Kelly Edwards - The Executive Chair: A Writers Guide to TV Series Development

Kelly was in the room when I pitched my first TV series, Girlfriends. She immediately saw the value of the show, its impact on culture, and therefore was a key advocate for the greenlight that changed my life. Consider this book a gift, and soak up the insight and information she generously offers in these pages.

MARA BROCK-AKIL, Creator of Being Mary Jane and Girlfriends

Everyone trying to break into writing for television is looking for the same thing: practical information and actionable advice. At last, the wait is over. Kelly Edwards has delivered an essential everything-you-need-to-know guide to the business of TV.

CRAIG MAZIN, Creator and Writer of Chernobyl

Knowing how to pitch well, take notes, and understand the business is the key to success in Hollywood. This book has all of that and more.

MALCOLM SPELLMAN, Executive Producer of Marvels The Falcon and the Winter Soldier

As a seasoned industry veteran, even I gained new insight from Kellys demystifying peek behind the curtain. The Executive Chair is a breezy, invaluable and revelatory read for anyone even considering a writing career in Hollywood.

YVETTE LEE BOWSER, Creator and Executive Producer of Living Single

Kelly Edwards has written the single most concise, practical, and useful book for understanding the TV development process I have ever read. She tells it exactly as it is. No BS, no Hollywood phoniness. I found myself saying, Yes, yes! on every page. If only I had this book years ago.

GLEN MAZZARA, Writer/Executive Producer The Shield; Showrunner, The Walking Dead; Creator/Showrunner, Damien

The Executive Chair is an exceptional and comprehensive look at the script development process and the skills it takes to sell a successful series. Kelly Edwards, who has an extraordinary career and sees this process through various lenses, gives a profound glimpse into the process. Information is power, and this book is full of it. If you want to know what it takes to sell a successful series, read, absorb, and put into practice this advice from someone who knows.

JEN GRISANTI, Story/Career Consultant at JGCI, Speaker, Author, and Writing Instructor

If youve ever wondered what really goes on behind network/studio doors and how decisions are made on their projects, The Executive Chair is a must-read! With laser-like precision, former Hollywood exec Kelly Edwards breaks down everything from behind-the-scenes groundwork to an execs POV on how internships and volunteering for industry events can lead to follow-up meetings and other door-opening opportunities! Kelly shares her insider knowledge and advice on the value of the perfect pitch, writing the pilot script, how to take notes and successfully navigate the studio/network labyrinth all with a wink and a reassuring smile!

KATHIE FONG YONEDA, Author of The Script-Selling Game, Former Studio Exec

From Getting In to Your Game Plan, Kelly Edwards is right: they dont teach TV development. She does. Essential reading for creating, navigating, and getting your unique material made from the executives point of view. Very valuable to anyone in the industry.

DAVE WATSON, Author of Walkabout Undone, Editor for Movies Matter

For people interested in Hollywood, how it works and how best to not only break in but make it big, Kellys book is in a class all its own. Kellys experiences as a buyer of content, a producer, and as a writer all told with real humor and through the unique perspective of an African-American woman coming up at a time and in a business that was anything but diverse make her book The Executive Chair an invaluable read and one thats as entertaining as it is informative. Its not just for people trying to make it in entertainment, its for anyone fascinated with how the sausage gets made in Hollywood and how surprisingly easy it is to learn to get to the top of the Hollywood factory food chain.

TOM NUNAN, Former Network and Studio President, Oscar-winning Executive Producer and Founder of The Industry Way

Reading The Executive Chair is like having your favorite aunt, who happens to be the head of a TV network, sit at the kitchen table and tell you exactly how things really work. An aunt who wants the best for you and is going to give you all the inside information and strategies you need to succeed as a writer. Theres no other book out there like this. Clear and engaging, just the practical specifics on how to network effectively and getting inside the mind of an executive giving notes is going to save you years of confusion and struggle.

CAROLE KIRSCHNER, Director of the WGA Showrunner Training Program and the CBS Diversity Writers Program, and Author of Hollywood Game Plan: How to Land a Job in Film, TV or Digital Entertainment

If youve ever pitched to an executive at a studio, network, or streamer, and wondered, What are they really thinking? Kelly Edwards gives you the answers to that and more in The Executives Chair. Shes the real deal, with years of experience at major networks and studios. Her astute advice and tips for getting your foot in the door as an executive to pitching and writing TV Bibles and Series is a treasure-trove of information for up-and-coming writers, producers, and seasoned vets alike. Plus, shes just plain funny, and a straight talker! This should be on every serious-minded content creators bookshelf.

RONA EDWARDS, Producer, Author of I Liked It, Didnt Love It (Screenplay Development from the Inside Out and The Complete Filmmakers Guide to Film Festivals. Former VP of Creative Affairs for Michael Phillips Productions and John Larroquettes Port Street Films.

A Writers Guide to TV Series Development

KELLY EDWARDS

MICHAEL WIESE PRODUCTIONS

Published by Michael Wiese Productions

12400 Ventura Blvd. #1111

Studio City, CA 91604

(818) 379-8799, (818) 986-3408 (FAX)

www.mwp.com

Cover design by Johnny Ink. www.johnnyink.com

Copyediting by Sarah Beach

Cover photo credit: Daniel Reichert

Manufactured in the United States of America

Copyright 2021 by Kelly Edwards

First Printing 2021

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without permission in writing from the author, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Edwards, Kelly - author.

Title: Executive chair : a writers guide to TV series development / by Kelly Edwards.

Description: Studio City, CA : Michael Wiese Productions, [2021] | Summary: To make compelling television, our industry depends on enthusiastic new voices with fresh ideas. While there are plenty of books about the mechanics of writing, this is the first time an insider has detailed the invaluable TV executive perspective. As key pieces of the entertainment puzzle, executives hold institutional wisdom that seldom gets disseminated outside network walls. The Executive Chair breaks down the business from the gatekeepers point of view, illuminating the creative process used by those who ultimately make the decisions. Whether developing a project for the entertainment marketplace or merely probing the executive mindset, The Executive Chair dispels myths about the creative process and takes the reader through the development of a pilot script Provided by publisher.