If we take a step away from our phones and look around us, you’ll see the magic of society. Every person you walk past on the street has a story to tell, they have their own experiences and life lessons to teach. They sometimes fail and they sometimes succeed just like everyone else. Take what you know about those closest to you, what do they have to say? Usually a lot. Each generation is different and at this point, there’s no use comparing. There is one thing in common and that is experiencing the ups and downs of the world.

This applies to writing too. Take a look at the versions of yourself, we all have them, the face we put on in public, around friends, around family and in private. They’re never the same. We tend to put on a front to seem more acceptable to others. This goes for characters too. Having developed characters that are just like yourself is the way to tell the best story. Making them as human as possible is the way to the audiences heart. We’re all complex characters if you think about it deeply. Nobody can replicate you, nobody can replicate your circumstances so telling your story, it can help others who go through similar in the long run and inspire others to keep going. The best stories and characters come from the writers personal and second hand experiences, especially when those experiences aren’t well established anywhere on TV.

When creating a character this is what I do. Who are they? Where do they come from? What do I want from them in the story? What are they going to add to the story? What’s their personality? Do they have secrets? What is their back story and how do they link to current day? Also, create a unique enough name. Never go basic. Make them memorable. Don’t add characters for the sake of it too. If they don’t add anything to the story, why are they there in the first place?

When it comes to the stories, don’t go with the conventional, if you do conventional, add in a twist somewhere along the way to put a unique stance on it. Everyone loves the unexpected, it gets people talking. There’s nothing worse as a viewer than being underwhelmed by predictability.

Think creative and big for the title. Make sure it relates back to the story, character or genre.

Here’s an idea to get you started as a TV writer: Pick yourself a story and character from a TV show that you thought could have been better. What would you have done if you wrote it? What could you add to the story that would get the viewer engaged? Give them human dimensions and you’re off. You can build upon that.

Some formatting tips:
Font – Courier or Courier new
Format – Dialogue to middle. Stage directions to left.
A page is roughly a minute.

Wish you the best of luck on your creative journey!