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Chasing the Spark: How to Take Your Idea All the Way to a Pilot by Mark Melara
by Writing Workshops Staff
5 days ago
You know that feeling when you get the initial spark of an idea? It’s exciting, it’s new, it’s intoxicating. You can already see the show in your head. Maybe it’s just an image, a single line of dialogue, the big trailer scene, or just a “what if” that refuses to leave you alone. The challenge isn’t finding the spark. The challenge is keeping it alive long enough to turn into a full draft.
And let’s be honest: a lot of sparks don’t survive that journey. Life gets busy, research spirals get too deep, or the excitement fades once the blank page is staring right into your soul. The good news? There are ways to protect that spark and build habits that carry you all the way to “Fade Out” or “End of Pilot” or “Fin.” Please don’t write Fin.
Don’t Get Lost in Research
Writers love research. It feels like progress. You can spend hours reading articles, digging into history, or watching documentaries. But all too often, research becomes procrastination in disguise. A pilot isn’t a dissertation. Do enough to ground your world, then move quickly to the page. Let the writing itself show you what research is actually necessary. Readers fall in love with your characters, not with whether a ballpoint pen was accurate to the time period.
Small, Consistent Steps
Big bursts of inspiration are great, but what really finishes scripts is steady practice. Dedicate a set block of time each day to your project. Even an hour counts. Some days you might write a scene; other days you might just sketch a character bio, refine your outline or even look outside the window and just think about the story. Progress adds up, and small steps beat waiting for the mythical “perfect writing day.”
Revisit What You Love
When motivation dips, and it will, return to the shows and films that inspired you to write in the first place. Watching an old favorite can shake something loose and remind you why you started. That rush of recognition (“oh right, this is why I love storytelling”) is often enough to reignite momentum and keep the fire alive.
Remember the Why
Halfway through a draft, doubt creeps in. You start wondering if the idea is even good. Am I even a writer? Maybe I should finish that job application to FedEx. They let you wear shorts… See, look how far we’ve drifted. That’s why it’s crucial to go back to your original spark: the image, the character, the question that first grabbed you. Keep it visible. Write it on a sticky note above your desk. Let it guide you through the messy middle.
Less Talking, More Writing
Here’s one that stings a little: spend more time writing the script than telling people you’re going to write the script. We all know people who’ve been “working on something” for years but don’t have a draft to show for it. Talking is easy. Pages are what matter.
A Quick Exercise
Pick the idea that excites you most right now. Set a timer for 20 minutes and write a two-page scene with your main character. No overthinking, no research breaks, just dialogue and action. Then, when you’re done, jot down one sentence about why this idea matters to you. That spark is your anchor for the long haul.
And remember -- this is your sandbox, your escape, your chance to create the series you wish existed.
Join me for From Premise to Pilot: Crafting Your TV Series, a 2-Month MasterClass, and take your idea all the way to a finished pilot.
From Premise to Pilot: Crafting Your TV Series, a 2-Month Masterclass with Mark Melara, begins Tuesday, October 21, 2025.
Instructor Mark Melara is a WGA and TV Academy member whose writing and producing credits span streaming and network television, web content, and video games. He served as showrunner and executive producer of SNAP, a timely anthology drama for AMC Networks, and spent two seasons writing on CBS’s Superior Donuts. In gaming, he co-wrote the music-driven, side-scrolling comedy shooter Freedom Finger, and he is especially proud of a United Nations–produced documentary he wrote about Yemen. His most recent project was with Sony TV, adapting PlayStation IP into a comedy series with Payman Benz directing, Jermaine Fowler starring, and Tony Hawk producing.
Read an Interview with Mark in our Meet the Teaching Artist series.
