Bit of help please!

Hi,

I just signed up to here, so hello too everyone.

Im currently brainstorming an idea for a sit-com and have the basics all down, from the main idea of the show, short description of the characters, and even ideas for episodes.

But im having trouble in getting it from ideas to written down as a script. Does anybody out there have a template of a script? or a finished script that I could look at to see how its done?

Also, what should I do before I get to writing a script? Are basic ideas enough to get straight into script writing? Or should I get more structured brainstorming done? If so, does anybody have some templates for this too?

Many thanks if you reply!!

Ady

If you want to look at some scripts there are some at the writersroom here

http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/insight/tv_comedy.shtml

Personally, when I set out to write I have some notes but nothing too extensive, and I draw up an outline of the main points of the episode. Then I just go for it and churn out the first draft as fast as I can. If writing was sculpting, the first draft would be the block of stone, which you then have to work on. The first draft is supposed to be crap, it's just a base to work on.

Hope that helps.

I plan it to death first: character profiles and all that. Then I write the episode out long-hand, with everything in there. The dialogue is the very last thing I write.

But this is all personal choice, so whatever works for you.

Dan

well when ive written things before, I tend to blag it. With little planning.
Its all planned out in my head what I want to do, but when I've written it down as a general idea it looks like it will be hard to structure. How do you "plan to the death"? do you follow the same planning process for everything you write?

Edit: Thanks too Chris, the link looks very useful with the writing part! I just need a bit of planning structure I think!

Is it common on here for people to co-write things, or post their work to get feedback from others? or to post bits of their planning/notes/brainstorms?

I use scripsmart gold from the BBC site. http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/scriptsmart/index.shtml
Has help files which explain how to write scripts properly.

There are some guides on this site here https://www.comedy.co.uk/features/articles/

These are two books I read, they were recommended somewhere on this site but I can't remember where of be bothered to search for the page again. But they were quite good.

• How to be a sitcom writer/Marc Blake
• Writing Sitcoms/John Byrne and Marcus Powell

I've read tons of stuff about sitcom writing, internet's full of it, but everything seems to just point to one theme, characters, characters, characters.

Quote: Ady Froggatt @ May 17 2009, 12:09 AM BST

Is it common on here for people to co-write things, or post their work to get feedback from others? or to post bits of their planning/notes/brainstorms?

View original

The 'Critique' forum caters for this.

Dan