Story Maps: TV Drama: The Structure of the One-Hour Television Pilot

Daniel Calvisi brings his Story Maps screenwriting method to television as he breaks down the structure of the TV drama pilot, citing case studies from the most popular, ground-breaking series of recent years, including THE WALKING DEAD, GAME OF THRONES, HOUSE OF CARDS, TRUE DETECTIVE, BREAKING BAD, MR. ROBOT, SCANDAL and MAD MEN.

Story Maps: TV Drama offers the first beat sheet for television screenwriters ("Save the Cat" for TV). This is the structural template that aspiring and professional TV writers have been looking for. A clear, practical, step-by-step method to write a pilot that adheres to Hollywood standards.

How to write a TV pilot has never been easier. Writing a pilot begins here.

This book first introduces you to the key formats, genres and terminology of modern TV shows, then details the major signpost beats of a teleplay and the crucial characteristics that must be present in each act, using specific examples from our new "Golden Age of Television."

Story Maps: TV Drama has been endorsed by many INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS in Hollywood, including:

"Story Maps: TV Drama is a handy, practical guide that walks writers through the process of creating a compelling TV drama. Using examples from some of the most respected shows on television, writers will learn to master the form from outline to Fade Out. I wish I'd had this book when I was first starting out!"
— Hilary Weisman Graham, Writer, Bones (Fox), Orange is the New Black (Netflix)

“I plan to use Calvisi's process on our upcoming show in development at Starz."
— Kirkland Morris, Producer, Tomorrow, Today (STARZ)

"An excellent resource.”
— M-L Erlbach, Writer, Masters of Sex (Showtime)

“This book blows all others out of the water! There’s no other TV writing book that offers this level of detail when it comes to how to structure a one-hour television drama pilot.”
— Larry Reitzer, Writer, Melissa & Joey, Just Shoot Me!, Ugly Betty

“I’ve worked in film and television for years and I can say for certain that there is nothing else like Calvisi’s book anywhere out there. His system is truly unique and breaks TV pilot structure down step-by-step, using very specific examples from some of the great pilots of recent years.”
— Fritz Manger, Producer, A Deadly Adoption with Will Ferrell and Kristen Wiig

"I've turned to Calvisi for notes on several scripts in the past, and this new book is well-timed as the industry makes a huge shift toward television. This is a fantastic primer in developing a rock-solid one-hour TV pilot. I recommend this book to writers as the foundation in creating excellent story structure.”
— Richard J. Bosner, Producer, Fruitvale Station, Other People, The Wannabe

"Calvisi has a firm grasp on the nature of the one-hour drama for television. I have little doubt that by following his guidelines and doing your homework, he can lead you to create a great pilot of your own!"
— Jenny Frankfurt, Literary Manager, High Street Management

“The bottom line is, don’t learn the hard way like I did. Use Dan’s book instead.”
— Joe Nimziki, Creator of upcoming Sony TV series Kreskin; Director, The Howling, Outer Limits; Senior Executive, New Line Cinema, Sony Pictures

"Daniel Calvisi does an expert job of breaking down the structure of television pilots in a way that's not only easy to understand, but can be easily applied to one's own work. He uses references that are current and offers clear, succinct advice. If you're thinking of writing a TV pilot, read this book first!"
— Christine Conradt, Writer/Producer/Director of 50 Lifetime network movies, The Bride He Bought Online, Stalked at 17

• Story Maps: How to Write a GREAT Screenplay
• Save The Writing! Developing a Series with Series Bibles: A Production Guide for Writing Series Bibles for TV, Film and Fiction!
• Writing the Pilot
• Story Maps: The Films of Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight Trilogy, Inception, Memento, The Prestige)
• The TV Showrunner's Roadmap: 21 Navigational Tips for Screenwriters to Create and Sustain a Hit TV Series
• Story Maps: 12 Great Screenplays (Raiders of the Lost Ark, Up, Rocky, Sex and the City, X-Men, Black Swan, Juno, The Matrix)
• Writing the Pilot: Creating the Series
• Writing the TV Drama Series 3rd Edition: How to Succeed as a Professional Writer in TV
• The Craft of Scene Writing: Beat by Beat to a Better Script
• The Idea: The Seven Elements of a Viable Story for Screen, Stage or Fiction