“Does Your TV Pilot Have A Story Engine?”

Some version of this question seems to get asked … A LOT. No, surprise. After all, the whole point of a TV pilot is that it’s the beginning of a TV series, so how’s this beginning going to lead to a very very long middle? How’s this first script lead to 50 more or 100 more scripts? Answer: It’s gotta have a story engine, right? “So where is it? Where’s your goddamn story engine? Let me see it, now. Or I can show you something else pronto — the door. And don’t let it hit you on the way out!”

Alright. Calm down. Take a breath. And brace yourself. My TV pilot doesn’t have a story engine. “What?!” That’s right, in your face! It doesn’t have one — because IT IS ONE! The whole damn thing’s a story engine!

Upon typing “end of pilot” you should be able to say I just created a story engine. In fact, instead of calling it a pilot, you could just call it a story engine.

Which is to say, it’s not an element of a pilot, it’s what a pilot is (or should be). And it’s why writing a good one is so hard.