The Idea: The Seven Elements of a Viable Story for Screen, Stage, or Fiction

Erik Bork

Sep 2018 · Overfall Press

About this ebook

The Idea is a manual for conquering the most important part of the screenwriting or fiction writing process — the first part. Most writers rush too quickly through choosing a story idea, so they can dive into writing it. And it’s the biggest reason most projects don’t move forward in the marketplace: producers and editors are underwhelmed by the central concept. Multiple Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning screenwriter/producer Erik Bork (HBO’s Band of Brothers) explains the seven key ingredients in stories that have a chance of selling and reaching a wide audience – in any genre or medium. 

About the author

Erik Bork won two Emmys and two Golden Globe Awards for his work on the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers and From the Earth to the Moon, writing multiple episodes of each and working on the creative producing team--for executive producer Tom Hanks (and Steven Spielberg on Band of Brothers). 
 
He has sold original pitches and written television pilots for NBC and Fox, worked on the writing staff of two primetime drama series, and written screenplays on assignment for Universal Pictures, HBO, TNT, and Playtone. He's worked as a writer for such production companies as Imagine Entertainment, Original Film, director Doug Liman, Warren Littlefield, Jerry Bruckheimer Television, NBC Studios, ABC Studios, Warner Bros., Sony Pictures, and 20th Century Fox. 
 

Erik also teaches for UCLA Extension's Writers' Program and National University's MFA in Professional Screenwriting program. He has been called one of the "Top Ten Most Influential Screenwriting Bloggers" for his Flying Wrestler website, where many of the ideas in this book originated. Readers can find much more of his advice there, learn about his one-on-one coaching and consulting, and get his free "Ten Key Principles Successful Writers Understand."