Multiple Emmy-winning writer Erik Bork reveals why great scripts succeed or fail at the idea stage, and how to build a story premise the industry can’t ignore.
Date: March 8th
Time: 20:00
Room: Streamed online only
Why do some scripts get read, championed, and produced, while others, even well written ones, don’t get past the pitch? According to multiple Emmy and Golden Globe–winning writer/producer Erik Bork (Band of Brothers), the answer usually lies not in execution, structure, or dialogue, but in the strength of the underlying idea itself.
Based on his acclaimed book The Idea: The Seven Elements of a Viable Story for Screen, Stage or Fiction, this session focuses on the most overlooked—and most decisive, part of the writing process: choosing and developing a concept that truly works. Drawing on decades of professional experience as a writer, showrunner, professor, and coach, Bork breaks down what industry professionals instinctively look for in a premise, and why so many projects fail at the concept level before a single page is read.
At the heart of the session is Bork’s “PROBLEM” framework: seven essential elements that every compelling story premise must satisfy. These principles apply across formats, from feature films and television to plays and commercial fiction, and help writers evaluate whether an idea is worth the months or years required to bring it to life.
Practical, eye-opening, and often humbling, this session will help writers:
Understand why strong execution can’t save a weak idea
Identify the hidden flaws that cause agents, editors, and producers to pass
Develop story concepts that are inherently compelling, pitchable, and viable
Make smarter choices about which ideas deserve their time and energy
Whether you’re developing your next project or questioning one you’ve already written, this session offers foundational insight that could change how you approach story, before you write a single scene.
Speakers In This Session
Erik Bork // Screenwriter
Erik Bork is an Emmy- and Golden Globe–winning screenwriter (Band of Brothers) and author of The Idea, known for helping writers build story concepts that succeed on both the page and in the marketplace.
