How to Write Historical Fiction Television that Will Get You Noticed
Summary
Learn From A Producer and Development Executive who has worked at CBS, ABC, Nickelodeon, and more!
"It was amazing, enlightening - completely. I learned soooo much - especially as a feature writer who's been asked to turn a feature script into a pilot!! Thank you soooooo much."
-Kristin G.
The market for historical dramas is hot. Shows like The Crown, Genius: MLK/X, The Law According To Lidia Poet, The Great, Babylon Berlin, The Empress, Call the Midwife and more are dominating with controversial plot lines and riveting characters. But to sell a historical drama, you first need to know the specifics of writing this specialized genre.
You need to understand what type of intellectual property makes for a compelling story and then have the skills necessary to turn this historical piece into a modern, binge-worthy series that speaks to today's audiences.
In this exclusive Stage 32 on-demand webinar, industry veteran Anna Henry who has worked as a development executive and producer and has shepherded numerous projects through networks and streamers is here to show you how.
Anna is a Producer and Development Executive who has worked at CBS, ABC, Nickelodeon, and multiple production companies, as well as a manager at Andrea Simon Entertainment. Her clients have worked on shows such as THE DEUCE, POWER, IN CONTEMPT, TOMMY, VIDA, SEVEN SECONDS, HUNG, CHICAGO FIRE, FEAR THE WALKING DEAD, THIS IS US, and THE FLASH, and have set up projects at AMC, Amazon, Starz, HBO, Sony, Fox, EOne, and more.
Anna has projects currently in development around the world and is incredibly familiar with what goes into a great television pilot.
If you are developing a historical drama or ever want to try, this information-packed webinar is a must!
Praise for Anna's Stage 32 webinar:
"The webinar was fantastic. I am writing my first one hour drama pilot so this webinar was packed with the exact information that I will be immediately putting to use in my rewrite. The slides were clear, concise and informative. The speaker was excellent at conveying the information I needed."
-Bobby C.
"It was really great information. Anna was a terrific host, very knowledgeable and shared a lot of information and tips."
-Marla H.
"Comprehensive, insightful. Combined a lot of material I had heard snippets of on character, world dev, etc. but artfully stitched together in one presentation."
-James F.
What You'll Learn
Preparing to Write
Choosing your historical period and characters
- Bringing your original perspective to public domain material
- Developing historical fiction with a personal connection
- Developing historical fiction based on IP (intellectual property)
Approaches to historical subjects
- Starting from history or starting from story elements
- Telling a true story with creative license
- Using real events as backdrop for a fictional story
- Using a true story as inspiration for a fictional story
Research
- Casting a wide net
- Sweating the small stuff
- Value of different types of source material
- Organizing your research
Authenticity vs. Accuracy
- How to navigate “telling the truth”
- Developing philosophical guidelines
- Getting the research out of the way of the story
The Writing Process
Creating Characters
- Real people vs. fictional characters
- Adding, altering, and conflating characters
- Realism and relatability
- Relationship between characters and world
- Multiple, contrasting perspectives and exploring complex relationships
- Avoiding anachronisms – making history vs. surviving it
- History as backdrop - revealing the interior truth of characters
- On the wrong side of history – complex characters who are true to their time
World-building and Exposition
- Tools for organic exposition
- How to deal with backstory
- Where and how to utilize your research
- Conveying the world beyond your story
Telling the Story
- Where to begin your pilot and how far to take the story
- How to think about breaking your story into seasons
- That’s another show - what to leave out
- Using true events to build a compelling story – timeline, heightening drama, plausibility
- Strategies for writing authentic dialogue
Marketplace for Historical Fiction on Television
- What makes a historical show attractive to buyers
- Making history relevant to a modern audience – themes, tone, genre blending, adult content, controversial subjects
- Budget considerations and strategies for writing
Executive
Anna Henry is a Producer, Television Development Executive and an educator for Netflix. Anna has set up projects at Sony, 20th Television, EOne, Starz, Amazon, Netflix, Corus, ITV America and more. Anna began her career as a development executive at Nickelodeon, then crossed over to prime-time television working at CBS and ABC in drama development and programming before working in management and establishing herself as an Independent Producer.
She was Head of Development at Andrea Simon Entertainment, a boutique literary management and production company representing writers and directors. She has more than 15 years experience working with writers on developing their passion projects and building their careers with client credits including Netflix's "Seven Seconds"; Starz'"Vida"; BET’s “In Contemt”; HBO's "The Deuce", "Big Love", and "Vinyl"; Showtime's "The Chi"; NBC's "This Is Us"; The CW's "Jane the Virgin"; Direct TV's "Kingdom"; AMC’s “Fear the Walking Dead”; PBS' "Mercy Street"; and more.
Anna has projects currently in development around the world. She is currently developing procedurals, crime thrillers, dark comedies, YA and Millennial-focused projects, character-driven sci-fi, and recent period. She is a member of HRTS Associates and Greenlight Women.
Testimonials
Praise for Anna's Stage 32 webinar:
"The webinar was fantastic. I am writing my first one hour drama pilot so this webinar was packed with the exact information that I will be immediately putting to use in my rewrite. The slides were clear, concise and informative. The speaker was excellent at conveying the information I needed."
-Bobby C.
"It was really great information. Anna was a terrific host, very knowledgeable and shared a lot of information and tips."
-Marla H.
"Comprehensive, insightful. Combined a lot of material I had heard snippets of on character, world dev, etc. but artfully stitched together in one presentation."
-James F.
"It was amazing, enlightening - completely. I learned soooo much - especially as a feature writer who's been asked to turn a feature script into a pilot!! Thank you soooooo much."
-Kristin G.
"The webinar was professionally presented and hosted. The speaker and the slides were clear and easy to understand. There was ample time left for Q&A."
-Danita J.
"Instructor was very knowledgeable. She confirmed a lot of what I already knew, but the outline she provided will be a good outline to go back and look at plot, characters, etc. to make sure they align."
-Eva F.
"Anna is super-knowledgeable and easy to listen to. She used great examples and ordered the information logically and coherently."
-Kenneth M.
Credits
