Serial Killer

Hola, and happy Cinco de Mayo!  Today, something I've been thinking about, and maybe you have too if you’re writing a new spec for this year’s upcoming TV writing program circuit (as mentioned yesterday, deadlines are fast approaching...be sure to check the list again, I had a few mistakes actually that I just corrected).

Specs can cause a lot of headaches.  Like I said in a post way back when, there are a lot of conflicting “rules” when it comes to specs.

“Rules” aside, one issue I always seem to hear fellow spec writers discussing this time of year is: how do I deal with spec’ing a highly serialized show? (like Breaking Bad, Sons of Anarchy, and lots of other cool shows you might want to spec).  As a friend of mine recently summed up, “I wrote a spec for a really serialized show last year and a couple episodes later, everything on the show had changed and now my spec is worthless and makes no sense.”

Wrong kind of "serial."

Jane Espenson has written extensively about specs and this specific issue on her a-mazing blog (btw she advocates NOT constantly updating your specs, so don’t think that is the solution).  I suggest checking out her blog for real pro advice, but two tips I’ve run across/have been suggested in my baby writing circles that I think are most helpful when spec'ing serialized shows are as follows:

1. Write a “one off” episode.

A “one off” is an episode that could happen essentially any time in the show’s chronology/doesn’t have to come after the last episode that aired/you saw.  This is easier said than done with some shows, and honestly, no matter what, you will probably have (and want) to deal with SOME (or many) juicy serialized elements or current cool storylines of any show you want to spec.  However, instead of trying to play psychic with how all the mysteries of your favorite show will develop, try instead to introduce something new into the show (and I don’t mean “new” like new character or location, I mean new like new conflict or relationship between existing characters...something that hasn’t been extensively explored or even hinted at...yet).

OR

2. Write an “in between” episode.

This is when you pick two fairly current episodes of the show you want to spec and write an episode that occurs in between these.  Your spec might seem a little stale as the show progresses and characters change, get together, break up, die, move away, but technically your episode will always be valid.  Thinking this way might actually help you do #1 and create a one off idea since you won’t be as preoccupied with predicting your show’s future.