The Papers of John and Ward Hawkins consist largely of fiction manuscripts and teleplays. Correspondence, non-fiction manuscripts, and screenplays are also included in the collection. This inventory represents an incorporation of all the material received between 1965 and 1984.

The correspondence consisting of about 1,050 letters, is mostly with literary agents, in particular the Brandt and Brandt agency. These agents' letters often provide detailed commentary on the Hawk-ins' work and information on the contemporary writing market. Later correspondence often concerns "Little House on the Prairie." Noted correspondents include Albert R. Wetjen, August Lenninger, and Ed-ward Abbey. The correspondence is in alphabetical order by name of correspondent.

The fiction and non-fiction manuscripts provide samples of all types of the Hawkins' work: pulp stories, "slick" stories; romance, sports, and detective fiction; short stories, novel-length works, and work intended for serialization. While many works are represented only by a single draft, others have correspondence, outlines, notes, and/or early drafts preceding the latest draft. Manuscripts are in alphabetical order by title. When more than one draft of a work is present, chronological order has been established if discernible. Several folders of untitled works and fragments come between fiction and non-fiction manuscripts.

Teleplays (scripts for television) are in alphabetical order by television series name. Within each series, teleplays are in order by episode title, with final title determining placement. A series proposal, or series format packet, if present, will precede all teleplays for a particular series. Especially in the "Bonanza" and "Little House on the Prairie" series, many drafts of scripts contain episode information, such as work schedules (documenting scenes shot per day and hours worked), shooting schedules giving brief summaries of scenes shot and including props and cast needed, cast lists, and Broadcast Standards remarks. The following order has been established: work schedule, shooting schedule, day-out-of-days sheet, cast list, outline approval, Broadcast standards remarks, set sketches, and character/set lists. Much of this information will be of interest to the television historian. Shooting schedules are often irreverent and humorous in their scene synopses, as well as being technically informative. Some of the cast lists for "Little House" scripts include actors' salaries. Also, the N.B.C. Broadcast Standards remarks, included in many "Bonanza" and a few "Little House" teleplays, provide interesting information on sex and violence standards.

"Bonanza" and "Little House" scripts comprise more than half of the teleplay series. The collection of "Little House" scripts, in fact, is nearly complete through 1977. Following the "Bonanza" scripts are five folders of information about many writers for "Bonanza" and their story ideas. Included in the "Little House" section are notes on scripts and information from that show.

Other television series which are well represented are: "Daniel Boone," "Boots and Saddles," "Manhunt," "Not For Hire," "Rawhide," "Shannon," "Steve Canyon," "The Virginian," and "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea," Outlines and scripts for such series as "The Man from U.N.C.L.E.," "Tarzan," "Alcoa Premiere," and "General Electric Theater" illustrate the Hawkins ability to apply their skills to various formulas. Of particular interest to the historian may be the Cold War attitude implicit in such series as "Behind Closed Doors" and "Special Mission"; the series proposal "Vietnam"; the increasing emphasis on social comment in later "Bonanza" scripts; and the overall sexism in most of the earlier teleplays. Included in the teleplays is a script by Gene Roddenberry, of "Star Trek" fame ("The Detectives," Blue Fire).

Not all of the teleplays in the collection are written by John and/or Ward Hawkins. This is especially so for "Bonanza" and "Little House," where John worked as a producer. For other series, such scripts may have been sent to the Hawkins' as guidelines for writing their own scripts, or for revision work. The researcher may assume that unless otherwise indicated, all manuscripts and published works are by both John and Ward Hawkins. A notation of "author uncertain" indicates that the work in question is by John and/or Ward Hawkins but it is not clear who; "author unknown" means just that.

Following the teleplays from specified series are other teleplays, screenplays, and treatments. These include movie scripts, expanded story treatments, and teleplays for unspecified series. These are in alphabetical order by title. One radio play by Earl Hammer Jr., producer of "The Waltons," follows this section. Next are idea and plot files, which are in alphabetical order by series. Miscellaneous fragments of manuscripts follow.

Tearsheets of the Hawkins' published stories are in alphabetical order by title. The advertisements on the tearsheets reflect society from the late 1930s to the late 1950s. Business records including contracts, agreements, and financial information follow. A free-standing volume, the French version of The Floods of Fear - Alerte - completes the collection.