I want to do one for my Days' Spin-off Blog, but before I do i would love for someone to explain/describe what is to me. If possible could someone give an example?

Thanks in Advance.

p.s. you guys are greatest posting buddies around, very heplful and friendly with all the info to help a future soap writer.

A soap opera bible, to the best of my knowledge determines the mood/tone for a show, the places, introduces your starting cast and plots out the first twelve months of story. I know there's more to it, and I used to have one to reference. Unfortunately, several crashes later--no more.

Not sure what the URL for the website is, but there is a fansite for the CBS soap, CAPITOL, which has Xerox-ed copies of the original bible for the series.

I think their page has character descriptions and a little bit regarding the plot.

A soap opera bible is what a show creator uses in the very begining when proposing/launching/planning a new soap. The bible is multiple pages (novel length) and includes detailed descriptions of the tone of the series, the setting, and complete backgrounds and descriptions of the characters. The bible also contains at least a 2 year storyline projection (sometimes 3), but I heard that JER had a full 5 years when he did the bible for PSNS. The bible will also include a week's worth of sample breakdowns and scripts. This bible is what a show's creator will deliver to the networks (and/or production company) to sell them the new soap.

Oftentimes, you'll hear the word "bible" used in reference to new head writers taking over existing shows. However, these are not techincally bibles, but more accurately, long-term storyline projections. These projections can cover anywhere from 3 months to a full year (depending on how long the show and/or writer like to plan out their stories). When a soap is shopping around for a new headwriter (or a writer is attempting to audition for a new HW post at a soap), they typically submit one of these projections to detail their proposed plans for the series. This is especially true for untested and knewer HW in the business.

Existing HW on shows must also do a long-term storyline projection that must be submitted to either the network, the production company, the show's owners, or (in the days when they were an intregal part of the soap opera world) the ad agencies to be scrutinized and approved. These projections, too, may be anywhere from 3 months to a full year depending on that particular series' dictates. Some writers prefer the stability and organization of a longer-ranged projection while some writers like the flexibility of a shorter-ranged one.

In any event, all bibles/projections are subject to changes once the series makes it to air (or, in the case of existing series, the stories based on the projection make it to air) in the event of viewer reaction and other events.

It should also be noted that a bible doesn't have a real concrete list of what it should contain. As Matt said, a long-range story projection for the first few years is necessary, and for something being shopped to a network, the first week of episode breakdowns and scripts would be included. But some bibles contain lots about theme, some focus a lot on the setting, some discuss backstory. Character bios can be lengthy or condensed. A lot of it depends on the writer's preference and what aspects s/he hopes to sell the project on.

Definitely what Michael said. If I remember reading correctly, Agnes Nixon's bible for AMC focused *heavily* on the setting of Pine Valley, giving it almost as much attention in regards to backstory and character as she did to the details given to the actual characters, making the town seem a character in its own right in regards to the story.

A soap bible is the 100 page beauty under my bed

Definitely what Michael said. If I remember reading correctly, Agnes Nixon's bible for AMC focused *heavily* on the setting of Pine Valley, giving it almost as much attention in regards to backstory and character as she did to the details given to the actual characters, making the town seem a character in its own right in regards to the story.

Too bad that bible has been thrown out these days and replaced by a used piece of tissue.