BPS 038: The Idea – How to Come Up with a Story with Erik Bork

Please Note: Once you press play it will take a few seconds for the episode to start playing.

The Idea – How to Come Up with a Story with Erik Bork

Today on the show we have screenwriter and producer Erik Bork. Erik Bork is a screenwriter best known for his work on the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers, From the Earth to the Moon, for which he wrote multiple episodes, and won two Emmy and two Golden Globe Awards as part of the producing team.

Erik has also sold series pitches (and written pilots) at NBC and FOX, worked on the writing staff for two primetime dramas, and written feature screenplays on assignment for companies like Universal, HBO, TNT, and Playtone. He teaches screenwriting for UCLA Extension, National University, and The Writers Store, and offers one-on-one consulting to writers.

Why don’t most scripts have the kind of success their writers’ dream of? Because of problems with the basic idea for their story. Which the writer is usually unaware of. While story structure and scene writing choices do need to be top-notch, writers tend to rush into those parts of the writing process too quickly, without vetting their basic concept.

This is a mistake professional rarely make because their agents and managers insist that ideas be run past them first. And this usually leads to serious notes and development before the outlining process even starts.

The Idea: The Seven Elements of a Viable Story for Screen, Stage or Fiction form an acronym for the word PROBLEM, since every story is really about one, at its core. Each chapter focuses on one of these seven deceptively simple-looking aspects of a strong story, which are anything but easy to master. Mr. Bork highlights his own struggles as a writer and his arrival at an understanding of how each of these elements works — and how to know if one’s idea really succeeds at each of them. A special section devoted to television writing (and its unique attributes) ends each chapter.

Whatever your education and background in writing or story, this book and its unique focus contribute foundationally useful information not covered elsewhere — which may be the missing piece that leads to greater results, both on the page and in the marketplace.

Enjoy my conversation with Erik Bork.

Right-click here to download the MP3
Download on Apple Podcasts Direct
Watch on YouTube

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

The Idea: The Seven Elements of a Viable Story for Screen, Stage or Fiction
Erik Bork – Official Site
Band of Brothers
From the Earth to the Moon

REAL-WORLD STREAMING SCREENWRITING EDUCATION

SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST

RESOURCES

Gain Access to On-Demand Screenwriting Courses

If you liked this post, then you’ll love:

Enjoyed this post? Please share it on your social networks Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube) by using social media buttons at the bottom of the blog. Or post anywhere else you feel it would be a good fit. Thank you!

We welcome thoughts and remarks on ANY of the content above in the comments section below…

Get Social with Bulletproof Screenwriting™:
Facebook: Bulletproof Screenwriting
YouTube: Bulletproof Screenwriting™ Show
Twitter: @bpscreenplay

Podcasts To Open Your Mind:
Podcast: Bulletproof Screenwriting™ Podcast
Podcast: Indie Film Hustle® Podcast
Podcast: The Filmtrepreneur® Podcast

Additional Resources:
IFHTV: Indie Film Hustle TV
Book: Rise of the Filmtrepreneur®: How to Turn Your Indie Film into a Moneymaking Business
Book: Shooting for the Mob (Based on the Incredible True Filmmaking Story)
FREE 3 Part Screenwriting Video Series Taught by Oscar® Winning Screenwriters

Please note some of the links in this post are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you decide to make a purchase or use a service. Understand that I have experience with all of these services, products, and companies, and I recommend them because they’re extremely helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions I earn if you decide to buy something.