How to Write for Television 7th Edition: A Guide to Writing and Selling TV and Radio Scripts

by William Smethurst

This book provides professional tips and techniques for those wishing to break into writing for TV whether it's a soap, series drama, or situation comedy. It covers all aspects of script writing such as structure, plotting, characterization and dialogue and is packed with advice on presenting and selling scripts. It also includes a chapter specifically on writing for radio.

288 pages, ebook

Published February 18, 2016

About the author

Since starting his career as a BBC journalist William has been an award-winning writer of plays for radio, television, the cinema, and the theatre. In his thirties he was a highly successful editor of the BBC’s “The Archers”, and executive producer of serial drama for Central Television. Running his own production company he devised and produced the sci-fi serial drama “Jupiter Moon” which sold to over 20 countries round the world.
He wrote the non-fiction Sunday Times best seller “The Archers - the true story”. His novels include the award-winning satire “Jennifer’s Friends”, and the highly-acclaimed sci-fi time shift trilogy of “Sinai”, “Pasiphae”, and “Woken’s Eye”.

He and his wife Carolynne spend their summers cruising Europe in their boat, and their winters in Devon.

Reviews

[Kevin M. Femenias]

2'5 stars*

[Wilde Sky]

This book provides a basic guide for script writing for TV and radio.

I found this book interesting in general and some of the points made were spot on (for example getting total diverse opinions from different people).