Hi!
I never wrote one line of a sitcom but would love to try. I understand that there are technical rules that I need to know, like the right format in writing. Where can I find info about this, and is it necessary to use special software or is a normal word processor with the correct screenplay settings enough?
Please give a beginner some help...
Thanks!
André
Moving this thread over to the Writers' Discussion forum. They'll be able to help.
Hello Andreas, welcome to the forums.
Post writing related questions in the Writers Section, you'll no doubt get a better response there.
To answer your question, I recommend a free program called Celtx or if you're posh and want to splash the dosh, you could try Final Draft.
You could also click the Writing link at the top of the site, it would be a very good place to start.
Hi, thanks for the advice, I know about Celtx, but it doesn't have a sitcom format. Is it very different from screenplay
BBC Writers' Room http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/ has free Word templates for various script types - screenplay, sitcom, radio, etc. It also has some sample scripts to help you see how the pros do it.
Enjoy.
Thanks!
Quote: Andreas van Haren @ April 11 2008, 10:28 PM BSTHi, thanks for the advice, I know about Celtx, but it doesn't have a sitcom format. Is it very different from screenplay
There are recommended formats for submitting to places like the BBC for example and whilst it's good to learn these, I think it's not the most important part you need to be concentrating on at this stage.
You'll need to learn the basic rules to sitcom writing first, like how to develop characters, plots and general ideas. There are many links to be find on this site and I'm sure you'll get many responses (at least I hope you do) to other useful sites.
What Leevil said.
I've never written in anything other than screenplay format. I like the rough 1 minute per page rule, and the fact that Courier font screams out "I am a script!" even if only to me.
Thanks. I did a lot of studying on story structure and character development in the past. I wrote two books that are published in Holland and I wrote a theater piece and an opera (I write music as well). So I am not totally new to story writing. However, tv writing is new for me. Of course I watch a lot (!) of sitcoms, always did, that is why I would get my hands dirty and try it myself.
Ah ok. But I'd still recommend learning the structures to sitcom writing and I don't just mean how it's laid out on the page.
Of course. I will have a look around here and see what I can find out.
The storyline is sooooooo hard to do but one has to think out the whole story before even thinking of the dialogue
I know. I always did a complete outline of every scene for my books before even one line on paper. Took me months but it was always worth it. For sitcom, is there a model that people use? Like an amount of pages for an act or something like that? Or is this the thing that makes every sitcom different?
For sitcom, the first 15 mins or so is building up the story and creating probs for the characters, the next ten mins is a muddle whereby everything is going wrong. the last five mins is where everything is resolved...easy...I don't think so
I was going to give some advice but looks like you've got more experience than most of us here.