The guide section of our series may be shorter than I thought, but given I’ve also looked at the original sales pitch, back when the ship was the SS Yorktown and the captain was Robert April, this should still be a decent series of articles in the wider story bible review series. I thought each section was going to be longer than it is. Today we’re looking at the format for an average Star Trek script, after going over the show format last time. That’s kind of short, at one page, so we’ll also look at the next three pages, going over the USS Enterprise, and then next time go over the cast of characters in one go. What I do with the rest of the guide I’m not yet certain.
Since this is the version of the writer’s guide that came between seasons one and two they should already have the script format already down pat. You can break formula, and I imagine we’ll look into that when we get there, but only on rare occasions. The format, when done wrong, can become formulaic and dull if followed too closely each time, but when done right draws you into this futuristic world, with breaks to sell you laundry detergent (or just give you time to use the bathroom or refresh your popcorn). So how much is advice and how much is “law” is something to consider when putting these together and judging the script you see.
As for the Enterprise section, I’m expecting a description of the ship and any important facilities. I have a copy of Mr. Scott’s Guide To The Enterprise that came out some time after the NCC-1701-A was introduced and it’s fun to find the toilets (which nobody on television ever uses with rare exceptions), but what resources are writers supposed to consider when it comes to what the ship has to offer? That should also be fascinating. So let’s get started already.
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