The Executive Chair: A Writer’s Guide to TV Series Development

To make compelling television, our industry depends on enthusiastic new voices with fresh ideas. While there are plenty of books about the mechanics of writing, this is the first time an insider has detailed the invaluable TV executive perspective. As key pieces of the entertainment puzzle, executives hold institutional wisdom that seldom gets disseminated outside network walls. The Executive Chair breaks down the business from the gatekeeper’s point of view, illuminating the creative process used by those who ultimately make the decisions. Whether developing a project for the entertainment marketplace or merely probing the executive mindset, The Executive Chair dispels myths about the creative process and takes the reader through the development of a pilot script.

Former executive and current producer, tv writer, and book author Kelly Edwards has developed shows like Living Single, Girlfriends, The Parkers, Clueless, Two Guys and a Girl, as well as a one hour drama series, a Hallmark movie, and multiple award-winning shorts for HBO.

For seven years, she served as the head of Talent Development for HBO, launching the careers of emerging artists before herself becoming a Sundance Episodic Lab fellow, releasing her Amazon bestselling book The Executive Chair: A Writer’s Guide To TV Series Development, and staffing on Our Kind of People.