Each semester of the HWP—TV Modules program, Harvardwood writers have the opportunity to pitch their current TV ideas to a panel of industry professionals and executives. This page is a Wiki of lessons learned.

A good pitch should answer these questions:

• What is the series?
• Who is the main character?
• What inspired this story? — this is a good place to start the pitch
• Why now? - why is this show perfect for this moment in time? (perhaps connect it to a current event)
• Why you? - why are you the perfect (and maybe only) person to write this show?
• What are you saying with the show? Why do you need to say it?
• What are the conflicts - or types of conflicts that will define each episode?
• What is the world / universe of the show?
• What is the franchise? Legal, medical, crime, workplace, family, - or is it a cable style half-hour with no franchise?

Characters

When describing each of your side characters, tell how they relate to the main character. What conflict to they bring out? How will their presence help generate stories? Each side character should be fascinating as you touch on each of these characters it should bring us further into the world AND a stronger connection to the main character.