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A damn good story. A damn good story one of the networks happens to
want.
Used to be, the only buyers were ABC, CBS, and NBC. All three made approximately
the same kind and number of movies--22 to 45 a year--so producers still
had two places to shop if one passed. Today, though, they make only
4 to 6 films yearly.
Fortunately, the cable networks now exist, making the chances of a sale
slightly higher. They're strictly "niche" buyers, though. Lifetime Television,
for example, makes only movies for women.
Novels that work best for television:
- Fill a niche.
A behind-the-scenes story about the music industry might appeal to
VH1 but not Disney.
- Generate publicity.
Bestsellers are easiest, but not always slam-dunks. Anita Shreve's
The Pilot's Wife didn't attract network attention until Oprah "picked"
it.
- Easily promotable
in a short snappy sentence, with a clearly defined concept. The Pilot's
Wife: A woman discovers her husband's secret life after he dies in
a plane crash he's suspected of causing.
The networks also prefer:
- Primarily American
characters
- Relatable protagonists
- Emotional themes
One last piece of advice:
- Write a smaller
scope, a smaller world, and fewer characters.
Now forget I said that, because I'm first a fan of good literature.
Don't sacrifice colorful, endearing characters just to make a television
sale.
Write what you need to say. What we need to hear. The rest will work
itself out…
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