The following are some rules and suggestions for use in working on the Planet Robinson project. Like all rules, they are made to be broken, but should be broken only after careful consideration of the consequences.

1. Do not kill off key characters.

2. Be very careful about introducing facts of story lines that will persist beyond the end of an episode. These cannot, of course, be avoided completely but they can eventually result in severe restrictions of future plot developments. For example, an episode that results in rescue obviously ends the series unless something else subsequently intervenes.

3. Episodes lengths for a real TV program are highly restricted. However, as we are creating a collection of episodes that could become anything from a serial cliffhanger series to full length movies, and because we don't really expect to actually be produced at this point, we need not worry about such matters. Anything from 15 minutes to three hours is reasonable.

4. Remember that a screenplay is not a short story and is not subject to the same rules of writing. The viewer is NOT inside a character's head - any character. A movie is a visual media so the story must be told visually. The script is a set of instructions. It specifies dialogue, action, camera angles, and views. It may specify other matters, such as set details, wardrobe, narration, text overlays, or even background music, although these details are usually left to the producer or director. Given that these stories are unlikely to really be produced we probably should err on the side of too much detail.

5. A script can include details of what the character feels or is thinking. However, the viewer will never read the script. The viewer will only learn what the character feels or thinks if it is possible for the performer to convey that information. A good performer can portrey fear or lust, but a thought about a way to escape a situation is impossible without resorting to very awkward contrivances such as an audble "inner voice" or a day-dream sequence of some sort. Let's try to avoid such problems as much as possible.