A well-put-together TV series bible is an in-depth blueprint of the show —story world, tone, plots and characters, etc. Think of it as a selling tool that will help a TV studio or network understand the show on a much greater level than is possible from just reading the pilot. This is the key difference between pitching and selling a spec feature script and a TV pilot.
The purpose of a TV series bible is to get people excited about all the problems that may arise for your characters after the pilot. When a show hits production, the TV series bible gets regularly updated with detailed information on all the stories and characters as it progresses. This document then serves as a living resource for all the writers to make sure everything remains consistent within the universe of the show. Whether you write the show bible before or after writing the pilot script is up to you.
Some writers like to write the script first and then the bible. Others prefer to write the bible first in order to really explore the show on a deeper level than is possible in just a treatment or synopsis.
A common mistake aspiring TV writers make is instead of writing a series bible, they write multiple episodes of their first season. Below are all the different areas typically covered in a show bible.
Of all the elements on this list, these are the only ones that are mandatory. Quote or definition. For example, this is the first page of the series bible to Fargo :. Not just the pilot, remember, but multiple seasons. Personal statement. Many writers also like to include somewhere at the beginning of their bible a short exploration of how they got the idea for the show and what they want to achieve with it.
In other words, why they wrote it in the first place. This personal statement is sometimes given its own heading and sometimes incorporated within the one-sheet in a more free-flowing manner, such as here in the New Girl series bible:. It goes on a little longer but you get the general idea. This means describing their backstories, goals, conflicts with other characters, secrets, fears, flaws, arcs, etc. The trick here is to keep each bio tightly written and super focused on giving the reader a well-rounded sense of who each character really is deep down.
You will also see many writers also choose to devote a section to the dynamics between the characters, as shown below in The Crow series bible:. Note : Not all writers give story world its own heading. Some prefer to simply emphasize the setting and locations throughout the bible. These elements can simply be referenced throughout the show bible particularly in the one-sheet , or given their own sections, or rounded up into one. In the Lost television bible they open the section by explaining all the different genres the show encompasses b efore ending with:.
After the characters and story world have all been introduced, an overview is often given of how the first season will play out. How will the conflicts, desires and problems the characters are forced to grapple sustain itself over multiple episodes? How a writer approaches this differs depending on whether the show is a serial, such as Revenge or Big Little Lies , or episodic, such as Curb Your Enthusiasm or Star Trek.
This style includes hooks at the end of each episode and tracks where all the major turning points occur, similar to a movie outline. The emphasis here is more on outlining all the character conflicts and story dramas within a singular episode.
Characters can, however, still have arcs during a serialized show, and so these should be included if relevant. Some writers choose to skip the previous season one overview altogether and just include this part. It has enough conflict in this story world and within its characters to sustain multiple seasons. Whole sections are often devoted to obvious elements such as theme, structure, mythology and format.
One of our script consultants, Jenna Mattison, uses the talents of Gaetano DiCarlo gaetanodicarlo [at] gmail. Most writers break down their TV bibles into clearly identifiable sections, simply because it makes for an easier read. Others, however, prefer a more free-flowing style, as already demonstrated in the New Girl show bible.
Furthermore, different show bibles structure their information in different ways. The order in which you present your information in the document and what you choose to add or subtract is completely up to you. Again, there are no absolutes when it comes to word count, but a good rule of thumb is to keep your series bible short and sweet rather than overly long. Anything around 5 to 15 pages is a good range.
Despite the lack of brevity in many of them, the best way to get a grip on how to write a series bible is to study professional examples. You can never read too many. Take a look again at the first line of the New Girl show bible:.
The whole bible is written in this irreverent style that perfectly encapsulates the tone of the show. It will be, in the strictest sense, a police procedural set in the drug culture of an American rust-belt city, cops-and-players story that exists within the same vernacular as other television fare.
If you only take one piece of advice from this post: write your TV series bible in a way that reflects the tone of your show. We hope you enjoyed this guide on how to write a tv show bible and if you have any questions or comments, please feel free to reach out below in the comments section.
Writing for TV can be something of a minefield to navigate for the uninitiated, but hopefully this post has gone some way to clearing up some of the confusion. Incredibly helpful, thank you.
Also, do you have any other recommendations for a conceptual artist? Thanks for the info. Thanks for article, it was really helpful…but I was wondering if you may be have the series bible of Game of Thrones…. Good article, thanks.
I am presently writing a TV mini-series Bible. If my main character narrates large sections of his life story in flashback, would I still need to use the present tense for the synopsis? Do you have any suggestions? Scripture states the earth is round as opposed to flat. Isaiah 40 [22] It is He that sitteth upon the 'circle' of the earth Scripture foretells the Sample verses: Deuteronomy 6[18] And thou shalt d A selection of Biblical Verses promising success and cautioning pitfalls from Psalms, Ecclesiastes and Proverbs.
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