TV Writing: Crafting a Powerful Story Concept

You’ve got an idea for a story. Maybe you’ve started writing bits and pieces. But now you’ve hit a wall and aren’t even sure if it’s interesting enough to capture audience attention let alone hold interest over several episodes.

The hard truth is that many ideas run out of steam simply because the core story has not been interrogated rigorously enough.

The question is, how can you get the concept right before starting to write?

What is a story concept and why do you need one for TV writing?

It’s the core; what the story boils down to at its very essence. The concept describes the dramatic premise of the story. It’s the engine underneath the vehicle of plot that ensures there'll be enough actual story material to sustain several episodes and potentially, several seasons.

The story concept should have an inherent hook to it. What do I mean by this? A hook is something unusual or shocking that stops an audience in its tracks and makes them want to know more. It might involve one of these three techniques:

Story Hook 1 : Irony

It's worth noting that successful story concepts often rely on elements of irony to create a conceit or device that is irresistible. Look at a show like Succession: a story about billionaires living the high-life bereft of that most basic requirement of a healthy human's existence: unconditional parental love.

Story Hook 2: Polar Opposites

Or maybe two seemingly opposing ideas are juxtaposed, like a mild-mannered high-school chemistry teacher who starts cooking meth and becomes a drug lord, like in Breaking Bad.

Story Hook 3: Unusual Perspectives

Or perhaps, like Baby Reindeer, it’s a story (in this case, concerning sexual abuse and stalking) that has not often been told from that particular perspective.

Let’s look at a few examples that have very unique and compelling premises at their core:

Dying for Sex: When a woman receives a diagnosis of Stage IV cancer, she leaves her husband to explore sex with others.

Beef: Two strangers get into a road rage incident that brings chaos into their lives.

The Bear: A brilliant chef from the fine-dining world is forced to return home to run his local family sandwich shop

Baby Reindeer: A man stalked by a woman realizes he must deal with his buried trauma.

Wednesday: A misfit loner sent to a boarding school for other misfits learns about the power of friendship.

Succession: Siblings vie for their billionaire father’s business, love, and approval.

What are some of the essential steps to creating a powerful story concept that can entice viewers and keep coming back for more?

1. Define Your Core Concept: At the heart of every successful series is a strong core that forms the foundation of the narrative. Is this core concept solid enough to move forward? Does it contain an inherent hook that makes it intrinsically interesting to an audience? Spend time on this step before you start developing the idea further and save yourself a lot of headaches later on.

2. Create Rich Characters: Memorable characters are the lifeblood of any series. Develop protagonists and secondary characters with depth, flaws, and compelling motivations that viewers can relate to and bond with over the long haul. If viewers do not invest emotionally in your characters, you don't have an audience; you have the occasional spectator.

3. Build a World Worth Exploring: Transport your audience into a richly imagined world. Whether it's the corporate landscape of Succession, a distinctive localized story precinct like The Bear or the fantastic realms of Wednesday or Stranger Things, a well-developed setting can serve not only as a backdrop, but as a catalyst for storytelling and a character in and of itself.

4. Establish Clear Stakes and Conflict: Conflict is the engine that drives every great story. Define clear stakes early on and establish ongoing conflicts that keep viewers interested in the outcome. If we don't understand what's at stake and why it's so vitally important for the character, the audience will soon lose interest. Give them a good reason to stay!

Story Inkubator was founded by writer, scriptwriter and teacher, Kristina Jilly, an Australian living in Central Europe who's written for HBO Europe and RTL Television. A teacher at the University of Applied Sciences in Upper Austria, Kristina also writes online content about the art of storytelling and topics that inspire creativity. 

Getting the story concept just right before advancing to the outline and then script stage is key to TV writing. Don't rush it!

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