Behind the Scenes: Script Development

Ever wonder how The Saints scripts get written? 

Research

The first step is deciding which saint to write about.  Sometimes the producers pick a saint and assign it to one of our many writers based on each writer’s strengths, but writers can also pitch ideas for saints they would like to write about.

Once a saint is chosen, the research begins.  Some writers like to start by finding things written by the saint themself (if available) and praying with the saint.  Others start with basic, broad research about the saint and the context/setting of the saint’s life before diving into deeper and more specific details.

The research process can look very different depending on when the saint lived.  For relatively recent and modern saints (such as Saint Patrick Peyton), more first-hand accounts and detailed information tend to be available.  Organizations connected to the saints can be valuable resources, and sometimes the writers will even have direct conversations with these organizations or the Congregation for the Causes of Canonization.

For saints that lived a long time ago (like Saint Helena), there may be substantially less information that has survived to today or even been recorded in the first place.  While any available sources about the saint are important to the writer, it is also vital to learn about the cultural, historical, and geographical settings to help fill in any gaps in the narrative.  The writer has to rely more on creative storytelling to create a cohesive script.

Writing

The next step after research is to submit an initial schema (a sort of outline) and then a detailed schema for notes from the script team.  The writer must take the whole life of the saint, and decide how to either distill it down to the highlights and main plot points or pick a specific snapshot of time within their lives in order to condense it into a five episode audio drama.  This abbreviated segment of the saint’s life should capture who they are and what makes them worthy of veneration.

After the schemas are approved, the writer starts the first draft.  Sometimes things like visual representations of the saints or musical “mood boards” can help serve as inspiration during the writing process. The scripts are developed with detailed notes from the production team: Creative Producer, Script Consultant, and Research Consultant. Each series goes through three rounds of revisions before locking.

Regardless of what the process looks like for each writer and each saint, the end goal is always to create historically accurate and engaging adventures of faith and courage that will move the hearts of children and adults alike.

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