You Asked ... Film & TV Writer/Producer Peter Elkoff

Writer/producer Peter Elkoff (The Education of Charlie Banks, ABC's Ugly Betty) has worked in both film and television in Los Angeles for the past 15 years.

Like most industry screenwriters, he believes consistently writing, reading, and observing are keys to keeping those creative chops going.

“Write every day,” Elkoff says. “Even if it’s just a page-long description of the beautiful barista missing two fingers who made your latte this morning."

“Eavesdrop on conversations in bars. Read great books. Read great screenplays. See great movies. Get notes from people whose work you respect. Rewrite until you’re sure you can’t make it any better.”

Elkoff is a proponent of writing stories that matter.

“Don’t write what you think will sell,” he explains. “I know that might sound counter-intuitive to someone who wants to “make it” in the business, but when you write something that really means something to you, readers feel that. Actors, too, if you’re lucky enough to get to casting. And as a writer you are compelled to fight through those difficult sections – for me always mid-second act of a feature – because there is more than just money driving you.”

Elkoff offers more insight into writing for television and film, as he answers questions from the StoryLink Community. Those whose questions were chosen will receive a The Dialogue: Learning from the Masters DVD (Winner's Choice) from The Writers Store.

How do you incorporate other writers suggestions and ideas when writing in a team/staff collaboration. How do you manage the mix? - Sally

Collaborating in television is easy. You have a bunch of smart people in a room contributing ideas and one or two bosses who determine which ideas will go into the episode. Problems occur when there are too many bosses or a weak one. I’ve written four feature scripts with four different people. Three of those experiences were wonderful because I was writing with good friends I knew well and trusted. We were clear on our roles. That is the most important thing. The script that turned out best was a friend’s story about his childhood. My job was to help him get to the story he wanted to tell. The story mattered deeply to him and it came to matter deeply to me. The collaboration that didn’t work well was fortunately a story I developed. I was able to take it away from the person I was working with and finish it on my own. Collaborating on feature scripts is not something I am eager to do unless the circumstances are specific and right.

In "Charlie Banks" the character Mick was so complex and interesting... I felt, as Charlie did, attracted to, frightened of, and sorry for him. How many drafts did you do on that script, and what is your technique to add layers to make characters so interesting? I know you and Director Fred Durst discussed it a lot once he saw the script also. Thank you. Best of luck on your next project! - Vickie

I probably wrote about 15 drafts of Charlie Banks in the six years it took to get it made. With Fred and with producers and other directors who were attached at various times, I did more work on Charlie’s character than I ever did on Mick’s. The goal was simple with Mick: make him brutal and dangerous, but show glimpses of his vulnerability, too. It’s easier to write a good bad guy than a good, good guy because you don’t have to make him universally likeable. You have more latitude with his character. You want an audience to have mixed feelings about him. He can do terrible things. To me, the success of the movie rested on whether, like Charlie, the audience believed at the end of the second act that Mick was redeemable. Those moments of vulnerability, when he teaches Charlie to bluff, or when he and Charlie watch the others play croquet, were the important “layers.”

You have a great idea: strong character(s) and the possibility of a continuing storyline. How do you make that initial decision to approach it as a spec screenplay or something for television? If TV, how many episodes should be included with the proposal? - William

I think your answer is in your question. If the idea can generate continuing episodes, it’s a television show. If it has a clear ending, a finite time-line, make it a feature. In trying to sell a television show there is a basic format I follow: a verbal pitch which covers the world of the show, what it’s about thematically and plot-wise, who the characters are that inhabit the world of the show, a few beats from the pilot episode and then 4 to 6 three-sentence descriptions of subsequent episodes. Ultimately, you want to find the best way to present your story that fits your style and the needs of the story.

For a writer trying to get that first TV writing job, is it more advisable to write a pilot or a spec based on an existing show, taking into consideration where and who would be more approachable with a pilot or spec script? - Jose

If you have the time and the inclination, I would suggest to do both. What writing a good spec for an existing show tells an agent or showrunner or studio executive is that you can learn the “voice” of characters that already exist. A pilot gives people a real sense of your voice as a writer. As a bonus, if the pilot turns out to be really good you might be able to sell it.

There are so many barriers for those of us who have never sold a project and want to get a foot in the door. What's the best way to break down those barriers and get your project to the right people? - AJ Flick

Getting an agent is the first and most important step to take to break down those barriers. Obviously, agents are the people who bring material to the buyers. It’s very hard to get people to read your material if it’s not delivered by an agent. If what you are writing is good and to some degree commercial, you have to find a way to get it in the hands of a reputable agent. Maybe you have a friend who has an agent or who has access to agents and can get your stuff read? There are also a number of programs offered by the different studios to give new writers a leg up. Like the Disney fellowship program, for instance. You can call the studios to investigate the various application processes.

Is your idea generation process differ from film to television? If so, how? - Ron

I find that movie ideas can come out of tiny moments and television shows seem to come out of larger concepts. I overheard a conversation between two women a bar. One of them said something strange and hilarious to the other. This line revealed a potentially wonderful character that stayed with me for weeks. I realized she could be the central character in a movie I had wanted to write for years. As a rule, television ideas start much bigger. There has to be enough to theoretically carry you through five seasons worth of episodes. I wrote a pilot for HBO that came out of my own fascination with journalistic objectivity.

When you are trying to pitch a sitcom or show to a studio, how do you go about deciding which aspects to talk about and how to present your show in the limited time you have, so that it gets picked up? - Michael

In my experience, the two most important parts of the pitch are the characters and the world of the show. Who are the people the audience is coming back every week to spend an hour or half-hour watching? And what is the show about? What are the characters doing and what is the show trying to say about the world? But the truth is, if you’re pitching a show, you’ll have agents and producers giving you suggestions about how they think you should tailor the pitch to fit the needs of each studio.

What is the most important thing to you when developing a story: plot, character, conflict, or something else? - Leonard Ramirez Jr.

Character is absolutely the most important thing to start with in developing a film or television show. He never got to Hollywood, but it was Tolstoy who said, “Character is destiny.” Who you are determines what happens to you. If you have that great, flawed, heroic character, the conflict and plot will come organically. And, we hope, the character will say smart, funny or dramatic things, too. You ever watch a movie where the character does something really huge and dramatic and you think to yourself, “Why did he do that?” or “She wouldn’t have done that.” When you have that experience in a movie theater it’s usually because character was sacrificed to serve plot.

What are some tips for writing authentic dialogue that is to the point, focused, and moves the story forward? - Rebecca

When you sit down to write any scene you should always ask yourself, “What is this scene about?” Let’s say you’re writing a scene between a man and a woman in which the man wants out of the relationship and is trying to convince the woman to break up with him so he won’t feel guilty. Plot-wise, the scene’s about the end of a relationship. But the scene is also about cowardice. Having this information clear in your head gives you a better sense of whether the dialogue you are writing is properly serving your story. As far as authenticity goes, either you write good dialogue or you don’t.

I'd like to know if living in Atlanta is precluding me from opportunities to work as a writer for film or TV, other than just writing on spec. Is living in L.A. or New York essential for any relative success to be had in the biz? - Chris

For someone starting out even living in New York makes it very hard to get a career going in film or television. The people who are hiring are on the west coast. Television show staffs are on the west coast. You really have to be in Los Angeles unless you are someone who is so in demand that people come looking for you. Plus, you have to be in LA to make the rounds and meet people to get yourself a shot at those jobs. There are a lot of good writers out here. If you have a winning personality on top of talent, you want to get in the rooms and show it off.