• Carole Kirschner has been a development executive for 18 years and has heard over 5,000 pitches.
• From what she's seen, pitching is the most neglected skill for TV writers at all levels.
• She shares 10 elements that every great pitch needs to nail.

I'm the creator and director of the Paramount-CBS Diversity Writers Mentoring Program, and the director of WGA Showrunner Training Program. I'm also an international speaker, author, and an entertainment career coach.

I've spent 18 years as a television development executive. In that time, I've heard over 5,000 pitches and was involved in developing hundreds of scripts and dozens of TV series.

For those new to television, a pitch is how you sell a TV show. You meet with an executive at a network, studio or production company, and you tell them the story of the show you want to sell to them. 

You could've written a fantastic script, but in order to see your show on the air, you have to pitch it. I believe that pitching is the most neglected skill for TV writers at all levels — but there's very little solid coaching out there for this crucial skill. I've set out to change that.

The majority of my private coaching clients come to me feeling nervous about pitching. It's easy to understand why:

• It's not a skill that's talked about very much
• There's not a lot of good information out there about how to pitch
• It's rare to see other writers pitch

That last one has always struck me. There are so many books about writing out there, but I know many great writers who've never read a book on screenwriting — they learned to write by watching movies and shows they loved. But when it comes to pitching, it's usually impossible to learn by watching.

Another issue: TV shows and movies are for broad audiences. Pitches are for an audience of folks in the industry — many of whom see hundreds of pitches a year. What do those buyers and showrunners want from a pitch? It can be hard to know.

For some writers — like writers who started out doing standup (like me!), or who started out as actors — the act of speaking in public is natural. But for most writers, it's a skill they don't always feel 100% confident in.

All this combines to create the perfect storm of a problem — writers are expected to pitch at the very highest level, but their careers don't prepare them for that skill, and there's no solid resource to help them go from beginner to world-class. 

Even in my pitching workshops, which usually last an hour, I can't cover everything I need to. Private coaching is great, but many folks tell me it's outside their price range, which is understandable.

Since pitching is so critical to a writer's success, I wanted to make the information available to everyone — so I created a formula for structuring a successful television pitch.

Here's my list of the 10 elements every great pitch needs

1. Inspiration story

The inspiration story is where you let the buyer know how and why you have a personal connection to the project. This is essential to convincing a buyer that you're the person to write this show.

2. Hook

The hook is how you grab the listeners' attention — make them lean forward and want to hear more.

3. Logline

A logline is a one sentence description of the show. A lot goes into a great logline. You introduce the main character, and describe their goal and the conflict — which is the major obstacle they face in achieving their goal. Be sure to include the genre and tone.

4. Main characters

No matter how good a story or plot might be, without fresh, original, compelling characters it will not get sold.

5. Tone

Describing the tone of the show should help the buyer understand how you're going to tell a story. If your show is about a murder, is the tone going to be humorous, like "Only Murders in the Building," or is it dark and gritty like "Ozark"? 

6. World

The world tells us where the story takes place; describing it should make the buyer understand why a viewer would want to be immersed in it for eight hours — or 40.

7. Story engine and structure 

The story engine refers to the central and secondary conflicts that demonstrate there's enough conflict for the show to run several seasons.

8. Pilot story

When you tell the pilot story you want to make it short and concise. No more than three to four minutes. You're just describing the main character's emotional journey through the pilot, and what the major plot turns are.

9. Season arcs

To give an effective pitch, you should know where the stories of the series will go for three seasons — including the main character's emotional high and low points.

10. CODA

Coda literally means "concluding comments." The CODA is where you convince the listener (without being salesy) that they have to buy this show now. Identify what is so special about your show that it will stand out from the 500+ other scripted shows out there. 

A great pitch is the only way to win the TV game 

Giving a fantastic pitch is how shows get sold and made. It's how creators get their visions on-screen. The good news is that pitching is an art form that can be learned. Using these 10 elements and practicing the performance of it all will help you pitch a TV show that sells.

If you'd like to learn more about crafting a great pitch, you can check out my ebook, "How to Perfect a Killer Pitch," and my website for more information on my upcoming pitching courses.

Carole Kirschner is an entertainment career coach and writers program director at Paramount-CBS and the WGA.

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7o8HSoqWeq6Oeu7S1w56pZ5ufonypu9Zmq6hloJ7BpLSMrJylpF2pw26%2Fx6iuZqiRp66uu9Snq2abkqh6psTEnGRraGJnenJ9