So you finished your television pilot, polished it, got someone to read it, polished it a few more times, and now your work is done. Right? Wrong. More and more writers are being asked to provide show bibles when pitching their work.
Show bibles tell readers what your script is about, who the characters are, what the theme(s) of the show are, and give an overall sense of the tone of the story. There are many great examples out there, including this list: 21 Series Bibles That Every Screenwriter Should Read.
The general basics of a bible are all the same: a pitch page; character breakdowns; synopses of the episodes in season one; a brief paragraph on future seasons; and a few paragraphs on the format, tone, and engine of the show. While there is some room to make the text entertaining in the context of the show, there are other ways to make a run-of-the-mill bible more exciting to read. Today, a more visual approach will get you much farther.
Adding images will break up the text and give the reader a much better idea of what the characters and show will look like. If the show is dark and suspenseful, adding darker imagery in cool tones will convey that instantly. Images of your characters also help readers differentiate them right away. If you have a large or fantasy/historical/scifi world to build peppering images between text can give a better idea of what that world will look like, as well. Since you're not selling the bible itself you can google images that are licensed for noncommercial use to get a never-ending supply of images.
I recommend using Google Docs or Slides to create your bible. It'll autosave along the way and will be stored in the cloud for access anywhere. I also use Pages on my Macbook Pro. If you open a page and convert it to a Page Layout under the File setting you can create and design just about anything. You can even play with the color of the page behind your bible to really establish mood.
Here's a sample bible from my series 'Bedlam,' as an example.
Most importantly, have fun with it! Make it your own. The images are already in your head, so why not get them out on the page? Happy Writing!
Holly Holstein is a Los Angeles based writer with over ten years creating content. She writes independent reviews and articles and is not compensated for her posts. If you enjoy her articles, please sign up to become a member!
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