[How to: TV] Writing for someone else

You get an offer to work on a TV show. The first thing you've got to do is make sure you 'get' it. The second, is ask whether you'll enjoy writing it.

How do you know if you've 'got' it? Well, the Producer or the Creator will talk to you about the show and probably give you a confidential proposal to take away. The proposal may have character and episode breakdowns in it, maybe even a sample script or two. You study it all and write up a one page document summarising your understanding of the Situation, Main Character, Main Relationship and Emotion.

What you want to know is how close you are to their vision. Do you get it? Will you fit in to the existing creative team?

Then, once you've 'got' it, is the just-as-important step of asking if you'll enjoy writing it. Because if you don't, the experience will probably not be a high point of your life.