Writers Bibles

[Iamnotspock]

"Our people are the best and the brightest, and our technology is tried and proven".

Then why did it so often take Wesley Crusher's genius to save the ship in those early episodes?

 

[DanStro]

I heard these referred too on DVD special sections, was there literally a book of rules on what you coudnt' do? for example I heard them say they were not allowed bring Thomas Riker back,

Is there a copy of these online anywhere? does anyone have any more examples of stuff from them?

I don't know of any online but you can buy them at:
http://www.roddenberry.com/?action=shop.welcome&cid=11471

And no I don't I don't work for them, nor have I ordered anything from them, so I can't speak to the quality (of the books or the company).

 

[WendellM]

Thanks for posting Wendell

Thanks for posting those!

You're quite welcome.

I've found the thread's conversation interesting. And if anyone happens to have some other guide's rule sections that they could scan/post, to see how they changed over the later years, that'd be great.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

I heard these referred too on DVD special sections, was there literally a book of rules on what you coudnt' do? for example I heard them say they were not allowed bring Thomas Riker back,

Is there a copy of these online anywhere? does anyone have any more examples of stuff from them?

I don't know of any online but you can buy them at:
http://www.roddenberry.com/?action=shop.welcome&cid=11471

And no I don't I don't work for them, nor have I ordered anything from them, so I can't speak to the quality (of the books or the company).

I love that their only toy figure is Lwaxana Troi.

 

[Borg451]

Here are guidelines from the third revision (April 17, 1967) of The Star Trek Guide:

And here's a list from an early Next Gen Writer/Director's Guide (when the show was just getting started):

As you can see, some "rules" were followed more than others.

I'd be interested in seeing the guidelines from the "bibles" of later TNG and other Treks.

the last one.. about characters not doing stupid things woulda been broke in TATV, thankfully that was just a holo sim.. so Trip didnt really die in such a stupid way...

 

[TGTheodore]

I can't believe in the TOS Rule III that they actually use "climatic" for "climactic." One of my pet peeves.

Again, about "breaking their own rules", these bibles were meant mostly for OUTSIDE writers coming in to pitch. Staff writers were free to break any of the rules as long as they felt it made for a better story. (And Desilu/Paramount approved it)

--Ted

 

[Maurice]

^^^Could be a typo, after all.

 

[GeorgeKirk]

The Voyager Writer's Bible is out there somewhere too. I bought a copy from ebay for £1.

I imagine it goes something like this:

• The show is about technology, not people: Our people are only good for two things: spouting technobabble and engaging in action sequences, preferably at the same time. Try not to introduce any problem that can't be solved by modifying the main deflector to fire some inverse tachyon bullshit ray with five minutes left in the episode. And absolutely no trying to imitate good shows with some "realistic character development" bullshit. We don't do that here.
• The Reset Button is our favorite plot device: Use it often.
• Just because they're seventy years from home with limited power and resources doesn't mean we can't use the holodeck all the time: The Holodeck Malfunction is our favorite plot device (next to the Reset Button, that is).
• We love T&A: Which we define as "women in skintight catsuits that go up to their neck". It's the only thing that gives Rick Berman an erection.
• No Borg idea is too stupid to make into an episode: We mean it.

Seriously, it's amazing how many of the guidelines in those Writers' Guides were trampled and shat upon as time went on, much to the detriment of the franchise.

 

[TEH BABA]

Kinda funny how anti rule 13 works for wing commander games, Star wars, firefly buffyverse, gate and bsg. THey seem to be polar opposite of trek.

 

[Herkimer Jitty]

Did Voyager and Enterprise reverse TNG rule # 3 for their guides? Cause I can remember oodles of episodes where they'd tell alien cultures they were wrong, and try to force their beliefs on them.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

We must hold an audience of 20,000,000 to stay on the air.

 

[Therin of Andor]

Also have a copy of an early version of the TNG Writer's Guide. Most interesting is the backstory given for Data which tells how he is a construct of an unknown alien race.

Which David Gerrold also used in his novelization of "Encounter at Farpoint", but which was then overridden when the script for "Datalore" was being developed.

 

[Therin of Andor]

Did Voyager and Enterprise reverse TNG rule # 3 for their guides? Cause I can remember oodles of episodes where they'd tell alien cultures they were wrong, and try to force their beliefs on them.

It was correct for ENT, as a TOS prequel, since TNG had learned from the mistakes of previous starship crews.

When VOY did it... no excuses.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

Did Voyager and Enterprise reverse TNG rule # 3 for their guides? Cause I can remember oodles of episodes where they'd tell alien cultures they were wrong, and try to force their beliefs on them.

It was correct for ENT, as a TOS prequel, since TNG had learned from the mistakes of previous starship crews.

When VOY did it... no excuses.

This is the writers bible not the characters bible.

 

[Therin of Andor]

This is the writers bible not the characters bible.

Same thing. The ST writers wouldn't want Archer acting the same way that Picard acted because the 22nd century was a very different place to the 24th century.

The characters say what the writers make them say.

 

[DigificWriter]

Here's a couple of different links to the Star Trek Voyager Writer's Bible:
1) http://members.fortunecity.se/hannibal/voybible.html

2) http://star-trek-voyager.net/voybible/bts_voybible_index.htm

 

[Mr. Adventure]

This is the writers bible not the characters bible.

Same thing. The ST writers wouldn't want Archer acting the same way that Picard acted because the 22nd century was a very different place to the 24th century.

The characters say what the writers make them say.

I guess it depends on whether or not one thinks the writers of Enterprise should have the crew acting like Galactic Police (especially given that they are a one-ship fleet). And is that solely because of the prime directive or because those stories aren't desired for any Trek series.

 

[TGTheodore]

The complete series bibles include the basic situation, basic character histories and descriptions, character RELATIONSHIPS as well the writers's stuff.

--Ted

 

[Mr. B]

I have a copy of the Star Trek Voyager Technical Guide v1.0, a "prototype" of the technical manual that was never really written or published as well as the Voyager season 3 "Writers' - Director's Guide" for year 3, '96-'97 season. (Star Trek: Voyager Bible - revised 7/19/96)... got it on ebay a number of years ago. It has the backstory on the characters and the premise of the show but no list of "don'ts." It's a cool thing to have, a real voyager tech/ manual would have been awesome.

 

[WendellM]

Here's a couple of different links to the Star Trek Voyager Writer's Bible:
1) http://members.fortunecity.se/hannibal/voybible.html

2) http://star-trek-voyager.net/voybible/bts_voybible_index.htm

Thank you. Interesting to see this very early version.

I have a copy of the Star Trek Voyager Technical Guide v1.0, a "prototype" of the technical manual that was never really written or published as well as the Voyager season 3 "Writers' - Director's Guide" for year 3, '96-'97 season. (Star Trek: Voyager Bible - revised 7/19/96)... got it on ebay a number of years ago. It has the backstory on the characters and the premise of the show but no list of "don'ts."

The links from DigificWriter are to an early draft version of the guide. Is the year 3 version essentially the same thing, just with more up-to-date information, Mr. B?

The TOS guide is 31 pages and the TNG one is 48, both with sections on the Enterprise, its systems, and the technology and procedures used (transporters, tractor beams, communicators, etc.), along with character backgrounds and writing guidelines. The Voyager one looks pretty incomplete in comparison. Maybe Voyager writers were assumed to have general Trek background knowledge already (or were given the "prototype" tech manual as well)?