Douglas - Writing the TV Drama Series 3rd edition: How to Succeed as a Professional Writer in TV

Pam Douglas takes on the complicated business of episodic television and makes great, grand sense of it. For years shes been a star of USCs School of Cinematic Arts, imparting these secrets to her students. Now these secrets have been written down. A textbook, a how-to, a resource, an inspiration, this book has knowledge, has wisdom, is a joy to read.

Howard A. Rodman, Artistic Director, Sundance Screenwriting Labs

Solid career advice and industry insights. Provides crucial foundational guidance for the aspiring television drama writer.

David Trueman, reviewer, Script Magazine

Writing the TV Drama Series sheds much-needed light onto the befuddled, and oft overlooked subject of television programming development invaluable to teachers, students, or anyone else interested in the world of television.

Brian Johns, Eastman Kodak Scholarship Program Director

Written by a television insider, this well-written text takes one, step by step, through the maze on why and how television programs make it from pitch to script to pilot to series. Pam Douglas style is fun to read; she packs in information and the definite how-tos of making it as a series television writer.

Jule Selbo has been a series writer/producer on Life Goes On, Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, Melrose Place, Undressed, Maya and Miguel and many others

Remarkably comprehensive and up-to-date, Writing the TV Drama Series is a candid, enthusiastic introduction to the craft and culture of dramatic television.

Jeff Melvoin, Executive Producer, Alias, Northern Exposure

Pamela Douglas provides valuable insights and insider tips in this essential guide to writing the television drama. Her step-by-step instruction to jumpstarting and surviving a career in the television business is packed with current industry information and practical advice from renowned industry pros. , which highlights working on staff, is dead-on. It took me years to learn what Pam has so artfully and honestly laid out. A must-read for any aspiring television writer.

Toni Graphia, Writer-Producer, Roswell, Carnivale, Battlestar Galactica

This book covers the waterfront in writing for dramatic television.

Peter Lefcourt, Writer-Producer, Beggars & Choosers, Karen Sisco, Cagney & Lacey

A knowledgeable insight to writing TV drama. A book that is a delight to read.

Amy Taylor, Cedar Grove Entertainment

Right now is the golden age of TV drama, and this book is far and away the best resource I know of for any writer wishing to work in this tremendously challenging and rewarding field.

Daniel Petrie, Jr., President, Writers Guild of America, West; The Big Easy, Beverly Hills Cop

Pamela Douglas demystifies the entire process of writing one of the most intimidating and challenging formats the television drama series. This comprehensive book takes the reader on a step-by-step journey from the birth of a series concept to what happens long after the final scene has been shot. Suddenly, the impossible seems possible, thanks to Writing the TV Drama Series.

Marie Jones, book reviewer, absolutewrite.com

The breadth and depth of practical advice on real-world writing should enlighten and inspire any aspiring TV drama writer. It should enlighten because it is clear, free of jargon, and explains the business and the design of television dramas. It should inspire because it cuts to the chase a writer gets an outline of the drama life cycle and knows what is required from pitch to pilot to longevity of a series. The interviews with successful writers makes this book valuable all by themselves, but theres so much more.

Diane Carson, Ph.D., Editorial Vice President, University Film & Video Association

Writing the TV Drama Series is an invaluable resource for anyone aspiring to be a television writer. Having worked with beginning writers for years, the information in Pamelas book is exactly what they need to know: how to write excellent scripts and how to become savvy enough about the business to break in and get their first job writing for television. I recommend it to every new writer I work with.

Carole Kirschner, Head of the CBS Diversity Institute Writers Mentoring Program; Program Director, WGA Showrunner Training Program

Pamela Douglas has written the book on writing hour episodic drama. She breaks the process down into simple-to-understand steps, while carefully weaving the inseparable elements of craft and business. This is a must read for any screenwriter who wants to get in and stay in the television series loop. In the rapidly changing landscape of hour episodic television, Pamela Douglas is on top of the trends and thinking one step ahead of them. Essentially, she has created the gold standard for any book on this topic.

Catherine Clinch, Contributing Editor, Creative Screenwriting Magazine; Publisher, MomsMediaWorld.com

Writing the TV Drama Series is both practical and enjoyable; I repeatedly recommend this guide to series writing to aspiring television writers. Douglas keeps it easy to follow, and every page is loaded with valuable information that will help writers navigate those challenging first years.

Erika Kennair, Entertainment Diversity Representative, NBC Entertainment Strategy Dept.

Through her experiences as a writer on well-known series, Pamela Douglas teaches you to write from the heart while being conscious of all of the details that accompany working in the fast-paced world of television: writing within budget, analyzing and breaking down scenes, working with a staff of writers, the drafting process from outline to shooting script, and breaking into the business. As a production assistant working on a serial program, Writing the TV Drama Series helped me to understand how a concept is developed into a full story that airs over months. I know it will help you too.

Joshua Friedman, author: Getting It Done

Think of Pamela Douglas as a Sorcerer and that youre lucky enough to be her apprentice. The 3rd Edition of Writing The TV Drama Series delivers on many levels.

D.B. Gilles, author: The Screenwriter Within and Youre Funny! Turn Your Sense of Humor Into a Lucrative New Career

Writing the TV Drama Series remains the best of book of its kind, a must-have not only for aspiring (or working) drama writers, but for producers, execs, agents, and anyone who needs to understand or think critically about the inner workings of TV dramas.

Chad Gervich, writer/producer: After Lately, Cupcake Wars, Wipeout; author: Small Screen, Big Picture: A Writers Guide to the TV Business

For the past decade or so, TV drama has been the most interesting and successful form of storytelling in our culture. And I cant imagine a better one-volume guide to writing TV drama than Pamela Douglas book.

Michael Cassutt, writer/producer: Max Headroom, Beverly Hills 90201, The Dead Zone

I took Professor Douglas class as a graduate student at USC it was her guidance that led me into a career in television. This book is a brilliant distillation of that semester with the added bonus that I can refer back to the juicy bits when Im in a bind. I keep my copy at work so I can review her practical advice on how to structure a script, what makes a character compelling, and how to make a scene sing. And her chapter on how to behave on a writing staff is invaluable commit it to memory!

Janet Lin, writer/producer: Bones

The definitive work on dramatic TV writing just got more definitive. Pamela Douglas brilliant 3rd Edition is a must-have for anyone seriously considering writing television. This is not a how-to book, but rather a manifesto for great television writing.