Paper Team

Alex and Nick break down four iconic TV characters to look at what makes them memorable.

The TV characters explored in this episode include David Palmer from 24, Lindsay Jillian from You're the Worst, Michael from The Good Place, and Scorpius from Farscape.

What makes a great TV character? How are the characters introduced in unique ways? How do shows flesh out specific goals, needs and wants? What are key moments and decisions that can define characters?

Plus, we celebrate the new year.

The Paper Team sizes people up...

SHOWNOTES

Content

Paper Scraps: Happy new year! (01:00)

1 - The four TV characters (02:16)

2 - Why we picked these characters (05:12)

3 - Character introductions (10:10)

4 - Character traits (17:53)

5 - Character's macro series arcs, wants, and needs (25:29)

6 - Key character moments (38:08)

Next Week On (50:16)

Links

David Palmer (24)

Scorpius (Farscape)

Lindsay Jillian (You're the Worst)

Michael (The Good Place)

"Analyzing Great TV Pilots" (PT54)

David Mamet's memo to his writing staff on The Unit

Scorpius costume designs

"All About That Paper" (2x04 - You're the Worst)

"Try Real Hard" (3x01 - You're the Worst)

"Day 2: 4:00AM-5:00AM" (2x21 - 24)

"The Trolley Problem" (2x05 - The Good Place)

"Nerve" (1x19 - Farscape)

"Liars, Guns and Money" (2x19 - Farscape)

"With Friends Like These..." (2x20 - Farscape)

"Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars"

This episode brought to you by Tracking Board's Launch Pad Writing Competitions

Use code PAPERTEAM to get $15 OFF when you enter a Launch Pad Competition

Special thanks to Alex Switzky for helping us edit this episode.

If you enjoyed this episode (and others), please consider leaving us an iTunes review at paperteam.co/itunes! :)

You can find Paper Team on Twitter:

Alex - @TVCalling

Nick - @_njwatson

If you have any questions, comments or feedback, you can e-mail us: [email protected]

Alex and Nick celebrate the end of 2017 by taking a look back at Paper Team's past year, and a look forward at what is to come in 2018.

What were the most popular Paper Team episodes of the year? What was the best thing of 2017? What new gifts did Nick and Alex exchange with one another?

Plus, a word about contacting our guests.

The Paper Team throws some confetti...

SHOWNOTES

Content

Paper Scraps: A word about etiquette (01:10)

1 - Paper Team 2017: A year in review (03:26)

2 - Best of 2017 and our milestones (11:39)

3 - Preparing for 2018 as a TV writer (35:37)

4 - Paper Team goals for 2018 (44:29)

Gift Exchange and Next Time On (48:10)

Links

"Networking 101: How to Talk With People in Hollywood" (PT05)

"How to Follow Up (Without Seeming Desperate)" (PT07)

"TV Pilot 101" (PT30)

"TV Spec Script 101" (PT34)

"TV Writer vs. Fandom: Writers’ Rooms and Fan Interaction – Paper Team Live at WonderCon 2017" (PT38)

"Should You Pay for TV Writing Education?" (PT19)

"Managing TV Writers ft. Daniela Garcia-Brcek (Circle of Confusion)" (PT59)

"Assisting TV Comedy Writers ft. Gary Sundt (Superstore/The Goldbergs)" (PT43)

"Writing Adult Comedy Animation ft. Alison Tafel (BoJack Horseman)" (PT39)

"Spec v. Pilot: What You Should Be Writing Next" (PT04)

"Breaking in & Writing From “Outside the System” ft. Hilliard Guess (The Screenwriter’s Rant Room)" (PT47)

"TV Writing Competition Winners: What Happens Next?" (PT55)

"Finding Frances" (4x07 - Nathan For You)

"The Movement" (3x03 - Nathan For You)

"The Movement" - Jack Garbarino

"Git Gone" (1x04 - American Gods)

"Firestorm" (1x10 - The Orville)

"Dance Dance Resolution" (2x02 - The Good Place)

"The Ricklantis Mixup" (3x07 - Rick & Morty)

Dark

DuckTales 2017

Draemings

Julien Baker

Jordan Peele Breaks Down "Get Out" Fan Theories (Video)

Paper Girls

"SLAM!" - Pamela Ribon

"Navigating Your First TV Writing Job ft. Britta Lundin (Riverdale)" (PT67)

"The Emotion Thesaurus" - Angela Ackerman & Becca Puglisi

Hemingway Editor

The Salmon Pages

Scorpius comics

Codenames Duet

This episode brought to you by Tracking Board's Launch Pad Writing Competitions

Use code PAPERTEAM to get $15 OFF when you enter a Launch Pad Competition

Special thanks to Alex Switzky for helping us edit this episode.

If you enjoyed this episode (and others), please consider leaving us an iTunes review at paperteam.co/itunes! :)

You can find Paper Team on Twitter:

Alex - @TVCalling

Nick - @_njwatson

If you have any questions, comments or feedback, you can e-mail us: [email protected]

Alex and Nick discuss nonlinear narrative in television writing, from flashbacks to flashforwards.

What are effective uses of nonlinear storytelling? When should you work with flashbacks, flasforwards or parallel storylines? What are dos and donts of nonlinear narratives? Are there drawbacks of out-of-order storytelling?

Plus, we talk The Mick case and Amazon's Lord of the Rings.

The Paper Team flashes around...

SHOWNOTES

Content

Paper Scraps: The Mick and Amazon's LOTR (00:52)

1 - Brief history of nonlinear storytelling in TV and when to use it (04:52)

2 - Examples of effective TV nonlinear narratives (13:16)

3 - Dos-and-dont's of nonlinear (31:39)

4 - Drawbacks of nonlinear (35:23)

Takeaways and Resources (40:43)

Links

"Protecting and Over-Protecting Your TV Script: Copyright, Ownership and Idea Theft" (PT23)

Wikipedia's list of nonlinear narrative television series

Primer

FlashForward (TV Show)

"Time's Arrow" (4x11 - BoJack Horseman)

"Thanksgiving" (2x08 - Master of None)

"The Visitor" (4x03 - Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)

"Get Me a Lawyer" (1x01 - Damages)

River Song (Doctor Who)

Resources

"Slaughterhouse-Five" - Kurt Vonnegut

"Nonlinear Storytelling" - Game Design Concepts

"The 21st Century Screenplay" - Linda Aronson

This episode brought to you by Tracking Board's Launch Pad Writing Competitions

Use code PAPERTEAM to get $15 OFF when you enter a Launch Pad Competition

Special thanks to Alex Switzky for helping us edit this episode.

If you enjoyed this episode (and others), please consider leaving us an iTunes review at paperteam.co/itunes! :)

You can find Paper Team on Twitter:

Alex - @TVCalling

Nick - @_njwatson

If you have any questions, comments or feedback, you can e-mail us: [email protected]

Alex and Nick invite Jorge Gonzalez, from the Tracking Board and Launch Pad Writing Competitions, to discuss what makes a contest-winning script.

How does the selection process of a TV writing competition work? What do readers look for when evaluating scripts and pilots? What separates top-tier screenplays from all others? What should writers watch out for before submitting their scripts?

The Paper Team strikes gold...

SHOWNOTES

Content

Getting involved with Tracking Board, the Launch Pad Competitions, selection process, what readers look for, finding top-tier scripts, common mistakes and faux pas, overdone tropes and cliches, what happens after the win, maximizing the opportunities, and notable success stories (00:54)

Resources and Next Week On (28:53)

Links

Launch Pad Writing Competitions

"The Mailroom" - David Rensin

Taylor Sheridan

"TV Writing Competition Winners: What Happens Next?" (PT55)

Kate Trefry

T.A. Snyder

Eric Koenig

Industry Standard w/ Barry Katz

Big Mouth

This episode brought to you by Tracking Board's Launch Pad Writing Competitions

Use code PAPERTEAM to get $15 OFF when you enter a Launch Pad Competition

Special thanks to Alex Switzky for helping us edit this episode.

If you enjoyed this episode (and others), please consider leaving us an iTunes review at paperteam.co/itunes! :)

You can find Paper Team on Twitter:

Alex - @TVCalling

Nick - @_njwatson

If you have any questions, comments or feedback, you can e-mail us: [email protected]

Alex and Nick discuss macro storytelling in TV writing, from season-long narrative arcs to character development.

Why is it important to have character arcs across seasons? When should you write serialized narratives? How far in advance should you plot things out? Do you need to know everything before writing a pilot? What are unique TV examples of macro storytelling?

Plus, we talk about what "signing with an agent or manager" literally means.

The Paper Team sets things up...

SHOWNOTES

Content

Paper Scraps: Reviews and rep signing (00:53)

1 - Season and story arcs in TV (05:00)

2 - Story arcs in your writing: what to watch out for (16:16)

3 - Character arcs (24:59)

4 - Keeping the macro story relevant to the micro scale (36:32)

5 - Reinventing the show (40:08)

6 - Self-contained versus serialization (50:12)

Takeaways and Resources (54:34)

Links

"Daredevil Showrunners on How Punisher and Elektra Shake Up Season 2" - Collider

"Why New TV Comedies Are Choosing Plot Over Jokes" - The New York Times

"Lay Down Your Burdens" (2x19/20 - Battlestar Galactica)

"Final Five" Cylons

"Nerve" (1x19 - Farscape)

"Chain of Command" (6x10/11 - Star Trek: The Next Generation)

"6 Screenwriting Lessons from Parks and Recreation" - TV Calling

"Hitting the Fan" (5x05 - The Good Wife)

"Dance Dance Resolution" (2x02 - The Good Place)

"One Last Ride" (7x12/13 - Parks and Recreation)

"Serialized Television Has Become a Disease" - io9

Resources

Michael Schur 2011 interview on The A.V. Club

This episode brought to you by Tracking Board's Launch Pad Writing Competitions

Use code PAPERTEAM to get $15 OFF when you enter a Launch Pad Competition

Special thanks to Alex Switzky for helping us edit this episode.

If you enjoyed this episode (and others), please consider leaving us an iTunes review at paperteam.co/itunes! :)

You can find Paper Team on Twitter:

Alex - @TVCalling

Nick - @_njwatson

If you have any questions, comments or feedback, you can e-mail us: [email protected]

Alex and Nick invite Britta Lundin, story editor on The CW's Riverdale and author of Ship It, to discuss everything you need to know about your first TV staff writing job and working on a popular show.

What is the process of getting staffed on a TV series? What is the experience of working in a writers' room for the first time? How do you approach the "room etiquette"? From pitch to draft, and season to episode, what is the writing process like on Riverdale? How do you adapt your voice to that of a showrunner? How should you build on studio and network notes? What is a writer's job on set and in post-production? How is writing a novel different than TV writing?

The Paper Team gets a script...

SHOWNOTES

Content

Getting staffed on Riverdale, expectations vs. reality of a TV writers' room, adapting your voice, breaking the season and episodes, dealing with notes, writers' room etiquette, being on set and in post, engaging with fandom, converting a screenplay into a novel and differences between the two forms (00:56)

Resources and Next Week On (57:57)

Links

Britta Lundin on Twitter

Riverdale on The CW (Wednesdays 8/7c)

Pre-order "Ship It" by Britta Lundin

Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa

"Chapter Ten: The Lost Weekend" (1x10 - Riverdale)

Jughead's "I'm Weird" Speech Meme

"How To Practice "Safe" Shipping w/ The Riverdale Cast" (Video)

This episode brought to you by Tracking Board's Launch Pad Writing Competitions

Use code PAPERTEAM to get $15 OFF when you enter a Launch Pad Competition

Special thanks to Alex Switzky for helping us edit this episode.

If you enjoyed this episode (and others), please consider leaving us an iTunes review at paperteam.co/itunes! :)

You can find Paper Team on Twitter:

Alex - @TVCalling

Nick - @_njwatson

If you have any questions, comments or feedback, you can e-mail us: [email protected]

Alex and Nick discuss the evolution of censorship on TV and the involvement of "standards & practices".

What is considered censorship in television? How is sensitive content categorized? What are differences in TV censorship across the world? How have sensibilities changed across the years? When can standards & practices influence TV writing?

Plus, we answer our very first voicemail.

The Paper Team bleeps itself...

SHOWNOTES

Content

Paper Scraps: Rolling submissions and visa questions (00:49)

1 - How is television regulated? (03:56)

2 - Evolution of sensibilities on TV (20:46)

3 - Differences in censorship around some countries (33:20)

4 - TV writing solutions to standards & practices (40:16)

Resources and Next Week On (51:14)

Links

Send a voicemail to TV Calling and Paper Team

"Immigrants: We Get the TV Job Done!" (PT56)

Broadcast Standards and Practices

Miller test

"F$%& Censorship" (2x05 - The Chris Gethard Show) (Video)

Safe Harbor Law

Telecommunications Act of 1996

V-chip

"He's a Crowd" (5x12 - L.A. Law)

Lesbian kiss episode

"Rejoined" (4x06 - Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)

"On Losing Patience for Women Kissing" - The Mary Sue

Conseil supérieur de l'audiovisuel

American Crime (TV series)

ReBoot

Resources

"This Business of Television" – Howard Blumenthal

This episode brought to you by Tracking Board's Launch Pad Writing Competitions

Use code PAPERTEAM to get $15 OFF when you enter a Launch Pad Competition

Special thanks to Alex Switzky for helping us edit this episode.

If you enjoyed this episode (and others), please consider leaving us an iTunes review at paperteam.co/itunes! :)

You can find Paper Team on Twitter:

Alex - @TVCalling

Nick - @_njwatson

If you have any questions, comments or feedback, you can e-mail us: [email protected]

Alex and Nick share their experiences adapting preexisting material to television, from established novels and properties to historical events.

What constitutes an adaptation? How do you balance existing content and personal take? How close should you stick to the original source? How do you stay historically accurate while telling a compelling story? When should you spec an existing property without having the rights?

Plus, a new venue for feedback and an update on the Fox Writers Lab.

The Paper Team gets inspired by...

SHOWNOTES

Content

Paper Scraps: Voicemail and Fox Writers Lab Update (00:51)

1 - Defining what is an adaptation: IPs, properties, and real events (07:24)

2 - Choosing the right format, tips on adapting history and existing content (16:14)

3 - Speccing established IPs without having the rights (38:59)

Takeaways and Resources (49:15)

Links

"TV Writing Competitions" (PT33)

"TV Writing Competition Winners: What Happens Next?" (PT65)

Send a voicemail to TV Calling and Paper Team

"Inspiration vs. Stealing in TV Writing" (PT58)

The Wolf of Wall Street

Wall Street (Movie)

Spotlight

Kingsman: The Secret Service

W.

Band of Brothers

Rome

Revenge

The Count of Monte Cristo

"Why The Expanse is transforming TV" - Wired

"Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead" - Tom Stoppard

Star Trek: Terran

Resources

"Beyond Fidelity: The Dialogics of Adaptation" - Robert Stam (PDF)

DP/30 interview with Eric Heisserer (Arrival)

The Writers' Panel with Eric Heisserer

This episode brought to you by Tracking Board's Launch Pad Writing Competitions

Use code PAPERTEAM to get $15 OFF when you enter a Launch Pad Competition

Special thanks to Alex Switzky for helping us edit this episode.

If you enjoyed this episode (and others), please consider leaving us an iTunes review at paperteam.co/itunes! :)

You can find Paper Team on Twitter:

Alex - @TVCalling

Nick - @_njwatson

If you have any questions, comments or feedback, you can e-mail us: [email protected]

Alex and Nick mark Halloween by looking at iconic TV episodes celebrating the holiday and what makes them so special.

How does Halloween translate to television? What are some of the best Halloween episodes? What makes a good Halloween story?

The Paper Team scares itself...

SHOWNOTES

Content

1 - Some Halloween history (00:46)

2 - Elements of Halloween TV episodes (08:17)

3 - Favorite Halloween episodes (17:23)

4 - The Simpsons' Treehouse of Horror (29:24)

Resources and Next Week On (36:48)

Links

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

"Greg Pikitis" (2x07 - Parks and Recreation)

"Halloween" (2x05 - The Office)

"Pinkeye" (1x07 - South Park)

"Epidemiology" (2x06 - Community)

The Cabin in the Woods

"The Scare" (1x11 - Dawson's Creek)

"It's the Great Pumpkin, Sam Winchester" (4x07 - Supernatural)

"Spookyfish" (2x15 - South Park)

"Halloween" (2x06 - Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

Janus

"Life of the Party" (5x05 - Angel)

"Fear, Itself" (4x04 - Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

"Halloween" (1x04-05 - American Horror Story)

"The Honking" (2x18 - Futurama)

"Halloween/Ellie" (2x10 - Louie)

"Spooky Endings" (2x05 - Happy Endings)

Script for Happy Endings' "Spooky Endings" episode

Treehouse of Horror

"A Nightmare on Face Time" (16x12 - South Park)

Resources

Massive spreadsheet list of Halloween TV episodes

"Is Your Halloween Costume Racist?" - Kat Lazo

Special thanks to Alex Switzky for helping us edit this episode.

If you enjoyed this episode (and others), please consider leaving us an iTunes review at paperteam.co/itunes! :)

You can find Paper Team on Twitter:

Alex - @TVCalling

Nick - @_njwatson

If you have any questions, comments or feedback, you can e-mail us: [email protected]

Alex and Nick invite Matt Thilenius, TV literary assistant at the Creative Artists Agency, to discuss the role of agents representing TV writers.

What is the relationship between TV literary agents and TV writers? How do agents operate during staffing season? How do they find new clients? What are tips for writers looking for representation? How often should writers be generating new material to best help their agent get them work?

The Paper Team finds a rep...

SHOWNOTES

Content

Assisting a TV literary agent, the role of agents, TV writing seasons, finding clients, the writer's brand, samples, staffing season, agency landscape, production companies (00:22)

Resources and Next Week On (36:33)

Links

"Profiles of Television: Matt Thilenius" - TV Calling

CAA

JHRTS

WME

UTA

ICM

Paradigm

Resources

"Powerhouse" - James Andrew Miller

Special thanks to Alex Switzky for helping us edit this episode.

If you enjoyed this episode (and others), please consider leaving us an iTunes review at paperteam.co/itunes! :)

You can find Paper Team on Twitter:

Alex - @TVCalling

Nick - @_njwatson

If you have any questions, comments or feedback, you can e-mail us: [email protected]