Star Trek : The Next Generation Writers ' / Directors ' Guide The Star Trek : The Next Generation Writers ' / Directors ' Guide ( also stylized as " Writer / Director ' s " and " Writers / Directors " Guide ) was an internal document of Paramount Pictures . Written by David Gerrold and Gene Roddenberry , it was intended to familiarize prospect writers and directors with in general . Otherwise known as a " bible " , it was a reference work , albeit for the production staff members who worked on the series . Background information . The " Writers ' / Directors ' Guide " proceeded from numerous pre - production memos , prior to the making of the series . While Roddenberry was organizing his ideas for the first version of the guide , issues which had to be faced included the fine points of fictional 24th century characters and technology updates , as well as the real 20th - century dilemmas over budgeting , special effects , organizing a crew , and attempting to outdo . ( " " , 3rd ed . , p . 3 ) The TNG series " bible " was written over a period of several weeks . During that time , Roddenberry listened to various people ' s ideas about how the then - new series should be and collaborated with Gerrold on the text . ( " " , 3rd ed . , p . 4 ) The first draft of the document ( which was twenty - two pages long and was dated ) described and explained the sets , characters , and terminology as well as establishing the format which the series would follow . The document referred to the time period of the forthcoming series as the 25th century , because the series itself was meanwhile conceived as being set in that century . The first - draft writers ' guide featured a teenage female character ( who ultimately became Wesley Crusher ) and Starfleet communicator s which were intended to be wrist - worn devices . The document described Deanna Troi as one - quarter Betazoid and possessing some telepathic abilities owing to her " Starfleet officer grandfather having lived on Betazed with one of its humanoid females . " This early writers ' guide also opened with the promise that the upcoming series would go boldly " where no one has gone before , " rather than " where no man has gone before , " clearly distinguishing TNG ' s version of the motto from the TOS version . Additionally , the first draft of the writers ' guide bore the series name " Star Trek : The Next Generation " , although Robert Justman sent a memo a month later ( on ) that suggested nineteen other possible series titles . ( " " , 3rd ed . , pp . 3 , 4 , 5 , 11 , 14 & 15 ) According to actor LeVar Burton , his character of Geordi La Forge was a minor character in Roddenberry ' s first version of the writers ' guide . ( " Cinefantastique " , Vol . 19 , No . 3 , p . 27 ) Further developing the bible was one aim that motivated Roddenberry , with a writers ' guide now in hand , to fill out a production staff . The group started feverishly working on the first - draft bible . ( " " , 3rd ed . , p . 6 ) The first revision of the writers ' guide ( completed on ) referred to the " Enterprise " - D as having 907 officers and family members . It also referred to TNG ' s planned wrist communicators . The captain was " Julian Picard " , his first officer was " William Ryker " , the teenager on the ship was now a male name d " Wesley " . ( " " , 3rd ed . , pp . 7 , 11 & 14 ) The final first - season writers ' guide ( which was fifty - five pages long and was dated ) was also mostly assembled by David Gerrold and the staff , then polished by Roddenberry himself . The cover of the final Season 1 writers ' guide featured drawings of the new " Enterprise " ( dated ) . By now , the captain ' s first name was " Jean - Luc " and his first officer ' s surname was " Riker " , though the captain was given the nickname " Luke " . For the first time in an edition of the writers ' guide , Beverly Crusher was the subject of an entire dedicated page of background notes , rather than just being mentioned in connection with Wesley Crusher . The final first - season draft increased the number of shipboard personnel to 1 , 012 , which remained the case in the series , and refined the setting to seventy - eight years after " the time of Kirk and Spock . " The document also included the first TNG mention of saucer separation and communicators being part of the Starfleet insignia worn on the chest , although the former concept had its roots in earlier - produced " Star Trek " projects . By now , Deanna Troi was referred to as half - Betazoid , her Starfleet father having resided with her mother on Betazed , but Worf was still completely absent from the writers ' guide , yet to be imagined . ( " " , 3rd ed . , pp . 7 , 9 , 14 , 15 & 16 ) The second - season writers ' guide established Katherine Pulaski as having three children by three different men . ( " " , 3rd ed . , p . 64 )