Screenwriting : Stuck at Start by Mukesh Radha Krishna Tak

Mukesh Radha Krishna Tak

Stuck at Start

I am presently writing a Historical series , strong characters , lethal motives and symbolism.

Based on actions in history spread over 100 years at different geographical locations where main track is an object and politics/ wars over it

How to start? As there are multiple ....

Dan MaxXx

Hard pass.

Maybe start your career by writing a simple story with few characters. Win over peers first before you pitch epic 100 year whatever.

CJ Walley

As above, study the art of storytelling and then practice writing synopses and short stories until it becomes intuitive. It's east to bite off more than you can chew trying to write the next big blockbuster.

Maurice Vaughan

I started off writing big-budget scripts that went nowhere, Mukesh Radha Krishna Tak. If you're new to screenwriting, I suggest doing what Dan MaxXx and CJ Walley suggested: start with simple, small-budget scripts. Save your Historical series for later when you've studied screenwriting/storytelling, made connections, and sold scripts, which will make it easier to get your Historical series bought/made.

Whenever you write your Historical series, it's going to have a lot of characters, locations, events, etc., so I suggest outlining your idea into a series bible that you can use as a map/guide. I usually put these things in my series bibles:

Summary/rundown of the series (whether the series is 30 minutes or 60 minutes, genres, sub-genres, series logline, estimated budget range, number of seasons, target audience, possible channels/networks/streamers)

Character bios

Locations

Series synopsis

Pilot section (pilot logline and synopsis)

Season one episode summaries

Future seasons

Merchandise

Other media (if the series has potential to be a movie, comic, game, etc.)

Kiril Maksimoski

Have you watched "Man from Earth"? It tells a story of the oldest person who roamed the earth (some 14.000 years old) and he cannot die for some reason. It covers a life-span from early cro magnon ages to modern times...all happening in a single room one evening via talking heads.

Still one of most engaging films I saw.

Point is - be economical as imagination has no boundaries, but stage sets, unfortunately do.

Mukesh Radha Krishna Tak

Hold your horses guys, I have produced 8 films till date ,show runner of two series and have two credits of writing too

Maria Restivo Glassner Already done with log line

Dan MaxXx Five page story is ready, as it's based on real events in history

Main track is there , issue is creating sub tracks and first scene / episode

If we talk about GOT , one needed to watch at least 6 episodes to get hooked to it , introducing new characters is also a tricky issue , I want things to be lean

Key is to start with single track and open other later or simultaneously?

Wardaan T

Man from Earth, it is a lovely film!

John January Noble

Para que direção é essa pergunta ?

Dan MaxXx

GOT is based off best selling novels and the showrunners got it wrong the first time with pilot. The Bosses told them to reshoot the pilot from scratch.

Kinda weird with your show biz experience you are asking about epic tv series and how to begin. Most here cant even get an agent, much less creating a global corporate funded tv show with $5B+ advertising & merchandise income

Maurice Vaughan

I apologize, Mukesh Radha Krishna Tak. I didn't see your credits on your profile, so I didn't know you had experience as a producer, showrunner, and writer. Maybe start the series with the A Story, B Story, and one or two subplots, then as the series goes along, you can add more subplots. What could help is outlining the series and figuring out when each subplot starts and ends.

Meghan Reilly

I usually get hooked on the stimulation of multiple plots coming together by the end of a pilot in epic/historic worlds, but from what you describe i say go for the single track. Since you want to jump in time and location and anchor on the object and allegory, which seems what is compelling and unique in this space - it opens up a lot more to where you can take us if you really slow burn let us really get it in the pilot. Thing is you have to then make the world and whatever first character you introduce and the power of that object absolutely mezmorizing so we are dying to follow it wherever it goes next. You need to give us a whole film in a world dripping with originality in the pilot. Give us that in depth and then end with the tease for where the object goes next. Now we know more than they do and we want to see/read more, and we are fully educated on the stakes/norms/intent from the start.

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