This is very helpful and we appreciate your time. I'm trying to clear up script structure in two areas. One is for my pilot acts, I'm using Teaser then Act 1-5. Is there a better pilot act structure for a streaming series at 65 to 67 pages? I'm trying to cover both streaming and network TV (with minor language edits). Also, my pacing tends to get inconsistent comments - it moves in incident mode, then drags in world-description blocks. My world is in electric utility operations, I feel descriptions are down to the minimum to be realistic. A director is unlikely to understand that world, but should I write it assuming a director will use experts during the production to get it believable?

Hi Anna Marton Henry. I appreciate you taking time out of your busy schedule to do this AMA for us.

I wanted to know what are essential pieces of information to include in a pitch?

Hi Anna Marton Henry, thank you for taking time to do this AMA! I have a few different questions for you. When you’re reading pilots, what’s the fastest way you can tell if a series actually has legs beyond episode one? From your experience, what makes a creative partnership actually work long-term? For someone building projects with a small but growing studio, where would you focus your energy first: writing volume, relationships, or execution quality? Thank you again and look forward to hearing what you have to say!

Hi @Anna Marton Henry and thank you for taking the time to answer questions for us!

My question: what changes or opportunities do you see in the coming months for the industry that you think writers should be ready for?

Producers, directors, etc. ALWAYS say they are looking for new stories, characters, etc. but when I watch programming, I rarely seem to see that. What are they ACTUALLY looking for?

Thank you for taking the time to do this AMA, Anna Marton Henry !!! I have two award-winning serialized pilots. What's your thoughts on writing extra material for my pilots such as subsequent episodes, a bible, episode treatments and/or a pitch deck?

Good morning and thank you so much for answering our questions. What excites you most about a project. how do you envision any tv series going beyond the pilot. what notes would you give any writer if we were developing right now? what would be my creative role after any pilot. how do you handle creator credit and ownership of the development. what's your typical development path from pilot to pitch. i also tend to write female-driven series-do you see that as a strength in the current market, or are there ways any producer want any creator to expand within that lane. Thank you Anna Marton Henry

Hi Anna Marton Henry ! Grateful for your time and insight. I'm developing a pilot whose action takes place mainly in Romania, with main characters that are Romanian, American, and Russian. I would ideally want the dialogue to take place in those languages, as it would in 'real life.' How do I format that in the script? Do I specify dialogue is in a different language at the scene level? Or should I mark the variety of languages with a note at beginning of script? Thank you! :)

Thanks so much for doing this, Anna Marton Henry. I hope the holidays have been fabulous for you. My question deals with the writing room- I know during Covid, the writer's room went on through Zoom, though most TV series do work in person. How can someone not in LA break into writing for TV? Is there anything specific we can do to help increase our chances if we write things like limited series, an actual tv/streaming series, or feature?

Should the logline for a pilot script refer only to the pilot episode or mention the full arc of the series?

Thank you so much for taking the time with the Stage 32 community! I have found that I am often hooked at the pilot when I start a series and if I'm not hooked by then, I usually don't stick with the series very long (A recent example is "From". Couldn't get into it at the start and didn't watch it much after the pilot). What are some of your favorite series with really great pilot hooks? Some of mine that come to mind are Wednesday (which can also be attributed to my lifelong Addams Family fandom) and Grey's Anatomy, of which I have seen every single episode except for a few I need to catch up on in the current season, which is on hiatus.

Thanks so much, Anna Marton Henry. I’m referring to an episodic anthology. Really appreciate you asking for the distinction.

@Maurice Vaughan Happy New Year! First, I love that you're outlining - I think it's an underrated skill and methodology and it will save you a lot of work down the line. Most people start a pilot with a teaser, but you don't have to; you can just get into Act I. Plunge us into the deep-end to suck in the audience. Don't do some long setup, just trust that the audience will catch up quickly. Introduce at least one of your main characters in an active, unique way – in a tense / odd / challenging situation where they are active so we learn something interesting about them right away. It's really crucial to set up the world of the show, so set your character firmly in their time, place, society. You don't have to get right into the main story, but the sooner the better. If you can establish your character's goal and kick off the story, just do it. Don't worry about stating any kind of theme (that will come anyway), but do try to set the tone for the series visually. And think about a strong final beat for the teaser or a bit of a punctuating moment after the first few pages of Act I - a compelling hint of what’s to come, the launch of a question, a surprising discovery, etc. Those teasers that put us into a scene we don't really understand and then say "five years earlier" are really, really overdone at this point. Yes, it was super cool and innovative 17 years ago (!!!) in Breaking Bad, but by now it's derivative and you've got to ask yourself what you gain by giving away the ending.

Thank you, Anna Marton Henry! I'm mainly a feature script writer and short script writer. Your AMAs, posts, blogs, and webinars helped me learn about TV writing. Thanks!

@Darrell Pennington Thanks for your question - I get this one a lot. Yes and no. See if you can create a distinction in your mind / pitch between your leads and key supporting characters (I mean it's fun to think about which roles would win a "best actor" Emmy and which would win "Best Supporting"). All your leads should be introduced in the pilot. We want to know whose show this is, which characters will "own" the A, B, C storylines. But you can absolutely introduce key supporting characters in episode 2 or even later in the season, even if they play a significant role in the show. However, the reverse is really important - ideally every character introduced in your pilot is coming back in the series. Have as few incidental or minor characters as possible. Unless someone dies in the pilot, the cast of the pilot should be the cast of your first season. Every "throw-away" character = throw-away page space and dollars. I am willing to bet that the note you're really getting (maybe worded weirdly) is that your pilot includes characters who are disposable, never coming back, at the expense of your leads / key supporting characters.

Anna Marton Henry Happy New Year Anna! I started to develop a tv series, and am in between two things: the series bible, then ,all of the differing feedback on the written pitch: more backstory on characters, more info on future seasons, more episode info, less....what would you suggest I focus on, since this is still very much in early days: the pitch? or really hone the series bible, and in this, what would be the most important aspect of it?

@Geoffroy Faugerolas My pleasure and thank you for the opportunity to engage on this great platform! The answer to your question is an unqualified YES. In terms of a pilot script, if you're going to be a writer you need to demonstrate that you can do the job and actually write... like really, really well. If you're not writing, then what are you bringing to the table? And you really need to start working on a pitch bible BEFORE you write the pilot because that forces you to think beyond your concept. As you write character descriptions, you develop complex, dimensional characters who drive your story. Goals = story threads, motivations = emotional threads, strengths = reasons to succeed, flaws = reasons to fail. As you write a world description, you see what inherent obstacles and conflicts you can use in your pilot. As you plan your season arcs / episodes, you envision the future of your series, which is the only way to write the last third of your pilot that launches the show. Plus, a pilot script doesn't communicate the nuances and longevity of your show. Buyers want your strong vision for the series - that's your real IP. Yes, it's a lot of work, but you're asking people to invest millions of dollars in your idea!

Sandra Isabel Correia Happy New Year and thank you for your question on a little-known TV format. Most writers work on season-long anthologies which are a lot more common, but with a great episodic anthology you will stand out from the crowd! Just to be clear to everyone, an episodic anthology is different from a regular episodic series. In an ongoing episodic series, like a police or medical procedural, the main characters and world are the same in each episode, but there is a "case(s) of the week." That's not what we're talking about here. In an episodic anthology like Black Mirror or Modern Love, each episode has its own totally different characters and world, as if each one were a mini-movie. So since you're making a series of mini-movies, in the pilot you need to establish the formula for your show. What thematic elements tie your episodes together more tightly than in a traditional series? In each episode we do... what? Your pilot needs to demonstrate that formula. Try to think about a firm structure (within the traditional pilot structure) that each episode will follow and demo that in the pilot. Try to brainstorm a bunch of ideas and pick the most hookable, most visual one. This format allows you to really get outside the box, so you want to get innovative. I think it even gives you a bit more leeway in terms of structure and tone than usual. Also see if you can give a sense that there would be "one world" for your episodes, indicating that some stuff could be reused, like maybe all episodes are set in a modern metropolis, or in quirky small towns across the South, for example. What makes a concept like this appealing is that it's very hard to do well, so if you've got a really cool concept, you will easily stand out from the crowd. And IP is super helpful! A blog or a series of short stories or articles tend to make good material for this type of show. One more thing - when you pitch this show, make it super clear at the outset that this is an episodic anthology. They are rare so that will get people's attention, and they will get your concept much more quickly. If you just say episodic show or anthology, they will default to the more common formats and get confused.

Thank you so much, Anna Marton Henry. I’m currently conceiving an episodic anthology as a co-writer, so your breakdown was incredibly valuable. The way you clarified the format and what the pilot needs to establish really opened things up for me, and I know it will help anyone else looking to dive into this space. I really appreciate the depth and generosity of your insight, and thank you for taking the time to go so deep into a format that’s not often discussed.

@Ashley Renee Smith Thank you for that very popular question! :) . It's two things: complex, emotionally charged relationships and a unique world with built-in stakes.

Creating compelling characters is absolutely important, but that alone won’t propel a series through multiple episodes. Messy relationships that don’t fit neatly into boxes, that change rhythmically through a season and bear wild emotional stakes, hook and carry an audience. I see a lot of relationships that feel obvious with characters playing predictable roles like "antagonist", "best friend", "love interest", "domineering father", etc. Creating a strong story engine is absolutely important, but a viable central conflict needs varied and increasing obstacles. That has to come from a hyper-specific, intriguing world the audience enjoys exploring, with built-in stakes. The biggest problem I see in pilots is neglecting world building when it's not some big fantasy or sci-fi world. Too many "ordinary" places where I don't see inherent obstacles and stakes so I can only see one story, not a whole bunch of stories emerging out of the miasma of whatever place / time / social space the writer is exploring. The more unique and specific your world is, the more likely there is a feeling of longevity.

Sandra Isabel Correia My pleasure! One more thing I forgot and it's kind of important... Make sure you have a closed end so the pilot feels "finished." But try not to have a "pat" happy or sad ending. Something surprising or thought-provoking, but not a cliffhanger. You want people to go away thinking about the episode, sparking some discussion, which will make them come back for more. This is really important, because the way you build an audience is word-of-mouth, people realizing they can join any time. And you want to RAISE themes, big questions that your show will tackle but not give ANSWERS - any kind of moral or message. If you tell people what to think or feel, they won't go argue about it with their friends.

I would like to chat with you about a writing project; I would like your opinion on it.

Haitham Elsonny Just connect with me here on Stage32 and message me, or you can do so on LinkedIn if you prefer.

@Sam Sokolow Thank you for your question, since this is one of the most common problems I see in pilots. The answer is that there is no episode 2 or 3! That simply does not exist and never will unless the pilot is sold and made. It is literally your one and only shot at selling the series, so it needs to be the BEST episode of the show. Your pilot has to BE the show, not the setup or prequel to the show. You can't ask an audience to sit quietly on the sofa and learn stuff about your world, backstory, etc. with the notion that you promise to entertain them in the next episode. Your buyers and audience are pretty smart, just plunge them into the story and I promise they'll catch on. If a buyer or executive doesn't understand the show or where it's going from reading the pilot, they are not going to invest millions to make it in the hopes that they can then find out what they're actually buying. But the situation is worse than that, because executives (or their assistants) see as their "assignment" to read only the first act of your pilot and then decide if they are interested enough to keep reading. So in fact, if they don't understand what the show is by the end of Act I, not only will you never get to episode 2, you won't even get to Act II. So Act I has to sell the show. I know that sounds hard, but your audience also decides in the first 10 - 20 minutes if they're going to keep watching or change the channel.

@Valentina Puggioni It's my pleasure to be here, but way to ask a really hard question! :) I absolutely love working with writers and love to see a seed of an idea become a full pitch package for a show - working on the pilot and the pitch bible. Maybe my favorite part of that process is planning the seasons / episodes, because you get to be so creative and imagine. And that tends to be when everything just gels about a show. But honestly, my favorite part is just hanging out with the writers I work with and having fun chatting about all kinds of weird crazy stuff. Making fictional worlds and characters seem seriously important, when it feels like we're just kids playing make-believe with dolls on the rug. When I am producing a project, I tend to get very close with the writers. Waking up, making coffee and then talking very seriously on Zoom about the love lives of people who've been dead for a couple hundred years (occasionally in my fleece jammies) is like the best. :)

@Xochi Blymyer I hope you saw my answer to Ashley above. As to the characters' backstories, I have an awesome hack for you. Exposition, meaning information about things like backstory, should be given to the audience on a need-to-know basis. They only really want it when they're begging for it. What do they absolutely need to know right now for this scene in order to understand what's going on and the characters' motivations? You want to give them what they are hungry for right now, in part so you can get them hooked and feed them more as they get curious and crave more. Every time you move the story forward, they will need another crumb and another. Instead of thinking about backstory as your obligation to give out to the audience, think of it as a reward your audience has to earn by entering each scene.

@Deborah Jennings I love historical fiction and I'm out trying to sell several period pieces, so believe me I've heard the same. They are actually expensive and hard to sell, so the bar is pretty high. But they do sell and get made. That said, the market was very different in 2024 during the height of "peak TV" spending, and now with contracting budgets you have to be more judicious than ever with writing as frugally as possible. WWII is especially hard, because (as you noted), so many projects about that period have been made in the past decade and the market got pretty saturated. It takes truly high-level producers and big IP to get something like that sold - as you note with Masters of the Air. People love true stories, and TV development takes a long time especially when you're still at the beginning of your career and learning, so I say work on your passion project and by the time you're done, the market may have changed and your career may have moved forward significantly. In the meantime, you will be doing what you love! However, what do you mean the story has Disney IP? Like they own a book that you think should be adapted? I promise you, they are not ill-informed about their IP library and they have an army of marketing people and IP analysts figuring out which IP to capitalize on. For all you know, they're working on it right now. But nobody "owns" a true historical event. If this is something people in general know about, then you can write about it using your own sources, outside of whatever Disney may or may not be doing.

Leonardo Ramirez 2 There are definitely regional markets. In terms of US shows, it's common wisdom that comedy doesn't "travel well" because verbal humor is hard to translate. So comedies that rely on a lot of witty dialogue do tend to stay within the English-speaking world. Another common wisdom is that procedurals, crime shows, thrillers and horror travel especially well - both out of the US to international markets and also into the US from other countries. The biggest trend though is still "local language, local production", ex. French producers working with French writers or off of French IP to make a show with French talent, shot in France, for both the domestic and international market. So if you are overseas, the biggest opportunities are probably in your backyard, not in Hollywood. (This is the whole point behind Stage 32's Certification program.) Another thing to keep in mind is that as a consequence of our interconnected planet, audiences want to see stories set in new worlds they have never seen before. If you have a project set in some corner of the globe with your unique perspective, it's likely to appeal not just to a local but also a global audience.

If you had a pilot that placed in a few contests but didn’t sell — what’s the one smart pivot you’d recommend to keep it alive?

@Mark Osborn You've come to the right place, I'm the queen of pilot structure! ;) In terms of acts, yes Teaser plus 5 acts is the right structure for a one-hour pilot. But 65 - 67 pages is really, really long for a pilot not written by an A-list showrunner. Your pilot should be 55 - 65 pages, but the closer you stick to 60 the better. The difference between network and streaming isn't dialogue edits, it's an entire tonal shift. You really want to decide on the tone of your show and write accordingly. If your show can be for CBS or HBOMax with minor edits, your tone is likely not specific enough. What do you actually want to show? Write that. If you write for the HBOMax audience and a producer says they think there would be an audience for this at CBS, you can decide what you want to do then.

In terms of world description, I am not sure if you mean physical descriptions in action lines or exposition in dialogue and scenes, or both. As I said to another question above, information should be given to the audience on a need-to-know basis - what do they absolutely need to know right now, in this scene, in order to understand what's going on and why the characters are doing what they're doing. Do not tell the audience all about your world up front, or they'll drink their fill and walk away (bored). In terms of a director, there is no such person - TV is a writer's medium. A director is likely hired long after your show is sold and scripts are written, and a showrunner or producing director will be telling them what to do. Yes, the showrunner and writers will of course use experts. But right now you should be writing exactly what the audience will see and hear on screen - nothing more, nothing less. If your audience understands what they're seeing and what's going on, so will the executives reading your script.

Hi Anna! Thank you for hosting this AMA. I’m currently developing a high-concept pilot that leans heavily into grounded science/physics rather than traditional 'magic.' When pitching to networks like HBO or Netflix, how much of the deep 'scientific hook' should be in the pilot script versus keeping the focus purely on character vulnerability? I'd love to hear your thoughts on balancing complex world-building with emotional pacing.

@Asia Schmidt Your question is so frequently asked and so big that I actually did a webinar on what should be in a TV pitch bible. I also did a webinar (FREE) on what to put into your two-page pitch for Stage 32. But just to give you a list: intro on the relevance of the project and why you're the best writer for it and/or a teaser, one-page concept summary for the series, description of the world, description of the tone of the show, possible themes if not already mentioned in the intro or elsewhere, character descriptions for all main and key supporting characters, either a detailed season arc for season 1 and more brief ideas for seasons 2 and 3 for a serialized show or episode summaries for an episodic show. And definitely images!

Cyrus Sales To your first question, I can tell if a series has legs definitely by the end of Act I, but usually within the first 10 pages. If I see that the characters and relationships are complex and that I am diving into a world that's going to be fun and take time to explore, there is a show there. But sometimes I can tell just from the logline, because if the concept is something that has worked in other ways before, then it's likely to work again. If the concept is a "quest" with a will they-won't they answer, that's going to be a feature. A show needs a story engine, an inherent, unresolvable contflict that comes out of who the characters are and the world they inhabit.

I think in a successful partnership you need several ingredients. You really need to be on the same page creatively about the big picture of the show. What you're trying to do / say. You have to be willing to compromise, pick your battles, stand up for the things that really matter to you and back down when you think it might work the other way. You have to trust each other that you're on the same team and have each other's backs. And it really helps if you like each other, if you genuinely just enjoy spending time with this person, like you'd be happy leaving your family and friends to hang with them for 15-hour days months on end. If that sounds like a dating profile, it kinda is... You do have to keep a professional boundary but it's very easy to blur into friendship when it works.

I'm afraid you need to focus your energy simultaneously into all three. You won't get anywhere without relationships, so that has to be a daily effort. And you need to turn out some volume so you can keep pitching new things to those people. Ideally at least one new project every 6 months to a year. But there is no point churning out things that aren't well excuted, because then you can't show them to anyone.

Elle Bolan The industry is undergoing some big shifts as I'm sure you know, so it's really hard to make predictions in terms of months. I think there is likely to be more demand for content both in the US and internationally, so keep working on those pitches and pilots. International expansion is happening continually, with even more opportunities in Europe, as well as places like Korea, Brazil, Australia and all over Africa. Content creators owning their IP and distributing it on non-traditional platforms online is starting to be really big. If you can build an audience, you really don't need a major studio. And there is the push into verticals, though it's too soon to tell how much that will hit long term. Obviously there is AI but I won't even get into that here.

Anthony LaRose I am not completely sure what you mean. Do you mean that most shows come from writers, producers, directors who are already experienced in the industry? That's certainly true, because you build connections and a career as you develop and sell projects. There are newer writers selling projects, but when they're hitting the screen, you may be hearing about the higher level showrunners or producers who are partnered with them. Or do you mean that you feel there are not enough innovative stories on TV? I guess I disagree with you there. TV is a lot like food - seriously! To some extent the audience wants "comfort" - the same stuff they've seen before, only different. Don't you want a burger and fries or a bag of chips or M&Ms at the end of a tiring day? But you might be up for a new topping or new flavor. And sometimes you're up for trying something totally new and different - can I interest you in Hungarian plum dumplings? I swear, they're to die for, but you'll probably trust me more if you know I'm an award-winning chef in my other life (I wish). So we want the same but different, and we want totally new but like wow where has this been all my life.

@Francisco Castro I get this question a lot so thanks for adding it to this thread. Do not write subsequent episodes - nobody will ever read them. You should write a pitch bible for sure. If you want to make a shorter "deck" version thereafter, you can, but you might not need to. You need a logline and connections, and if you pitch here on Stage 32, you need a short pitch. A pitch bible will include season arcs for serialized shows. We usually do not break this into episodes because you can't really know how many episodes the network will want, but if it's easier for you to come up with the season arcs thinking about it in sections, that can be a good way to work.

Such great info Anna Marton Henry. Thank you so much! And yes, I love the certification program. So far, I have 3 individual certifications and more coming soon as I work towards a masters certification. I also used to work as an international marketing manager for a music company which I loved. I miss working on that stage.

This is a great encouragement. Thanks!

@Tania Ocasio Wow those are a lot of questions!

What excites you most about a project - that it's fun and entertaining and deep underneath that has something to say about the world we live in.

How do you envision any tv series going beyond the pilot - this is answered a couple of times above, for example in my reply to Ashley's question.

What notes would you give any writer if we were developing right now - this is way too general. The notes depend on how the project can be improved.

What would be my creative role after any pilot - that kind of depends on you, actually. There are only so many hours in a day, so what do you want to do? Do you want to write a few episodes in the season? Want to supervise writing but not write any scripts on your own? Want to shadow the showrunner and learn to take over the show eventually? Want to just be an advisor? Pick what's important to you and push for that role.

How do you handle creator credit and ownership of the development - writer credits are determined by the WGA based on specific contributions. The writer owns the script, but if I develop a project with a writer from the ground up, I am attached as a producer.

What's your typical development path from pilot to pitch - we work on them simultaneously. Start by developing the framework for the show, then outline the pilot and maybe do a few drafts, go back to flesh out the pitch and find solutions to script problems, rinse and repeat.

I also tend to write female-driven series-do you see that as a strength in the current market, or are there ways any producer want any creator to expand within that lane - Thankfully we now have a LOT of female-driven shows, so that alone is not really a selling point. We want to see new types of women and women in new types of roles, but that's kind of true for men too.

do shows get greenlight because their themes are on trend? in addition to having the usual big names attached

Sebastian Tudores Thank you for this great question! I am assuming you're writing the script in English, and if some of your characters are American, they will speak English. And I assume your Romanian and Russian characters will speak those languages and there will be subtitles. You should write all the dialogue into the script in English and don't repeat it in another language, because then you throw off your page count (1 page = 1 minute on screen, but not if lines of dialogue are doubled). Then you can indicate languages at various levels in the script. If there is a second language that is used throughout the script, you might indicate at the top of the script that all dialogue in italics is in Romanian with subtitles, for example. When you have a scene that is entirely in another language, you can indicate that in the action line at the head of that scene. So for example, "Stepan and Grigori stand under the street lights, smoking. They speak in Russian, subtitled." If you have a scene that's in English but just a few lines of dialogue are in another language, you can indicate that in parentheticals for each of those lines (that is under the character name and above the dialogue). This is a great way to indicate when people are speaking in another language and those around them don't understand, for example. Hope this all makes sense, but feel free to ask for clarifications if you need.

BTW, sometimes in TV a writer will want the audience to slowly learn the language of the show bit by bit since you have multiple episodes / seasons. So then you build in a few words at a time in Romanian, for example, that are in the dialogue not translated / subtitled, but the audience can figure out from context what the word means. Don't throw too much vocabulary at the audience in the pilot! But you can ease them into it with a few key words, and then build on that in future episodes. But this is a tonal choice you make to give the show a more immersive feel, so you do not have to do this - it's just an option.

Hi, Anna. How open are studios/media platforms to checking out animated intended scripts? As in not for just short-form comedy or children’s media.

Cynna Ael Happy New Year! Actually, a lot of writers' rooms are still over Zoom part or full time. But that doesn't really matter - I mean if you needed to physically be in a writers' room you could come to LA at least temporarily, right? Breaking in if you're not in LA involves much the same steps as if you were here. Network online by joining writers groups, corresponding with colleagues, and here on Stage 32. Have Zoom coffees with people (I had one with an exec today who is 5 miles from me but we couldn't get away from the office and didn't want to keep postponing our meeting). And especially seek out other people in your own city / state and work with them. For example, you can write a film that takes place in your hometown, pitch to a producer online, raise financing, and work with your local film commission to get tax incentives. The industry has become very decentralized so LA is no longer a must-be destination. That said, if your goal is staffing, once your material gathers enough interest for you to get repped, you may be asked to relocate for a job.

Daniel Broderick Glad you asked because there is so much confusion out there about TV loglines. There is no such thing as a pilot logline. We only have series loglines. A great logline indicates the genre of the show (unless it's obvious), says something compelling about the characters, indicates the unique world of the show, and sets up the story engine, the central conflict of the show. It's not a plot summary of the pilot or the season. TV loglines are generally longer than feature loglines, often 2 - 4 sentences. Here is one of my favorite "perfect" loglines (I did not write this): "A comedy series that centers on a formerly filthy rich video store magnate Johnny Rose, his soap star wife Moira, and their two kids, über-hipster son David and socialite daughter Alexis, who suddenly find themselves broke. They are forced to live in Schitt’s Creek, a small depressing town they once bought as a joke." Notice all the juicy, evocative vocabulary, like filthy rich, magnate, star, uber-hipster, socialite, depressing, etc. Look at this now: "After their business manager steals all of their money, the Rose family are forced to move to the town of Schitt's Creek, which Johnny bought in 1991 as a joke gift for his son, David. They take up residence in the town's motel, and immediately insult the town's pushy, oblivious mayor, and the motel's sole employee. Daughter Alexis intends to escape Schitt's Creek by taking up with her wealthy boyfriend, but he breaks up with her." OK that's a decent pilot summary, but it doesn't really tell us anything about the show so it's not useful as a sales tool, which is the point of a logline.

Brandy Camille You, me and everyone else! All pilots must have a great hook to get the audience into the series, but that doesn't mean it's going to hook you personally, because you might not be the right audience or it might just not be your cup of tea. But you are more tenacious than most - execs reading scripts and audience members on the couch tend to not give you the benefit of the full pilot; if they're not hooked about a third of the way in (by end of Act I), they're going to find some other entertainment. There are way too many pilots that have gotten me hooked so I'm not going to give a list, except to say that my latest favorite is Heated Rivalry, so shout out to Jacob Tierney, Rachel Reid, and of course the incredibly talented Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams!

Juliana Philippi Happy New Year! There is some confusion here... what you need is a pitch bible, which is your written pitch. I am a strong advocate for a detailed pitch bible, as I talked about in another reply above. Maybe that's what you're calling a "series bible" even though that's something else entirely, something a showrunner would put together for department heads after the show is sold and production is about to begin. When your pitch bible is done and your pilot script is done, then you can use that written pitch as a guide to your verbal pitch. Your pitch bible should have detailed character descriptions, season arcs, and much more. I did a webinar on this, as there is no space here to get into the details of each section. But without working out the elements of the show, which is what writing a pitch bible forces you to do, you won't be able to write a truly strong pilot. I got into this topic in some of the replies above so you can also read through the rest of this thread.

Nicholas Jonah Greene Of course not having read your pilot I can't be sure. But I can interpret contest placements for you and that might help. Generally judges rate entries on two criteria: concept and execution. Quarterfinalist: You are doing well on one of those and poorly on the other. Keep at it but you have work to do. Semifinalist: You are really impressive on either the concept or the execution, but not both; usually it's a great concept but you need to work on the writing craft, or you're a strong writer but the concept feels too generic. Finalist: You've got a really strong script with a great concept and you're a pro writer. Winners are often just a matter of originality in the concept or a very strong, distinctive voice. So maybe your pilot needs notes and a rewrite? If you keep being a finalist or even winning contests but your pilot won't sell, then chances are you have what I call "a wish not a show." Because when I take off my judging hat and put on my producing hat, then I start thinking about actually making your show, which brings me to budget and producability, and that's when a great script becomes a great writing sample but not something you can sell - at least not without some changes or till you're further on in your career.

Salisu Abdullahi The hardest part of writing a pilot is that you need to do it all. Character is first, but world is a very, very close second. Keep your focus on two things. 1. The complexities of the characters and especially their relationships. How their goals drive the story, their motivations provide emotional charge, their strengths and flaws give them successes and failures, and how their conflicts drive the storylines forward scene to scene. 2. The obstacles and stakes that come out of your world. How are your characters challenged by their world? In what ways do they fit in or not, understand it or not, accept it or step over the lines, etc. Show us the world by how your characters move through it and interact within it. When you give us information in dialogue, it should be only as much as we need to know immediately to understand what's going on. And keep it as simple as possible - we want entertaining stories not a science class. It can be very helpful to have a "newcomer" in your story, someone to whom everything can be explained organically. When you have a "created world" like in your show, you need to use every scene in part for world-building and lots of different tricks of the writing trade. By the way, one of my all-time favorite "teaching" pilots is The Expanse, because it demonstrates pretty much every world building and exposition technique that exists in TV. It's worth studying that and as many other pilots in your genre as you can.

Joshua Linder That's a great question! You know, I kind of wish that were the case, but I don't think so. Shows get made because studios think they'll make money from them; it's really that simple. Big names mean the studio can trust the people involved to know what they're doing and deliver a quality product on time and on budget. But I don't think production companies, studios or networks care all that much about themes. They care about great stories that will hook and carry an audience. I personally love projects that have something to say about the world we live in. But it's entertainment first, always. And as for trends, that gets tricky, because you often don't know what's going to hit until it does. We all try to tap into the zeitgeist and predict what the audience is craving, but it's a guessing game. If I had told you a few months ago that HBOMax's #1 show (with 9.9 IMDB scores to rival Breaking Bad and Game of Thrones and countless rave reviews) was going to be a low-budget Canadian sexually explicit gay hockey romance, would you have believed me? Now of course everyone is talking about the female audience and toxic masculinity, etc. But like, nobody saw this coming, least of all HBO when they acquired the show. Just saying...

Haley R. Malone You mean adult animated shows, I assume? A lot of platforms are distributing them now and obviously there are a lot of animation studios making them. But animation is an artist-driven medium with writers as partners. Your top priority needs to be partnering up with either an artist or an animation company to create visuals for your show. Networks want to see a total package, including a script and concept art or even some produced sequences as a sizzle reel.

Hi, Anna Marton Henry I wish you a great 2026. I’d like to ask what's the most important aspect to pay attention to when writing a Period TV Series, especially in terms of how it differs from writing a feature. Thank you.

Anna Marton Henry, You are amazing! Thank you very much. I'll follow your advice <3

Thank you, Anna Marton Henry, for taking the time to reply to my question. Much appreciated!!!

Thx.

Anna Marton Henry Thank you so much, finally got clarity, it was confusing understanding the difference and how the pitch bible worked, vs a show bible, that the showrunner actually produces. And I'll look up that webinar for sure, and read other replies on the subject above.

Anna, how do you feel about tools such as ScriptHop (it creates "Packets;" they work like pitch decks) and Prewrite (I like to use it as a lookbook)?

Thanks so very much for holding this week's AMA...you're one of the biggest reasons Stage 32 is so doggone successful!

Anna Marton Henry Once a project gets sold — a feature or a pilot — what’s the best way a writer or creator can actually protect the core of it? I get that changes will happen. But how do you fight for the stuff that matters without getting labeled ‘difficult’ or losing the room?

Also, from the writing side, how much say — if any — can a writer actually have in how a film is shot? Like tone, style, even the format?

I know it’s mostly the director’s lane, but if a writer’s got a specific cinematic vision in mind — like something meant to be shot on Panavision or feel like early-2000s romantic dramas or something like that — is there any way to influence that early on? Or is that completely out of our hands once the studio steps in?

Maria Caeiro Happy New Year! Thank you for your question, whuich I will now use to plug my historical fiction pilot writing lab starting this Saturday! Link above in the original post for this thread. Writing a feature is really different from writing for TV - it's very different media, actually. But specifically in terms of a period or historical project, I think the main difference goes back to the fact that a feature is powered by plot - events in the arc of a life - vs. a TV series which is powered by character and world because there are multiple plotlines all at once and in succession. So in a feature, you are telling a narrative set in a period (fictional or not). The focus is on the plot of what happens from time A to time B. In TV, the period is part of the world. It's a source from which you constantly take kernels of storylines, various obstacles and conflicts, in the form of physical threats, societal threats and individual characters. It's not about telling the story of a period but rather using that as a universe to be explored. So like Gangs of New York is the story of one man's journey seeking revenge in late 1800s New York. It's his quest - all features are quests. The Gilded Age takes place in the same place around the same time, but it's about an entire world and society, exploring the lives of multiple characters and families and conflicts relating to marriages, wealth, labor movements, etc. The exploration of the world is the core of the show, not just context for a specific journey. Consequently, I think a historical feature has a bit more of an obligation to stick to what actually happened if it's trying to tell the story of a specific event. The Gilded Age takes huge liberties in order to coalesce what happened in the course of multiple decades and in multiple places into a cohesive series.

Jim Boston Aww thank you so much! I honestly haven't used those tools but now I'll have to check them out. I think a tool that helps you visualize your writing or present your ideas in a nice way is great. A tool that takes over the writing tasks for you is robbing you of the benefits of doing the writing yourself, which is true as much for a pitch as a script. If you'd rather turn the writing tasks over to a software then why be a writer at all? As long as you are entirely in charge of creative decisions, tools are great. I am not sure if these are AI powered, but be mindful that the industry frowns on the use of AI in general as it relies on copyright infringement, and that uploading your own work to AI is effectively declaring that you're ok to abandon your own copyright to a corporation.

Nicholas Jonah Greene I think in part you have to know what truly matters to the core of your show and pick your battles. You have to be able to communicate your ideas politely, clearly and promptly - this last one is important because some changes cannot be made after certain points. TV is a writer's medium, so you (or really the showrunner) have a lot of say in the visual style of the show, within reason especially dictated by budget. I am not a feature expert - hence this AMA being about writing for TV. But features are a director's medium and once a director is on board you won't have that much say in the visual style, mostly because hopefully the director knows a lot more about how to effectively communicate your story than you do. However, an under-appreciated aspect of the process is you being able to select the people you work with! You build a team early on, with a producer, in TV a showrunner, in features a director, actors, etc. You have a big say in who you choose to work with. If those people share your vision and are dedicated to making the same show or film as you to the best of their abilities, then hopefully all the drama is on the screen, not behind it. Ideally it's not a "fight," it's a "wow I hadn't thought of that, with your skills and experience this project is going to be so much better than the ideas I had at the start." TV in particular is a collaborative endeavor and you have to think of your assembled talent as your team where you're all on the same side, including the studio and network, who have taken a huge leap of faith on your vision. They will have final say over things that have a big impact on the execution of your vision, like how many episodes are in your season and how much money you have to spend. My main suggestion is to shift your thinking away from "fighting" and "protecting" and "influencing" to "collaborating" and "trusting" and "sharing" and "leading." If that's your baseline attitude, you won't be labeled difficult even when you stand up for your ideas.

Would this synopsis of my true stroke journey arouse any interest for my completed half-hour dramedy? Thank you.--“A Stroke of Luck”— Based on author’s True story

Synopsis:

In the heart of a rehab hospital designed for brain-damaged patients, "A Stroke of Luck" unfolds as a heartwarming and comedic journey through the lives of an unlikely trio of patients-turned-friends. This TV dramedy takes the classic dynamic of "MASH" and turns it on its head: the patients are the protagonists, and the staff, though essential, take a backseat.

At the center of the tale is Jack Murphy, a middle-aged failed novelist whose cynicism is magnified by a debilitating stroke. As he grapples with paralysis, cognitive challenges, and the fear of losing his literary voice, Jack discovers an unexpected lifeline: screenwriting. The power of storytelling pulls him from the depths of despair, rekindling his hope and sparking a determination to craft a new narrative for his life.

Within the walls of Spaulding Rehab Hospital, Jack forms an unbreakable bond with a number of fellow patients two of whom are: Dona, a spirited and daring woman determined to conquer her own challenges, and Martha, a boisterous and outgoing friend, who become his partners in mischief and laughter. Their escapades, along with fellow patients, mirror the camaraderie of "MASH," only this time, they're the ones stealing the show.

As they navigate the rigors of recovery, Jack, Dona, and Martha defy their conditions, reshaping the meaning of resilience. The supporting staff, while essential in the healing process, provide a backdrop against which the patients' unique stories unfold. Every week brings a new narrative, but the charismatic, eclectic, core cast remains a constant, their growing relationships with each other and the staff weaving a tapestry of emotional depth.

"A Stroke of Luck" captures the essence of the human spirit as it battles adversity. With a blend of laughter, heartache, and hope, the series celebrates the healing power of friendship and the unexpected journeys that arise when life takes an unexpected turn. As the patients become the heart and soul of the hospital, the staff finds themselves inspired and forever changed.

In this captivating pilot and the adventures that follow, "A Stroke of Luck" invites viewers into a world where humor and determination collide, crafting a unique dramedy that dares to celebrate the resilience within us all.

Contact: Jed Power

jedpower@verizon.net

Thank you Anna Marton Henry for mentioning your historical fiction pilot lab. It´s very interesting and it´s what I´m trying to learn right now. Thank you again for such a thoughtful anf full of content answer. It helps me to clarify the differences and feel more confident because understanding the differences is essential to start developing my own period project. It´s the first step.

Anna Marton Henry Thank you so much for answering my questions and all our questions here at Stage 32. The answers you provided are really helpful and actually way more than I hoped for. I plan to carefully read all the questions and answers here - I'm sure there is a world of knowledge to be gained about TV writing.

Jed Power AMAs are not a forum for pitching your ideas. As stated at the top of the thread and in the questions you can see above, this is a place to ask general questions about the process and craft. But I think I can help you in that regard. You shouldn't pitch your idea using a synpsis like this at all. It's just not a format we read. You need to craft an effective logline for your project (see above in an answer on suggestions for that). When you reach out to someone to pitch your project, bear in mind three things: 1. Is this the appropriate venue / forum to pitch? When you pitch in places that are not designed for that, you come across as not knowledgeable and somewhat desperate. 2. Can you first build a relationship with the person you are pitching to or at least learn about what they work on from their website, LinkedIn, pitch session postings, interviews, AMAs, etc. So what you could have done is asked me what kinds of projects I am interested in producing or what my creative priorities are and why. If we have some things in common, you could have reached out in a private message here on Stage 32 or on LinkedIn, explained why you feel I am the right person to approach with your idea, and... 3. In your first outreach, you should ONLY include your logline plus a little bit of information about your background and experience. If someone is interested on that basis, they will ask for a written pitch and/or your script.

Hi Anna Marton Henry - thank you for the super thorough answer! Your assumptions were 100% correct and your solutions to the issue were, frankly, freeing. Cause it's often these 'little' technical formatting issues that can cramp writing flow. SO many thanks.

And the tonal choice of gradually 'teaching' the viewers the language is something I would totally do - so that challenge is accepted :)

Anna, thanks so DOGGONE much for the answer about ScriptHop and Prewrite!

Those two items are tools that help me present my items in a better way...and I found out about Prewrite and ScriptHop right here on Stage 32 in mid-2020.

ScriptHop's got some AI in it...in that it tries to guess the genre of the screenplay/teleplay being run through ScriptHop. What's more, it makes a budget estimate (low, medium, or high) for what you've written.

Speaking of AI...there's absolutely no way in the world I'll allow artificial intelligence to come up with a script for me. I've been using https://ScriptReader.ai and https://screenplayiq.com as evaluation tools (but they're absolutely NOT the final word...the real test for me is whether things I've written resonate with Stage 32 members and Script Revolution members)...those two tools have helped me identify character arcs and themes I've missed and they've helped me identify a script's mood.

ScreenplayIQ and ScriptReader are just tools...and I'm out to make sure I'm making all the creative decisions instead of letting AI do it.

If you'd like to check out ScriptHop and/or Prewrite, the sites are www.scripthop.com and https://prewrite.com.

Thanks bunches for the AMA...and here's wishing you all the VERY BEST here in 2026 (and beyond)!

Thank you so much for the thoughtful reply, Anna! That's an incredibly helpful perspective.

The reminder to avoid a 'science class' is exactly what I needed to hear right now. I’ll definitely check out The Expanse.again to study that balance. We are leaning heavily into the 'newcomer' dynamic with our lead character to keep the physics organic to her journey. I really appreciate you taking the time to share your insight on Stage 32!

Thank you, Anna, Log line-After a cynical stroke survivor is admitted to a chaotic yet hopeful rehab hospital, he must rediscover his strength, purpose, and humor—while forming unlikely bonds with quirky patients and staff who refuse to give up.

Jed Power That seems like a good logline, though it doesn't align with my producing priorities. One thing that jumps out immediately though is that there is a reason medical shows take the perspective of the doctors rather than the patients - which is that it seems odd for patients to be in a medical setting indefinitely. The doctors would stay season after season, but the patients would get better and leave. We do have shows set in permanent "homes" like a retirement community or nursing home, but even then the focus tends to be more on the caregivers who have lives outside in addition to the residents. That's because these kinds of insular settings become claustrophobic for the audience and quickly run out of increasing and varied stakes. Your show sounds "low concept," meaning that it's mainly about character dynamics with the story engine coming out of the characters being "trapped together." In a sitcom that can work so it's helpful if you specify that that is the format (I presume). Still, the question of why and how are these characters are trapped together long-term is something you need to work out. Hope this helps!

Thank you everyone for your very thoughtful questions! If you need help with your pilot script or pitch, you can message me here on Stage 32 or take a look at my website at annahenryconsulting.com. And this is the last chance to sign up for my historical fiction pilot lab starting TOMORROW: https://www.stage32.com/education/products/stage-32-8-part-screenwriting-lab-write-a-historical-fiction-tv-pilot-script-in-8-weeks-january-2026?mc_cid=97f4b76daa&mc_eid=c48419c571

If you or someone you know is working on that type of show, it will take the project to the next level. .

You're welcome, Anna Marton Henry. Incredible AMA! Thanks again for having it! I hope you have a fantastic year!

It was an outstanding AMA, Anna Marton Henry. You’re an absolute rockstar, and we learned so much from your generosity and insight. Thank you for pouring so much value into the community. Wishing you all the very best on everything ahead.

Anna, Thank you for the excellent advice but as a disabled senior, who has no idea where he is getting his assisted living next months rent, I cant be fussy, I have to pitch anyone that breathes!

That's a very good offer... can you share a link summarising an overview for future reference...?

Ryan OL Sorry what offer / overview are you referring to?

Empowering women with a female archetypal role model…

Greetings Anna... !

Your 'Ask Me Anything; on Stage32 ticked many boxes on this project…

·- Limited series (three episodes- sets up for sequel series).

·- projects with international appeal

· -showcasing diversity in writers and stories

· -head of development at a literary management and production company.

·- writing a historical fiction / period pilot script

· -writing pilot scripts, pitching for television and the state of the industry.

The project's communication strategy is dense with promo and pitch materials… including:

Project Intro: https://ryanol.com/1923-believe-intro

Project Update: https://ryanol.com/believe-project-update