BIBLE
Definition:
A notebook, file folder or computer database where a writer
keeps information regarding characters, plots, settings,
history, and all the other organizational information
on his or her series.
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A
Testament to the Bible
By
Anthony D. Langford
One
of the most important and most frequently asked questions from
newcomers to the Episodic Forum is: "How do I get started on my
web series?"
Some
believe that a prospective series producer should start by designing
a fabulous website, or by running with an idea to the computer
and start typing away on the first episode. And while both of
those things are vital steps in the series construction process,
the best builders usually prefer to begin with a clear, detailed
blueprint. In the serial drama world, that blueprint is called
a bible (see definition, left).
What
are the basic components of a bible?
THEME
You might want to set down some ideas of his ideas for the theme(s)
(see definition, right) of the series. Many episodics,
especially if they're based on the daytime or nighttime soap opera
formula, deal with plots such as a group of people falling in
and out of love, deceiving one another, and/or dealing with complex
business plans. But even with similar storylines, each series
will usually have a unique underlying theme that weaves itself
through the drama.
For
example, About Schuyler Falls has a theme of people constantly
struggling against the dark forces in their lives, usually coming
from within themselves. Footprints' theme is the difficulty
in maintaining a romantic relationship, despite feelings that
may betray one or both of the partners. And Newport's central
theme is the vital importance in maintaining family ties, no matter
what terrible forces--from deception to murder--may try to tear
you apart.
An awareness of the theme of your series can give a sense of the
mood and emotions you wish to convey; it will definitely help
you craft stories and characters.
PLOTS
While you don't necessarily need to know every plot that will
occur for the next three years, a well-planned bible will contain
the storylines that will fuel the series for the first several
months.
Take
the time to chart out each story, with some sense of how it begins,
develops, and eventually ends. Usually the ending of one plot
will be woven into the beginning or middle of another. After all,
continuing dramas are unending stories: it's not enough to know
what story to tell now...you need to know what story to tell next.
Since most series follow more than one plot at a time, you'll
probably want to track the subplots and other stories that are
at play, in order to get a sense of the entire fictional universe.
CHARACTERS
What sort of information would you keep in your bible about the
characters who populate your series?
- Name
List: At the minimum, you'd include a list of the characters'
names, whether they play a major or a minor role in the drama.
- Profiles:
Even more useful will be profiles for each person: these might
indicate how the characters are related to one another, who
is married to whom, who hates who (and why), the characters'
careers, their education, and their residence(s).
- Physical
Details: It's also a good idea to have a clear knowledge
of your characters' physical stats. This will avoid continuity
errors...such as describing a man's blue eyes in one episode
only to give him green ones in another.
- Psychological
Makeup: This is the most important aspect of your character.
You need to have a sense of who they are, what they think, their
goals in life, and how their history has affected them.
- History,
aka Backstory: Here you'd list or describe the details of
the characters' lives before the beginning of the series. Backstory
and psychology are naturally closely related: developing a backstory
will help you come up with logical, believable motivation for
your characters' actions as they move throughout their current
and future storylines.
- Timeline:
In keeping track of character histories, it might be useful
to organize the information in the form of a timeline. This
could include the dates of important events such as marriages,
births, graduations and deaths. Timelines are another tool to
help a writer avoid continuity errors, since they'll give you
a working knowledge of where characters were at different times.
Don't
worry if all your bios aren't the same length. You will probably
have lengthy histories of your core characters, but only snippets
of information on lesser or minor characters.
SETTING
Whether your series takes place in a real or fictional setting,
knowing as much as possible about the locale of your series will
help you create a world that's as vivid and interesting as one
of your characters.
In your bible, you can keep details about -
- the
homes in which your characters live
- the
workplaces
- restaurants
and gathering places
- hotels,
health clubs, bookstores, etc.
- courthouses,
police stations, hospitals
Crafting
a map is an especially helpful way of making your locale realistic
(and keeping your descriptions accurate). Keep track of road names,
parks, woods, bodies of water, and so on.
Since
every town has a background of its own, you might want to invent
(or--if this is a real location--research) the history of the
founding and development of your setting. Not only will it make
the city come to life for your audience, it could very well be
a springboard for many stories.
RESEARCH
Finally, since many dramatic storylines will involve medical procedures,
legal matters and other facts of life, your bible is the ideal
place to store information you've uncovered in your research.
If you find a useful source of facts or trivia that might be the
fodder for new storylines/characters, you might want to keep a
copy for future reference.
Of
course, some bibles will be more detailed than others. Some writers
feel constrained by the idea of plotting out a story to the nth
degree, and thus will have the barest bones of an outline. Others
will flesh out the story rather extensively, including synopses
of various episodes, major and minor plot points, and even key
scenes that will eventually play themselves out on the screen.
Sometimes a writer might not have a real sense of a character
until they start to write some of the words and dialogue that
will bring them alive.
Most writers find a middle ground in all this. But it's pretty
important that the story and the characters be mapped out in some
sense, so the writer doesn't lose his way and stays on the story's
course.
That
isn't to say a bible can't change. Plots may not be working as
originally conceived and need some tweaking; characters may take
a different direction--some may be gotten rid of altogether, and
minor characters who strike a fancy with your audience might be
brought to the front burner. You might need new locations for
your characters to visit, or decide to refigure the timeline to
make it better fit in current and future stories.
You'll
always find yourself coming up with new ideas and flashes of inspiration
to be incorporated into the existing bible. Writing a bible doesn't
mean inscribing it in stone: it can and should grow and change
as your series does.
Please
note that even if you have already begun your series, it's not
too late to compile the information and ideas that will be of
immeasurable use to you in the future. If you plan well, you'll
avoid the common complaint of losing steam and going off-track
after only a few episodes. Looking to your series' bible for inspiration
will help keep you from getting lost down a long, winding road
of storytelling.
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Please
share your thoughts on this article
in the poll to your left. Thank you!
Series
mentioned:
About
Schuyler Falls
Footprints
Newport
About
Anthony D. Langford:
Anthony D. Langord writes
and produces the online series "Covington
Bay," a featured site at the Episodic. He lives in
Washington DC, and is a Literature major at American University.
In addition, Anthony is a bartender. His favorite soap operas
are "All My Children" and "As the World Turns."
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