If you have an idea for a historical fiction or period television project, your chance to develop your show and write your pilot script is right now. My historical fiction pilot writing lab starts this Saturday, 8/29!
We always begin with developing your show overall, because you have to do that before you can write a strong pilot. So we talk about format & genre, episodic structure, story engine, stakes, characters and world. We specifically talk about how to incorporate true events into a fictional narrative. Then we talk a lot about strong pilot structure and story logic + emotional logic. These are things you need to write in any genre. Finally we get down to the scene level: how to write effective scenes, how to introduce characters, build the world, write cinematic action lines and dialogue that works with the tone of your show. I weave tips about writing this genre in particular with ideas and checklists you can apply to any script.
But there is a lot more! You can ask questions in or after our sessions. And you get three one-on-one consultations! My consultations are probably not what you've experienced in other labs. They are longer and they are actual notes calls like you'd get with a producer or executive. We start by talking about your concept and what you need to develop. Maybe you have more development to do, or you go on to an outline, or directly to a first draft. We have a mid-lab check-in and course correction to keep you on track toward an outline or first draft. And I usually give writers a little extra time after the end of the lab to finish their final script or outline for our last consultation.
I have been teaching this lab for at least six years and I've worked on some amazing projects in that time. I am producing a couple right now. We are always polishing the script, but I am so proud of the incredible work those writers have done developing their show and mastering the craft of screenwriting.
If you are ready to do the work and level up your writing, this lab will propel you! It's almost full, but we can get a couple more people in. Here is the signup: https://www.stage32.com/education/products/stage-32-8-part-screenwriting...
Anna Henry I also help writers polish scripts for clarity, strong scenes, and professional presentation. Happy to deliver clean, reliable work if you ever need an extra set of notes.
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If you want to add some memorable astronomical phenomenon to your story, feel free to ask me about historical cases, There is for example a case from the east coast of USA almost 200 years ago when people thought Doomsday had arrived because they had seen with their own eyes the sky falling down. I doubt that event has ever been used in a movie.
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Krenda Alice Thank you but that's pretty much what I am doing right now as a consultant as well. :)
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Karolina Ferguson You can message me here on Stage 32. Or connect on LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com/in/anna-marton-henry) where I post advice for TV writers regularly. Or you can reach out via my website at annahenryconsulting.com to learn more about my consulting services.
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Göran Johansson Are you by any chance talking about the 1833 meteor storm? I actually consulted on a pilot about it that took it in a supernatural direction. Funny enough, I am producing a show set in that time period and this event will make an appearance at least in reference. And that show as well as two others I am producing all have Halley's comet in them (three different visits), so I'm starting to think I will slyly put a reference to Halley's comet in every show I work on to see how long it takes people to notice. ;) Btw, my older son is an aerospace engineering major and our whole family are huge astronomy fans with several friends who work at JPL.
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This sounds like a genuinely well-built curriculum, starting with the show's overall architecture before touching the pilot script is exactly the right order, since so many pilots fail not because the writing is weak but because the underlying show, format, story engine, world logic, wasn't fully worked out first. The emphasis on blending true events into a fictional narrative is especially valuable for historical fiction specifically, that's one of the harder balances to strike, staying grounded enough to feel authentic without letting research overwhelm story and character.
Six years of running this and producing projects that came out of it says a lot, that's the kind of track record that suggests real, tested methodology rather than a one-off workshop. The one-on-one consultation structure sounds like a strong differentiator too, actual notes calls rather than generic feedback tend to be what actually moves a script forward.
Wishing you a great cohort this round, sounds like a strong opportunity for anyone with a period piece they've been sitting on.
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Alex Recheal Thank you so much! I think the lab is full now but if anyone wants to sign up last-minute we can probably make that happen.
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Anna Henry No worries, Anna, appreciate you letting me know! Sounds like the lab is landing well if it's already full. If a spot opens up down the line, I'd genuinely be curious, in the meantime, wishing you and this cohort a great eight weeks.
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Alex Recheal It starts tomorrow at 10 AM but if you're interested email edu@stage32.com and they will get you in. I am not sure I will do this lab again until next year. If you miss the first session, they are all recorded so you can catch up easily.
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Happy to help, Alex Recheal! We only have one spot left for Anna's lab tomorrow so you should be able to check out this.
If you'll have problem on checking out, please email us at edu@stage32.com. - https://www.stage32.com/education/products/stage-32-8-part-screenwriting...
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Anna Henry, wonderful that you know the meteor storm. And you also know that comet Halley returned around the same time. Perhaps you have also included the solar eclipse. Then, during the next few decades multiple apocalyptic Christian groups started.