Write down a list of places that would be an interesting setting for a sitcom. For example:

• A hairdressing salon

• A bike messenger service

• Behind the scenes of a reality show

• A small group of twentysomething friends that have an Internet company that has recently made them millions

• A group of celebrity paparazzi

• A rock band trying to hit the big time

Start to picture the scene in your mind. Ask yourself: Who would be the natural group of characters in this setting (a boss, a parent, a kid, etc.)? Start to imagine what those characters and their relationships are like.

Next, start working on your show bible and potential story lines for episodes. What is the best story to introduce the characters and the situation in a natural, unforced way? That is your pilot.

Write a pilot, put it away for a while, and come back to it after you have thought about the characters some more. Keep revising the script and putting it aside until you feel happy with the final product.

Read the script to some friends, listen to their feedback, and then revise some more. Once you like your pilot, start writing treatments — synopses of episodes in paragraph form — until you have a good idea for a second script, then start the whole process over again.