I Tabled It

Here’s an example outline I wrote for my episode of the 2nd season of Idiot Sitter. The ep ended up being entirely re-written (so hopefully this is legal for me to post -- hi Comedy Central!!), but should still give you an idea of how an outline could look.

Every Scene Has An Arc

Every scene has an arc; every scene you write should end in a different place than it started. You can think of any scene as three basic parts: its beginning, its middle, and its end (this sounds very duh, Shelby, but bare with me). This includes both the plot arc and the emotional arc of a scene.

Imagine your scene like a subway ride. The beginning of your scene is you on the platform, the established and clear place that you are coming from. The end of your scene is the destination, or place you want to go. The middle of your scene is the ride, basically whatever has to happen to get you from the platform to the destination.

If the beginning of your scene fully lays the foundation for what’s to come (by establishing a clearly defined starting place for your character), and you have a clear picture of where you want the character to end (physically and emotionally), then the middle will often fall into place almost by itself. If you find yourself struggling to shoehorn in plot to the middle of your scene, you may want to reevaluate where you’ve chosen to begin and end it.

I know this sounds nebulous and/or dumb. But while the beginning, middle, and end to a larger story can seem so obvious, it’s just as important to find the beginning, middle, and end on the small scale too. Every scene is a microcosm; it needs to take us somewhere new, no matter how minuscule the distance. If you’re having a hard time and feel like your scene is becoming muddled or repetitive, just refer back to your roadmap to get us where we need to go. 

Every Scene Has a Point

Every scene has a point, in that every scene needs a reason for existing, both plotwise and emotionally. Of course, the degree to which each point is being made can vary – some scenes will be more about plot, some will be more about emotion – but they should always include both.

Everything that happens or is said in a scene needs to be there for a reason. Physical elements that are showcased on screen are expected to factor into the plot; everything someone does or says should reveal or reinforce something about their character. 

Audiences are smart, and they know they’re being told a story – so if you throw something up on screen that has absolutely no significance, it creates a kind of cognitive dissonance in your viewer that will take them out of the scene. (This can be its own kind of tool to wield, but even scenes that break the rules have an understanding of, and reason for breaking, said rules.)  

If you find yourself repeating beats over and over in your scene, or feel that it’s one-note, try to go back and remember WHY you are writing the scene you’re writing, then find the quickest, cleanest way to express it.

Example of a Scene (aka Let’s Put All This Shit Together)

Let’s look at a short scene, then run it by our scene checklist. We’re looking for a clearly defined: 

Starting place

Ending place 

Plot Arc 

Emotional arc 

Plot point 

Emotional point 

The start of the scene is Shelby, satisfied, working. The end of the scene is Shelby, sad and regretful, trying to fix something she’s broken. 

The plot arc of this scene is:

Shelby’s writing something

Shelby knocks papers off her desk

Shelby reaches down for the papers

Shelby notices a birthday card from someone wedged behind her desk

Shelby reads the card

Shelby tears the card and throws it in the trash

Shelby fishes out the scraps and tries to tape them back together

While the emotional arc of the same scene is:

Shelby feels GOOD doing her work

Shelby feels SHOCKED finding the card

Shelby feels ANGRY reading the card

Shelby feels REGRET after throwing the card away

Beat Sheets vs Outlines

A beat sheet is essentially your pre-outline outline. Unlike your outline, which may have 1-5 sentences building out each beat, for now you just want to get down the basic plot movement of your script. Once you have your framework worked out, both plotwise and emotionally, it’ll be easy to go back and fill it in for your outline, then eventually write as your script. This is the ~breaking of your story~ so try to work out any major plot kinks at this stage that you can.

Example

Your beat sheet doesn’t have to get too specific yet. An example of a beat sheet for a first act could be:

-Intro Shelby

-Intro Shelby’s friend, Joseph.

-Joseph calls Shelby, saying he needs help with a favor

-Shelby goes to Joseph’s, where she sees a big rug that needs to be moved

-Shelby and Joseph go to the dump, where they drop off the rug

-Shelby goes home

-Shelby gets a call from the cops, asking if she knows where Joseph’s roommate is, who has been missing for 2 days now

Nothing has been filled in too much, for now we’re just given the major plot points. Now, this is what you’ll use for your outline. Whereas your beat sheet should be 1-3 pages, an outline can be anywhere from 3-10 depending on your style. I try to aim for somewhere between 4-6 depending on the episode.

To make your outline, take your beat sheet and plug in some specifics around each beat, including any stray dialogue lines or jokes you’d like to remember. The more ideas you jot down and organize now, the easier your script will be.

Example

Let’s take our first 2 beats and outline them now:

-Intro Shelby

Open on a messy bedroom. We hear an iPhone alarm RING, and a hand reach out to turn it off. The same hand then reaches out to grab a bottle of ORANGE SODA, from which SHELBY (24, all over the place but doesn’t like to be) swigs, covering her face with the bottle

-Intro Shelby’s friend, Joseph.

Another hand pulls down a cup, this time of coffee. JOSEPH (25, extremely put together on the outside, a mystery on the inside), sits at a clean, tidy IKEA kitchen table, listening to an NPR broadcast on his computer.

Character Questionnaire

First Qs:

What is your show about?

What’s the tone of the show?

Where does it take place?

Who is/are your main character(s)?

Character Qs:

If you could describe your character(s) in 5 words, what would they be?

Where does your character live?

Who does your character hang out with?

What do they do for a living? What is your character’s secret dream job if they had?

What is their biggest fear? Their greatest regret? What embarrases them?

What does your character to for fun? When they’re sad? When they’re angry?

What’s the best thing about your character, in your opinion? What’s the worst?

What’s the best thing about your character, in your character’s opinion? What’s the worst?

If your character won the lottery, how would they react?

If your character got fired from a job, how would they take it?

What is your character like on a first date?

Where does your character start, emotionally? Where do they grow?

What was your character like as a child?

If not your main character, how does this character relate to your main character? If it’s your main character, where do they fit in with those around them?

What makes this character unique from all the others? Why does this character exist?

What is a Pitch Deck?

A pitch deck (or pitch doc, as I still usually accidentally call it) is the big packet of stuff you give to the person you’re pitching your show too. It’s exactly what it sounds like: a brief, comprehensive look at your idea to prove to prospective buyers that they should invest in it. (It’s also something for those people to be able to show THEIR bosses later on, once your in-person pitch is over.) The pitch deck is also for you; it’s a guide that will help to flesh out your idea entirely, and keep you on track when talking to people about it in the room.

The most basic shape of your pitch deck should look something like:

LOGLINE

SUMMARY

ABOUT ME

THE SHOW

THE TONE

THE WORLD

THE CHARACTERS

THE THEME/WRAP UP

THE PILOT*

THE SERIES*

These can obviously be switched around or modified based on your specific pilot, and the ones asterisked at the end are semi-optional, but the basic building blocks can be used for any project. There are also “One Pagers,” which someone might ask for before an entire deck, or you may want to start there for sake of ease. It’s essentially a truncated pitch deck -- pretty much just the logline and summary. We’ll go over one-pagers and the template for each part of a pitch deck, which is attached below the line.

Day One:

What Is A Pilot?

A Pilot episode is the first episode of a TV series, setting up the main characters, the tone, the world, and the series premise and/or conflict.

Do I Have To Write A “Pilot” for my “Pilot”?

No! And yes, sort of. You can write an “episodic” sample -- basically, a random episode from your made up show. So, instead of 30 Rock, where the pilot introduces a new problem for Liz Lemon that will set the course for the entire series (Jack enters as her new boss, forcing her show to hire the notoriously difficult comedian Tracy Morgan, before becoming her mentor for the rest of the series), you could write a Broad City “pilot” -- which, while still introducing us to Ilana, Abbi, and the worlds’ they’ll frequent, starts “mid-life,” per se: There’s no harsh inciting incident to begin the entire show. We’re entering their lives in media res.

Uh, You Said We Could Write A Short Film, Is That Still Cool?

Yes! Almost everything that applies to outlining and writing a pilot or tv episode can be applied to your short film -- including the structure of the pitch deck (just tweaked slightly).

Ok, I’m Going To Write A Pilot, Where Do I Fucking Start?

There’s a couple ways to go about deciding what you want to write about. The easiest is to ask yourself: “What’s unique/interesting about me, or someone I know?” The old “write what you know” wisdom still holds here -- partially because a show based on you or something close to your life is an “easier sell,” but also because it’s just easier, in general, to have a well of experiences and ideas to draw on so your show doesn’t dry up five episodes in. Some Q’s to get you thinking: What’s the most interesting job I, or someone I know has ever had? What makes me/my family/my life unique? What questions in my own life do I find the most interesting to answer? What do I like to watch? What do I wish I could watch on TV?

Ok, I Have A Couple Ideas, But Now What?

Let’s talk about tone. What kind of writer are you? What kind of show do you want to write? Wacky? Serious? Surreal? Animated? Having a clear idea of the tone of your show will save your ass over and over again. This ISN’T TO SAY the tone can’t change as you find the show more and more, but having a clear idea of how you want to tell your story is immeasurably valuable.

Ok, I Think I Know What I Want To Write, And How To Write It, Anything Else?

Why are you writing this? Now you have the who, what, how, but what about why. Why do you want to tell this story? What value is it adding to the world? (This doesn’t have to be overly lofty, by the way -- one reason for Broad City could be argued as “Young women don’t see strong, funny female relationships on screen enough, if at all.”)

PRACTICE:

Table It 

Welcome!!!

Impress your friends by making your 2018 resolution to finish that script you’ve been putting off and let me, unemployed&Emmy-winning writer Shelby Fero (plus all of our lovely participants) help you do it! The secret is, we’re getting started on it in 2017.

SO WHAT IS THIS?

A fun, constructive way to improve your writing and finish a project before the first month of 2018 is over. “Table It” will be hosted at Shelby’s house in Frogtown every Saturday and Sunday from 945am-12pm (there’ll be coffee I promise!) Each week we’ll tackle the next step in the script writing process, so by the time the 8-week session is done you’ll have a working sample script and the foundation of a pitch deck for your show or short film, plus practice working in a collaborative writers’ room-like setting. Shelby (me! Hello!) will read and review everyone’s work before each meet-up to provide personalized help and notes for each member, before opening it up to the table for input.

IF YOU’RE INTERESTED, I ask that YOU ask yourself a few questions before deciding yes/no on participating this time around:

-- Can I commit to at least 5 out of the 8 weeks of classes? (barring catastrophe of course)

-- Can I put in the time and effort to do the weekly assignments? (you don’t have to complete them, but you at least have to show the work the same respect and effort as I and your teammates)

-- Can I be polite, respectful, and appreciative of my peers for putting in the time and energy to better me as a writer? (things can get tense in a writer’s room, and it’s on you to be the most mature, respectful version of yourself. Like dick jokes are great, sexist racist or homophobic jokes and comments are not)

-- Can I be polite and respectful of Shelby, despite the fact that she’s 24 years old and kind of an idiot, because she’s letting me into her home and also is surprisingly ok at writing television? (It’s true: I’m VERY surprisingly ok!)

If the answer is yes, or no, read on to get a feel for what this would entail, then hit me back with your answer! If this schedule doesn’t work this time around no worries -- if this goes well I’ll definitely be doing it again. And if it goes poorly, you dodged a bullet. Congrats!

This is a tentative syllabus -- will adjust as necessary based off of the pace of the room -- but this is the basic schedule we’re going to try to stick to.

WEEK 1, DAY 1 -- 11/11/2017

Intros&General Brainstorm

AT THE TABLE: We’ll talk briefly about basic story structure, tone, and what type of projects we’d like to work on, as well as the schedule for the next 4-6 weeks. Each person will have a chance to pitch their ideas to the table, and receive feedback and brainstorming help.  If you don’t have one yet, that’s fine! If you have one you definitely want to write, that’s great! If you’re deciding between a few, let’s help you pick the right one!

AT HOME: Pick your favorite idea for a TV pilot, episode, or short film (our final product will be 25-35 pages).

WEEK 1, DAY 2 -- 11/12/2017

Character Development&World Building

AT THE TABLE: We’ll go over the basics of character descriptions and world building, including formatting and presentation for a TV pitch. We’ll practice writing character descriptions at the table, and brainstorm on our specific projects.

AT HOME: Write as much as you can, free-style, about each of your characters; anything that pops into your head about who this person is or how they’d react to something. From that, write up a ½-1 page character description for your main character, as well as appropriately lengthed character descriptions for each of your supporting or side characters. **If You’re Having Trouble** try to answer the question “How would they order their coffee?” It sounds silly, but knowing without a doubt how each character would respond in seemingly innocuous situations will lead to fuller characters.

WEEK 2, DAY 1 -- 11/18/2017

Breaking Story

AT THE TABLE: We’ll discuss the benefits beat sheets and outlines, how to do it (hint: everyone has a different method and they’re all good), pacing, and what should or shouldn’t go into a pilot. We’ll begin to brainstorm the major plot beats for each of our projects.

AT HOME: Write up a 1-3 page beat sheet for your project, hitting only the major plot notes of your episode and major character arcs (ie: “Intro John” is enough at this point for John’s intro). This will be the skeleton of our episode.

WEEK 2, DAY 2 -- 11/19/2017

Outline Outline Outline

AT THE TABLE: We’ll look at some examples of episode outlines&review everyone’s beat sheets. We’ll begin to pitch on the specific beats, identifying any weak spots, and help bolster character arcs. We’ll review& pitch on everybody’s first acts and as much of their second acts as time allows.

AT HOME: Begin outlining baby!!! Bring in your completed Act 1 outline.

WEEK 3, DAY 1&2 (At Home -- Thanksgiving Weekend)

Outline Outline Outline, Cont.

AT THE TABLE: We’ll remotely swap act 2&3 outlines. Enjoy Thanksgiving!!

AT HOME: Finish that outline babyyyy!!!!!

WEEK 4, DAY 1 -- 12/2/2017

Scene Time

AT THE TABLE: We’ll go over what makes a compelling scene, as well as write mini practice scenes to read out loud for examples of tone/pacing.

AT HOME: Write the first 1-3 pages of your script (cold open).

WEEK 4, DAY 2 -- 12/3/2017

Scene Time Cont.

AT THE TABLE: We’ll read the beginnings of our scripts aloud for feedback, as well as take this time to finish any outline review or to ask and answer any questions we still have.

AT HOME: Start that script!!!! Try to write a page or two every day, so by the end of the week you have a completed act 1 (5-8 pages)

WEEK 5, DAY 1 -- 12/9/2017

Act One Table Read

AT THE TABLE: We’ll read everyone’s act 1’s aloud, and give feedback.

AT HOME: Make any edits and changes to Act 1

Week 5, DAY 2 -- 12/10/2017

AT THE TABLE: Finish reading Act 1’s aloud, review any edits/notes/questions as time allows.

AT HOME: Write one to two pages every day to complete Act 2 (7-12 pages)

Week 6, Day 1&2 -- 12/16/2017

Act 2 Table Read

AT THE TABLE: Read everyone’s act 2’s and give feedback.

AT HOME: Finish that beautiful script baby!! See you after the New Year!!!!

Week 7, DAY 1&2 -- 01/06/2018

Act 3 Table Read

AT THE TABLE: Read everyone’s act 3’s and give feedback.

AT HOME: Finish your scripts and make any changes to the final. Bring in your final beautiful script!!!

WEEK 8, DAY 1&2 -- 1/13/2018

Punch up!!

AT THE TABLE: We’ll read each script out loud, going over it as a group to give any last punch-up ideas or suggestions.