In 2019, the Black Mirror Series bagged three consecutive awards at the Emmy Awards. Sacred Games, an Indian-produced Netflix web series was also nominated at this annual gala that celebrates the best in international television. This mirrors a boom of Web Series in the International Television Scene with a shift of audience’s content consumption from television to OTT (Over The Top) platforms in the past decade. Today, there is no better way to reach the largest global audience than through the web. But how do you ensure that your Web Series stands out in a sea of content launched every day? Let’s see how you can learn to write Web Series that #MakeTheCut:

1. Adapt your structure to the Internet

The Internet provides a unique storytelling medium. It requires your story’s world to be smaller with fewer characters to engage the audiences. Since the Internet is an ever-evolving platform, it is best to keep an eye for trends that will let your Web Series stay close to the viewer’s latest consumption patterns.

2. Create a hook at the beginning of episodes

The audiences on the Internet spend time flipping between short activities on the Internet making their attention span low. This gives you only a few moments at the start of each episode to create a hook, especially in your pilot episode. You want to give your audience something to look forward to at the beginning itself.

3. Use each word you write to convey something

Unlike feature-length screenplays, you do not have 30 pages to grab your audience’s attention. Each word in the script should do something that advances the story, whether it is defining and deepening your characters or providing entertainment.

4. Use the PCR Method

The PCR method refers to setting up the narrative of the screenplay in the order of Problem, Complication, and Resolution. This method helps assess the quality of a Web Series script. The ‘Problem’ engages the audience by giving the story a purpose. A series of events occur, and the problems are amplified by adding ‘Complications’. Twists are often found in the Resolution phase, but its main purpose is to provide the audience with a conclusion by presenting a solution to the problem and complications.

5. Consume lots of content, both good and bad

Research, especially when writing a screenplay for Web Series, helps you stay up to date with the current trends and the likings of the audience. While the award-winning content online will help you with tips and tricks you can pick from, bad content will show you exactly what not to do.

6. Create interesting characters

Characters serve as the driving force of the story. It is about their lives, desires, hopes, and dreams the audience comes back for. Hence, it is important to create characters that are paradoxes of fresh and relatable. Let the audiences anticipate what’s next in store for your characters. Learn more about character building for your web series here.

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