First off,

This weekend I started an outline of a pilot I’ve been wanting to write for the past few months—a sitcom. I think it has the shell of something usable. Something of quality. It’s a nervous place to be, because at this point, the script can go in a few different directions. it could turn out well, or it could turn to shit. Or it could just be plain, which might be worse.

I’ve spent a lot of time interpreting literature. I have a solid understanding of critical theory, and I can judge a good story from a bad one. Likewise, I can tell a good show from a bad show, but I haven’t spent much writing about the broader themes that exist in good television writing. I want to examine my favorite shows and see what makes them good. As these themes emerge, I’ll have to figure out how I can apply them in my own writing.