When is Enough Enough?

I was reading a script the other day as a favor to a friend. He asked how I liked it. Great, but I have some notes for you. Just little things to help make some moments pop. I could practically hear him deflate on the other end of the line. Oh - I don't really need more notes. I've had so many notes that at this point, I just need to be done with the script. Which is when I understood that my friend didn't really want or need notes, he just needed me to say the script was good and let him enjoy that feeling. I mean, I get it. I've definitely written and rewritten scripts to the point where when someone tells me a brilliant way to make x, y or z moment even better, I just smile and nod. No more. Enough.

So - how do you know when your script is done done? Is it that sick feeling that you cannot bear to hear one more thought about it? Or is it that wonderful feeling that it is 100% as good as it can be? Well - few of us ever enjoy that feeling, right? So how can you know? Being sick of your script is an indicator, for sure, but an indicator of what? That it's as done as done can be or that it's as done as you personally can get it?

One thing I do know for sure is that a script really can be tweaked into perpetuity and yes, improvement is always possible but if the changes are relatively micro, it's probably time to move on. It's about thinking over the best way for you to be spending your time, right? Is it worth tweaking endlessly when you could be working on a first draft of a fresh idea?

How do you know when to fold 'em, kiss that little darlin' goodbye and either put it in a drawer, enter it into a competition or send it to an agent or manager?

Well, if you've had more than four consecutive sets of notes, each of which resulted in a new draft, it's probably time to push the baby out of the nest, for better or for worse.

Or, alternatively, if you are now bored stupid at the thought of rewriting or tweaking your script - it's time to let the little fella fend for itself...and probably in a drawer if you seriously no longer get excited in any way, shape or form about it. If you can't get excited about your script, who else can?

Only you can know, Wavers, when enough is enough. But believe me, at a certain point in time, enough is enough. Your script is gonna have to stand on its own two legs ultimately, and it's the concept that's gonna knock someone dead, not whether the fairy godmother on page 10 gives her speech at the top of the stairs or the bottom.

Write, write, write. Keep moving, like a shark. Several pretty good scripts ultimately serves you better than one really good one that you've been working on for 10 years and oh wait, I need to rethink the scene on page 72...

Know when enough is enough. Trust yourself. Use your time well. Let go and move on to another script.

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The Thirty Thousand Dollar Question

Once in awhile, I come across things that really delight me and make me curious and tingly at the same time. The Robotard8000 was one such recent example. So when I saw an ad on Ebay yesterday for a feature script for sale for $30,000, I just had to know more. I contacted the writer and he was game enough to answer some questions for The Rouge Wave. Make of this what you will, Wavers - is it brilliant guerrilla market, giving Hollywood the eff you finger, or is it futile and misguided? Whatever it is, it is creative and it takes chutzpah. So without further ramblings, let's hear from the writer:

*****
So Jason – I came across your script for sale on Ebay for $30,000 and I must admit I was flabbergasted and amused by such an unorthodox approach. I love your chutzpah. Have you heard of fellow guerrilla marketers, the Robotard8000?

No I have not.

Have you had any serious inquiries? If so, have you sold the script? Why or why not?

I had one very serious inquiry. Some company in L.A., I don't want to give the name. We were in talks, they were going to buy the script, I sent them a business proposal, the partners were one day away from finalizing the deal when they had to get Board of Directors' approval, and it failed by two votes. One of the partners wanted to buy it outright by himself but decided against it. Very up and down process for me emotionally.

I’m sure you realize that listing your script on Ebay is way outside the usual steps for a screenwriter to sell a script. What made you decide to try this?

Basically it was a last resort. I wanted to produce this script myself, but my friend and fellow filmmaker moved to L.A. I listed it because I thought it would be a unique and hassle free way of selling my screenplay and maybe someone serious would notice it. My priorities have changed and I can't take the time and money that it takes to get a screenplay sold, pitched, or even read. It is nearly impossible to get your script even scimmed [sic] through in Hollywood without a foot in the door already. I would just love to see my screenplay made into a film, that is my dream.

How did you decide upon $30,000 as the value of the script?

Basically that is the top amount, I will accept reasonable offers. The deal I thought I had in place was not for the $30,000. I picked the brain of my friend in L.A., and we came up with the price.

Had you tried the usual steps to find representation for your writing prior to listing it on Ebay?

I entered the screenplay in a couple of competitions early on, got a couple of responses but nothing I wanted to follow through with.

What is your experience with screenwriting?

I was a journalism major in college, and co-wrote a couple of shorts that my friend and I filmed. One was called CONVENIENCE, kind of a horror-zombie style set in a convenience store.

What is your script about?

It is a 20something mob drama, about six to seven central characters. Set in NYC and a small midwest college town. I hear it is bad luck to completely tell the story and plot line before it is a done deal.

Why do you feel your script would make a great movie?

The beginning and end are extremely unique. It is very rare to see an original idea these days in Hollywood. I am sick of movies like GHOSTS OF GIRLFRIENDS PAST and THE PROPOSAL, we have seen these movies a thousand times. My movie is original.

If the script doesn’t sell, what do you plan to do next?

I will try a new way and interesting way to get my screenplay done. I love movies, most of all I love the storytelling aspect of movies and the escape that it brings to everyone's life.

Thank you so much, Jason. And good luck.

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Mixed Messages

Hello, Wavers! Did everybody have a nice Memorial Day weekend? I received a lengthy email from a client with a number of questions that I thought deserved a public answer since many of you may be able to relate. For ease of reading (and answering) I have translated the questions into very brief versions, distilling them down to the basic sentiments:

1. I keep getting different notes from different readers and different coverage companies. Some say "consider" and others say "pass." How the FRAK am I supposed to know what to do?

On this one, you have to take a deep breath and know that coverage, to a certain degree, is subjective. Though readers hew to certain standards, they are just people and until they invent the Auto-Reader 9000, you're stuck with that. The only advice I can give you is to take the notes that resonate for you and ignore those that do not.

2. Readers seem to have insanely high standards. It's like readers are keeping me out of Hollywood. How do I get around them? What do I make of ratings that I do not agree with?

Yes, readers have high standards. Most readers, and certainly those who work for The Script Department, come from the production company world, where giving a "consider" on a script is an act of putting one's job on the line. So readers are very hard on your script. They have to be. Giving a "consider" on a script means your boss has to read it this weekend. If your boss reads it over the weekend and disagrees that it warranted that - heads roll. So yes, sometimes readers will give a "pass" in lieu of "I'm not really sure." Believe it. I've been there. Sometimes a reader will lean on "consider with reservation" which amounts to "I'm not sure" but the production company world is quite harsh so readers work within that system. And it is a by-the-numbers system of rating and ranking scripts. Is it designed to keep you out? Yes, it is. But at a script coverage company such as The Script Department, we have no agenda except to help your writing improve. If we say your script is essentially a "pass" we mean it is not likely to fly at a production company.

Say you disagree. That's your prerogative and in fact, if you really, really disagree with that rating, then the choice is yours to go ahead and query/submit anyway. We in no way assume the authority or final word to tell you do NOT submit this script. We are just a safety system that gives you an idea of how it might fare at a production company if you submitted the draft we read.

Again, readers are tough and they are subjective. They try to be as objective as possible but they are just people doing a job. It is your gut feeling that rules what you do about your notes or about submitting the script, at the end of the day. We can't fish for you, but we can teach you how to fish. If you really disagree and think that the script just needs to get that one "yes" to get off the ground, you would be right - it does need one "yes" - that's all it takes. So it's possible that a "pass" rating by a script coverage reader might not dissuade an executive at just the right company for your script, who was in just the right mood. Use a system of odds: If three readers point out the same problem - you probably have a problem. If only one does, well, you have to use your gut instinct.

3. A reader I had recently made some comments about a particular world and situation I had set up and it was clear to me that she wasn't familiar with that particular milieu, and some of her opinions were incorrect because of that. I'm frustrated by that!

Say you're writing a script about fly fishing, or ticket scalping or space algae harvesting. When you submit that script to a production company, a reader will vet the script first. There is no way of ensuring that reader or any reader will indeed be familiar with a particular world of your script. Them's the breaks. Not every reader can have intimate knowledge of the particularity of your world. Say they ding you for stuff that you researched and know is correct.

There are two reactions you can have. One, bummer dude, you got dinged. The reader didn't get it. Try another company or reader. Subjectivity, human error and shortcomings are all an unfortunate reality in getting your material read in any venue. Essays, fiction, short fiction, scripts. Deal with it. Two, it is possible that you didn't make clear the particularity of the job or world or situation you were depicting. It is possible that had you done a better job, the reader, unfamiliar with 17th century butter churning or 21st century boiler rooms would have gotten it.

In fact, you have to plan for the possibility that not every reader who reads your script will "get" what you've written about. On the whole, because readers read such a large volume of scripts, they do have at least an inkling of what you're talking about. If they don't, they don't. I understand researchers are hard at work on the Auto-Reader which will make all coverages identical, with identical standards and results. I don't mean to be sarcastic, I mean to remind you that readers are people trained to execute a particular skill set in rapid delivery.

Rotten Rejections is a really great, entertaining and ultimately inspiring collection of rejections that famous literary authors received before going on to have huge success with the same book so insultingly rejected. Nabokov, for example, was told in a rejection letter that it would best if Lolita were "buried under a rock for a thousand years."

In fact, any Waver planning to go to the Great American Pitch Fest in Burbank this June 13th and 14th should definitely take my class, Top Ten Things Readers Hate (I actually think they politically correctly retitled it Top Ten Things Readers Aren't Crazy About or something...) and you will learn a ton of the practicalities of the life of a reader - what they get paid, how much they are expected to read, how they review scripts quickly, and more.

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Character Study: Geeks, Nerds, Slackers and Hipsters

First there was the nerd. Clean cut, intelligent, earnest and, well, totally uncool. They were social outcasts, mocked in high school and mildly ostracized in college, remaining virgins for unnatural periods of time. But they grew up and into themselves, got good jobs and had the last laugh at high school reunions. Still, nerds like George McFly just never had, well, nads.

Coolness is totally beyond the reach of the nerd. But - nerds, in the movies anyway, do have heart. They are the underdog, the one you sort of root for in the end. Why? Because oddly, many of us identify with the nerd. The nerd is the foundational visage of insecurity. No matter how cool you thought you were in high school, part of you felt outcast no matter what. The nerd just wore it on his or her sleeve.

The personal computer saw the rise of the geek - a nerd with mad computer skills. They spend hours alone, they play interactive online games and speak a sort of weird, yawn-inducing language nobody understands. Like the nerd, they are prone to sweaty palms and bad hair. But they had one thing their forefather the nerd did not - a skill set (computers) that is highly in demand. A geek is not such a, well, geek when you need your computer fixed, are they?

Then we have the slackers and the hipsters. I don't know about other urban areas but Los Angeles is awash with hipsters. They are literally everywhere, with their pork pie hats, tats, and man bags. Variations include chunky glasses, Doc Martens, soul patches, and either very coiffed or not-shampooed-lately hair. Is the hipster an outgrowth or expression of the nerd or the geek? Or are they in another category altogether? Is the slacker a slightly less cool, unemployed hipster? What about the metrosexual?

Connect the dots, Wavers - what is the evolution or provenance of the hipster? Do old-school nerds still exist? Are geeks really geeks anymore, or just people you pay a lot of money to to fix your computer? Are geeks sexy? How about hipsters? Cool? Or pretentious and annoying? Recently I had lunch with an unabashed nerd but I remember thinking to myself - man, this kid is one pork pie hat and tat away from being a hipster. He could go from social reject to trendy Angeleno in one afternoon. Are hipsters just nerds with more fashion sense? Or are they, as I suspect, inauthentic types, mining nerdom for irony and cool?

Do you fall into any of these categories? Do these categories apply to women as well? How many female geeks do you know? What category would Tracy Flick (Election) fall into? Do hipsters annoy you or do you aspire to be one? What makes a person hip, anyway? Is there an age cut off after which you're not a slacker...you're The Dude in The Big Lebowski?

Social labels are fascinating. Subtle shadings imply social strata, ambition and acceptance. Nerd, geek, slacker, hipster...is there a straight line of evolution? What's next? Who are your favorite movie nerds, geeks, slackers and hipsters?

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Buy My Script. Now.

For some reason The Script Department has received a plethora of inquiries lately from very new writers who are very out of the loop. The upshot of the inquiries is always the same - I've written this great story that I really think is amazing and now I'd like you to tell me how to sell it.

It's very easy, if you're on the inside track, to find that kind of inquiry incredibly naive if not a bit...unsmart. But we who have been at this for awhile and have been through the wringer need to step back and realize that the desire to tell a story is a far cry from having an understanding of how this industry works. Show business is like any other business, on a certain level. Profit, loss, competition, egos, percentages, up and down swings. You wouldn't design a new car and go to Ford and say hi, I've designed this new car so will you buy it? It's not that simple. A) who the hell are you? and B) having designed a new car doesn't then mean a manufacturer is going to pour money into that design and market and sell that car. You wouldn't do some stuff in your kitchen and go to Chanel and say hi, I've come up with a new perfume, would you buy it please? Are you guys with me?

There seem to be two schools of thought when it comes to screenwriters trying to break in: The aforementioned, hi, buy my script and geez, it's gonna be great when I buy that new car and Hollywood is an effed up, monolithic, exclusionary machine and I'll never, ever break in. Neither is true.

Being a screenwriter is not a one-off, it's a long journey. So you've written a great script that you think would make a wonderful movie - congratulations! That really is an accomplishment to be proud of. Now get ready for the what-it's-like-to-be-a-writer part. Rejection. Silence. Notes. More notes. Existential angst. You write another script you think is a great story. Rejection. Silence. Notes. More notes. Existential angst. Wash, rinse, repeat.

Listen up, bright smiley noobs - there is no short path through this. It's what all writers go through. You are not special, blessed or supernaturally lucky. You are a writer. Or - are you? Because if the thought of toiling away again and again and meeting with only rejection makes you want to forget it and go for the promotion at work instead - please, save yourself the heartbreak and go for it. Hewlett Packard has great benefits.

The initial goal should be to learn the craft and learn it well. Which is a step that can take a long time and a lot of bad scripts that you thought were good scripts. Trust me on this one. After you have a stockpile of scripts, most of which are pretty bad and you know it, then you start writing scripts that are actually not bad. But they won't be very original. Rejection. Silence. Notes. More notes. Existential angst.

You'll get pretty hot, dirty and tired in this process. You'll have bitter days when reading the latest script sales or trade news makes you crazy. You'll want to quit, again and again. But something keeps pulling you back in. And you keep writing. Then finally you say eff it, I love this script. I got good notes on it. I feel good about it.

And then and only then is it time to try to find an agent or manager who believes your scripts are competitive on the marketplace. Notice I didn't say brilliant - I said competitive on the marketplace. Because Hollywood is one big hurly-burly marketplace of buying and selling. The wares are stories. And the market is hot and crowded, trust me on this. The agent or manager who represents you is the barker at a stall, trying to hawk your wares. And the only way he or she makes money when they pack up their booth at the end of the day, is if they can sell your script.

So you arrive on your camel, from the hot, dry desert with your wares - will you sell this for me? The agent or manager is going to look at your script, kick it some, check its teeth and make a decision. Man, that market is hot and tiring - am I gonna make some coin on this? Because I have those four other stories that are pretty bright and shiny. So why this one? Why this writer?
Trying to race around the desert and not travel through it first is going to result in chasing a mirage. You are not different from other writers who made the trek. You do not get a free pass. I'm sure your story is amazing - to you. I'm sure it was great to write it. And that feeling is the water that you store to replenish yourself along this journey. Validation, networking, studying, enjoying movies - that's the food and water you need to pack. Because the journey is very long. No, I cannot take your script, sight unseen, and get it to an agent or manager who will summarily buy it and make you rich rich.

Chances are, if you're reading this, you're thinking oh man, what dumb clucks - I know this already. But at one time you didn't know it. You had to learn. Probably through bitter experience. I know I did. Hoo, boy. What a bummer that writing a script does not then mean you sell it and get rich. But that's what separates the writers from the dabblers. Sure, I had a script I thought was great, 10 years ago. And it went precisely nowhere. I bundled up, got back on the camel and kept going. And I have a script now that I think is great. Now I'm actually in the marketplace - I can see the hawkers, I can smell the spices and hear the jingling of bells...it's all so close. But man, am I hot and dusty. And I have no guarantee whatsoever that I'm going to get a cool drink and buy a new camel. So you trundle on and you keep writing.

In a certain mood, these types of inquiries make me a bit irate. What, you think the art and the craft of writing a movie is that easy? So easy you can do it once and sell it? You think it's just a bunch of words and that you can learn it from some book and pull it off? But I take a deep breath and I realize that what looks like hubris is actually ignorance. An ignorance that is part of the journey. We all thought it would be way easier than it is to write a good script. We all thought we could get meetings pretty easily. We all figured that a script sale was a good but not terribly difficult thing. We can look back in laughter now, can't we? But that ignorance serves two functions - it gives us the blissful unawareness necessary to join this camel train in good cheer, and it gives us a milestone to look back on. If I knew then what I know now...

It's okay to be totally naive to this industry - it's complicated and full of mirages. One such mirage is that of instant fame and money. Don't you believe it. Keep that water and food for your journey and keep following the North Star. The marketplace is there - that's quite real - you can smell the spices and hear the barkers shouting even now, can't you? But you cannot take a shortcut to it. And not everyone who gets there is going to see their wares for sale. But that's the thing, isn't it? The mystery, the surprise, the sheer adrenaline of trying?

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Be That Person

So I'm at a bridal shower the other day with several women I've never met before. You know how that is. Whatever, blah blah, nice to meet you. As the women are chatting over champagne, one says she's an exec at a production company that I fairly worship. My eyes almost bugged out of my head. THAT company? OMG! Must talk up this woman. Must make connection. Want to do that right this second! I clutched my champagne with white knuckles. When will I have an opportunity? How can I do this?

I took a deep breath. You know what? That's not the way to do it. Relax, drink more champagne, open gifts and enjoy the party. Which is what I did. Everyone there was hilariously funny and interesting and we talked about the upcoming wedding and jewelry and exercise and life in general. But then the moment came - the final opportunity. We're all saying goodbye and see ya at the wedding and what are you going to wear...What to do? How do you snatch an opportunity without seeming, well, unseemly? Forget it, I think to myself. I don't want to be that person. Then another part of myself said Julie, before she walks out that door, you make a connection or I'll kill you. Note to self: Must discuss these voices with doctor.

Then the moment arrived. We were walking out the door when I screwed up my courage and said hey, do you have Facebook? Why yes, yes I do. Great, great, I'll look you up. Cool! Listen, I own this company that helps out aspiring writers - is there any way, if I find a good script, that I could send it to you? SURE! Wow, we'd love that, we'd love an inside track on brand-new writers. Anytime!

And that, Wavers, is how it's done. Phew. If you're lucky enough to be in an environment where there are people who could help your career, don't be the person who pounces on someone, much as you'd like to. Get to know them a little bit, find some way to connect. And then - be that person. The person who takes an opportunity and makes a connection. Because the answer might just surprise you. And now I have a pipeline for my clients to a GREAT production company that has made some of my absolute favorite films. Booyah.

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How Do You Find Your Way In?

Different writers have very different methodologies for finding their way into creating story or developing character. If you have ever worked with a writing partner, you know this. It's quite remarkable, actually, the differences in the ways writers understand story - or try to make sense of a nascent story. Some use a particular methodology that they may have read in a how-to screenwriting book and others are more gut-driven.

Having studied many ways of approaching screenwriting, I'm one of those people who has done a lot of writing and had a lot of experience writing good and bad scripts so I tend to put down the cookbook and salt to taste at this point. Many writers love Blake Snyder's approach or The Hero's Journey and hew to their choice very closely. When I went to the Writer's Boot Camp I remember learning their methodology and becoming very confused - but - where's the elixir?! There are so many different terms for the same thing - plot point, turning point, threshold - and I think I blew a gasket at one point - why can't there be one universal way of understanding the way stories are told?!

You have to use the method that works and makes sense for YOU and nobody else. If applying specific terminology or methodology feels cumbersome - step away from the book and feel your way in more organically. If you get hung up on screenwriting labels and fixated on them (I seriously got really hung up on the terminology of The Hero's Journey for awhile there) then that's a sign that you're paying more attention to the way somebody else defines story than to the intuitive feel you need to develop on your own.

I personally think the most descriptive words about writing a story are: Get your character up a tree and throw rocks at him. I know that's pretty reductive, but for me personally, I write story from a very character-driven perspective. What's the overarching premise? What does the character want? What do they need? It is the conflict between that want and need that drives the story forward. You can't drop a plot onto any old character and have a necessarily entertaining outcome.

In the first 10 pages of your script, you establish the world your character lives in. You establish his or her flaw (which is the tension between the want and the need) and you throw a giant rock into the pond - what goes wrong? What new situation arises that forces your character to change? Mind you - characters will do anything NOT to change and not to deal with their flaws.

For my money, templates do not apply to all stories or to all characters, so saying thus and such methodology/philosophy must happen in thus and such sequence is confining and too one-size-fits-all. But there are writers who work with a prefab construct just fine, and can take that way outside of the box, too. But not me. I need more freedom. I need to put down the cookbook and play. I know I need to be entertaining. I know my main character needs to have a satisfying arc. I know where the act breaks need to go and I know there needs to be a highly entertaining "battle scene" (see, WBC lingo; I can't escape it) in the next to last sequence. That's enough for me.

So - what works for you? Is there a particular method you use when sketching out your story? Or have you concocted your own way? Do you combine different methods? How close or far are you from throwing down the cookbook and intuiting story?

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Where Do Your Ideas Come From?

It all starts very mysteriously, doesn't it? That first inkling of an idea? You see or do something and suddenly this little light bulb goes off. That was neat/scary/romantic but what if THIS also happened? What if the person it happened to was in thus and such situation? What if it happened in reverse? What if, what if, maybe this? That's what writers spend a lot of time doing. Musing, thinking, imagining...

The thriller that my partner JP Smith and I wrote together came from a newspaper article I read years ago, about a person waiting for an organ donation. And I remember thinking - huh - wouldn't that be a weird feeling? To know that someone needs to die in order for you to live? Wouldn't you watch the local news and get slightly excited when you heard about a train accident that killed 10 people? And wouldn't you be repulsed by your own thinking, just a little bit? And that little kernel gave birth to a dark thriller that took on a life of its own.

I just had an idea yesterday, based on something really odd that happened. The idea didn't arrive until hours later but unfortunately, I only entertained it for five minutes because I then realized it's inspiring but not at all unusual. I haven't even done a keyword look up on IMDB to check but I know in my heart of hearts the basic setup has definitely been done. It feels familiar to me. Bummer. So I filed it away under "well, maybe someday some other component of that idea will make itself known to me and make the idea unique."

So where did you get the idea for the script you are currently working on? What was the genesis of it? Did the idea emerge from something that happened to you or someone you know? Did you get the idea from something you read or saw somewhere? What is at the core of your idea - is it a situation or an object or a character? How long did you think about it before it began to take a shape? Do you have a filing system for your ideas? Do you write them down and save them? How do you know (or find out) if your idea really is that unique?

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Tweet This, Facebook!

Twitter and Facebook are both the social networking sites du jour, with huge followings. Do you partake of such activities yourself? Or are you disciplined and focused on your writing to the degree that you stay away from what seems like frivolity and micro-sharing? Aspiring screenwriters do need to stay on top of trends in pop culture more than other types of writers. We are always fueled by zeitgeist and we have to be. I personally find Twitter kind of - odd. I try to do it but I honestly don't have the time to Twitter, in 140 characters, my thoughts or observations several times a day. I marvel at the Twitters I do see - it's like people are journaling their lives in real time. The Robotard - man, they tweet up a storm. Sometimes I wish I weren't "following" them because I don't really find any take away value; it's all an ongoing inside joke that becomes more and more confusing rather than entertaining. Is Twitter meant to entertain?

I have networked with some great people on Facebook and I have gotten in touch with friends from the past and executives I used to work with and it's a nice way to casually say hello and stay on someone's radar.

So today I ask Wavers - do you use Twitter? Do you use Facebook or MySpace? How about LinkedIn - a much tamer but more powerful networking tool - are you signed up there? What do Wavers think of online social networking? A powerful tool or a waste of time?

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Are You REALLY All That?

Another good question arrived in ye olde mailbag:


Julie,

When I last consulted with an analyst on one of my scripts, we talked about my readiness for market. She was of the opinion that my material was good enough to start sending out, and I naturally agreed with her view that I should try to land a manager this year.

Since then, two pro writers have read the script independent of each other and given me feedback... and the only thing they agreed on is that the writing is good. One loves the concept and finds it an interesting take on the detective genre... while the other thinks it's not original (at the risk of sounding arrogant, I think he's wrong -- I worked hard to make sure the concept was unique).

One gave me permission to tell managers and agents he enjoyed the script when I query. The other suggested I move on to another concept. I'm not giving up on the script, but I am a few pages away from finishing the first draft of another. My concern here is that I don't want to rush to market, and I'm being told different things.

The mixed messages are quite perplexing -- and I'm starting to suspect this is what working in the business will be like. Which is fine, I can handle it, but boy is it frustrating. I think the consultant was right to say that this won't be everyone's cup of tea, and I'm proud of the script even as I go to rewrite, so I'm not giving up *or* spinning my wheels.

Why do you think there's so much difference in notes on scripts in general? Is it really what Goldman said?

Matt in Muncie


***

Well. This is a really annoying but not uncommon situation. Someone tells you your script is good and of course it feels amazing. And it should. Validation of this kind is very valuable for your mojo. However. Yes, opinions are totally subjective.

The best thing to do when getting what feels like conflicting advice or opinions about your script is to take what feels right, allow yourself to feel good about it - or conversely, do not allow yourself to sink into a black hole about it, and keep on keeping on. Look, if somebody really, really thinks your script is all that, they are going to open some doors for you by way of making some introductions or phone calls on your behalf. If they do anything short of that, just take the compliment, enjoy that good feeling, and be on your way.

So my advice is really two-fold:

One: A lot of smoke gets blown up - um, behinds in this town. So if someone says your script is really SO amazing, don't let it go to your head too much. Is that person literally picking up the phone on your behalf? If not, reduce their compliments by about 38% because sure, they like it, but not enough to throw their name and time behind it. Which - hey look, there are a lot of "pretty good" scripts out there and not everyone has time in the day to make you a priority when they're busy stayin' alive themselves. When somebody really does go to the mat for you - wow, that's saying A LOT. For someone to say that you can say in your query that they liked it, is unfortunately in my book, a pretty empty gesture. How does the recipient of that query know you didn't make that up? I mean - that really doesn't carry any weight. If Tony Gilroy said yeah sure you can tell someone I liked the script - that is nothing like Tony picking up the phone and saying, hey, there's this kid with a good script...Do you see what I'm saying?

Two: Look, tastes are subjective. Is your script unique? Or not unique? Too racy? Too violent, too focused on the roasting of marshmallows? Who the heck knows. What you are looking for is some kind of consensus - which you got. The writing is good. Follow your North Star - the writing is good, you like the premise, do your thing and query with the script. Don't allow a single naysayer, or even two or three, to derail your belief in the script. Of course, I'm talking about high-level naysaying, as in the script isn't unique enough, or it's not commercial - comments like that are particularly subjective. Comments about the writing itself, or the execution of the script, that's a bit easier to measure objectively. So in other words, if someone says look, your script is full of typos and your action lines are terrible - uh, probably they have a point. You don't really need a big consensus on basic execution notes.

So Matt - bottom line, yes, that's the way this town is. Different opinions. Smoke blowing. Confusion. Follow your internal compass rose, know that you did receive validation and mentoring and some pretty nice reads all gratis, send thank you notes and keep writing.

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Is There a Fast Track?

From the Script Department mailbag, a question that our lovely assistant Chaia answered with aplomb:

Hello,

I am just about to graduate college. I guess you could say that I am a freelance screenwriter. I will be honest and upfront, I have no money (like I said, I'm just about to graduate), and there is no way I can afford to pay for your services. I am simply asking if you have any contacts of people for me to send my work to. I have a big idea on my hands here. Any help would be forever appreciated. Thank you so much.

Fast Tracker in Tennessee


Hi, FT! This is Chaia, The Script Department's assistant. Congratulations on your impending graduation, and thank you so much for your inquiry.

The best thing that you can do for yourself as a writer looking to sell is to a) recognize that this is a persistence game of b) building relationships over time. Move to Los Angeles (if you aren't here already), read the screenwriting boards and blogs, go to the mixers, work as an intern/PA/assistant. Do the footwork, stick around, and slowly people will start to ask to read your work. Let them. Offer to read theirs (or to scratch their back in some other relevant fashion). Expect that it will take way, way longer for your career to happen than you want it to. When you get impatient, self-produce and self-promote a short so you can get that instant gratification itch scratched. Representation and buyers both want writers who can deliver great script after great script. Think marathon and longevity. Keep reading, and above all, keep writing.

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You're an Underdog

In this week's New Yorker, Malcolm Gladwell (Blink, The Tipping Point, Outliers) has a fascinating article about the David and Goliath paradigm. The upshot for Gladwell is that when two adversaries go toe to toe with one outstripping the other in sheer size (or talent, or arms or some other significant advantage), if the underdog does battle in the same way that the Goliath does, the underdog will lose the majority of the time. But when the underdog changes to a new, more inventive strategy, the underdog, as outmatched as they are, wins at least 30% of the time.
Good example: The American Revolution. The British Army was trained, armed and outfitted a thousand times better than the American colonial army. But we won. Because we didn't fight in the same way - we used guerilla tactics. Shifting tactics and creating new rules for the game, using the terrain and sheer gumption turned the tables on what was at that time the mightiest military force in the world. How did David beat Goliath? With a slingshot. He changed the game. How did Lawrence of Arabia beat the Turkish Army? With Bedouins, inventiveness and game-changing. An all-girl junior basketball league in Redwood City rose to number two in the national championships even though they really couldn't play that well, by playing a full court press - every game.

According to Gladwell, determination and effort can outstrip ability and might. Which when you think about it, is a concept deeply rooted in the American psyche. We're fighters. Give us a good challenge. But in order to win out over a giant, you have to rethink the game. You can't play it the way the giant does.

What does this have to do with screenwriting? You out there, you Rouge Wavers out in the world, are David. And Hollywood is Goliath. Screenwriters sometimes complain about scripts that are sold or produced - hey, it's not THAT great! How come that sold and mine didn't?! Well, the ugly truth is that yes, sold screenwriters are not always necessarily that much better than you are. But they had connections and relationships and opportunities that you didn't. Being a sold screewriter is not actually a meritocracy. It's a battle of attrition.

Make no mistake, you need to have a skillset. You don't go out on the playing field with absolutely no training but just trying really hard until you win. You have to have some basic skills. There is a number of screenwriters larger than I like to admit, who do feel a bit entitled and who do not yet have the chops to get out there and be a real contender. But the more experienced writers who still haven't sold or gotten meetings - it's quite possible the reason for that is that they have to change up their game and increase their efforts.

Yesterday's blog post was about how much you should be writing. And the events you should be going to consistently. It's about staying in shape for when that opportunity comes. Hollywood is indeed a Goliath - a system that can sometimes feel very exclusionary and privileged. But here's the thing - it's also a big, dumb giant. Do not be intimidated. Do not feel you don't deserve to be here. That's just not true. Don't buy into that lie, Wavers. Because anyone with a great story, told well, deserves to be here.

Remember, David stood before that giant with courage. And he picked up five smooth stones and he got out his sling shot and everyone laughed. A slingshot? Be serious! You can't beat this giant with a - what's this? POW right in between the eyes. And down that giant fell.

Now get back to work.

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The Writer's Season

Good morning, Wavers! How is everybody doing? For many screenwriters, the focal point of the screenwriting year is competition season - most competitions have deadlines right around May 1st or June 1st and it is during this time that there is a flurry of work to get those scripts turned in for a shot at winning cash, prizes and hopefully, a career boost. TV writers push all year to have a great spec ready for the TV spec season (also happening right now).

But - then what? We know that in general, the rhythm of Hollywood says that "spec season," - i.e., when agents and managers prefer to go out with scripts - is generally between January and August each year. Many production companies start their fiscals year in November but of course we know that November and December are so jam-packed with holidays that that's not a great time - so it really begins in January. So we're still very much in spec season - really up until mid-August or so, buyers are out there reviewing material.

What does your writing season look like? There are two events each year that screenwriters should think about attending - three if you have the budget and time: The Great American Pitch Fest in June, The Creative Screenwriting Expo (October this year) and The Austin Film Festival. That last one is a bonus - again, if you can afford it, you should go. If not, go to the GAPF and the Expo. If you can only go to ONE event, go to the Expo. It's fun, there are a lot of great classes and just about everybody goes so you'll meet a lot of people.

So - when you're not going to festivals or events or tuning up your script to enter it into competitions - what do you do? Write. You should always, always be writing. Yes, there are those key points on the calendar but the writer's season is the longest season of all because you just can't stop. Even during the holidays, when Hollywood virtually shuts down for a couple of months, you want to take advantage and be working on your material for the following spec season. In the fall, after the spec season is over - next year is already queuing up and clicking forward.

Ideally, you should be writing at least two scripts a year. Now, I know - that's not always possible. Some writers write faster than others. Many of us have day jobs and all of us have busy lives filled with family obligations and the various vicissitudes of life. It's ultimately about how badly you want to have a career as a writer. The more you want it, the more you better be writing. Because again, your competition is not the writers who write one script every couple of years, or total beginners who are not at all ready for prime-time. Your competition is writers who are on the cusp of breaking in because their talent is honed, they have some relationships and connections and they continue to create fresh material.

Set goals for yourself. Do not allow yourself to dwell on one script for too long: Don't do rewrite after rewrite that spills into different seasons. Write two to three brand new scripts per year, enter them into competitions, get feedback, write them to the best of your ability and query with them. If nothing happens with those scripts whatsoever, you're already working on more. If your script gets no action, take it out of the ring and make room for new material.

And you should always be generating ideas. Keep a file folder of your crazy ideas - one of those crazy ideas might just click with something else and become the great script you are going to write next year.

You are the general commanding your troops for battle. There are soldiers on the front lines lobbing out queries and making forays into events and opportunities, but if you don't have enough munitions, you're never gonna win the war. Pretty soon there won't be anything new and fresh to query, pitch or otherwise lob out into the fray. You must always be generating new material. And the good news is that every script you start is a fresh chance to nail it this time and have the stars align for you. Every event you go to could introduce you to a person who might change your trajectory in large or small ways.

The writer's season is evergreen, not deciduous. You should always be writing and when you're not writing you should be generating ideas and simultaneous to all of that you should be gearing up for querying or a competition or an event. Hollywood has a rhythm and a season, sort of like school being in session for eight months of the year. Writers go to school year-round.

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Silver Screenwriting Deadline Extension

Well, hello, Wavers! How is everyone this fine day? Sorry to be a bit absent - judging scripts takes a lot of focused time and Yoohoo. Also cupcakes. Busy busy busy judging and might I say - I LOVE a good title - when you're looking at hundreds and hundreds of scripts and you see a crazy/great title you think Oooh! I gotta see THAT one!

Also, this just in - we've extended our deadline until Sunday, May 10th for those last writers who were so close and yet not quite ready. Well, you now have exactly five more days. Well, more like four and a half. But. It's still possible to submit. So please do so if you haven't had a chance. And make sure you have an eye-catching title!

Back to judging - more news from the trenches later. Now get back to work.

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So You Think You Can Read?

Since I started teaching the I Want To Be A Reader course, a number of students have signed up and completed it. But none with the enthusiasm and insight of Rouge Waver Michael Brownlee, who whipped up a frothy blog post about his experience:

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Rouge Wave Pictures presents a new workplace thriller –

I WANT TO BE A READER

“Selfless coverage pro, Julie Gray, with only a computer, an internet connection and her vast knowledge of the craft, has only four weeks to turn a know-it-all screenwriter into a professional reader without losing her sanity or her professional credibility.”

Can she do it? Is four weeks enough? Can a know-it-all screenwriter be taught anything?

Spoiler Alert: Yes. Yes. And, thank god, Yes.

When I learned that studios hire people to read and cover screenplays I thought - How hard can it be? I know how to read. Besides, it’s got to be a better “industry job” than cleaning some junior executive’s cat litter box. Right? But after signing up for Julie’s I Want To Be A Reader course I discovered that there’s more to doing coverage than just reading a script.

The very first week I was blown away by how many elements a reader has to be on the lookout for. I quickly realized that reading a script for coverage would be nothing like reading one for pleasure. To start with I’d have to turn off my inner critic. One of the first assignments was a screenplay written with a dialect, where the words were phonetically spelled out. I loathe reading these. To be a professional reader you have to keep a certain distance and leave your personal feelings at the door. You read only what’s on the pages. That was probably the hardest and most valuable lesson I learned. (And one that’s actually helped me with my own screenwriting.)

As I read the scripts for homework, I felt like I was trying to keep a dozen plates spinning at once. Are the characters fleshed out? Does the structure work? Is the dialogue believable? With each week more plates were added. Writer’s voice. Synopsis writing. Reader comments. Trying to keep track of everything took constant focus. I struggled not to stop and jot down notes as I went along. After all, speed and efficiency are the reader’s two chief allies.

I was feeling pretty proud of myself when I finished reading a screenplay in under two hours. Then Week Three rolled around I learned that this probably wouldn’t cut it. Because a pro can read a screenplay and cover it in about two hours. Not only that, but she’ll do it three times a day five days in a row. What the what? I had been using every minute of the week between assignments to go back over my comments. Tinker with the synopsis a little. Even re-read parts of the screenplay to make sure I had all my ducks in a row. And we hadn’t even put all the elements of coverage together yet.

But when Week Four finally rolled around, and I had to write full coverage of three scripts, I was actually looking forward to the challenge. Because of the way the course is structured, learning one or two elements a week, I never felt overwhelmed. Challenged, yes. It felt good to get through those final screenplays, knowing what needed to be done and that I had been given all the tools to properly complete the job. It also felt good to have solved the mystery of what coverage is. Sure, there’s a lot more work than just reading a script, but now there’s also pride in being able to say “I can do that.”

Over four weeks, Julie walked me through all the steps needed to become a professional reader; from writing a synopsis that faithfully represents the script to keeping comments professional and on point to where to look for work. I highly recommend this course to anyone who’s thinking about becoming a professional reader. Now I have three samples and a letter of recommendation from Julie - a major foot in the door. And even if you aren't looking to become a reader, but are constantly looking for ways to improve your screenwriting, I would suggest you take it as well. After completing the course, I can honestly say that I’ll never look at a screenplay, my own or someone else's, the same way again. It’s like having new eyes. And that is worth the price of admission alone.

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I am proud to say that Michael graduated with flying colors. Take advantage of my Economic Stimulus Discount, pay as you go and change the way you read scripts forever. Whether you're looking for work as a pro reader or just want to learn how to read scripts the way readers do, I promise you, you'll improve your own writing a thousand-fold. For more information, click HERE.

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Judging The First Round Scripts

...So the deadline for the Silver Screenwriting Competition is tonight at midnight. And the scripts are pouring in. True to form - and honestly, I respect it - writers have waited til the last second to submit. As well they should - why let typos or formatting be the death of your script? Why send in an okay script when spending a bit more time on it can improve it?

Wavers have the unique opportunity to really get the inside scoop on what administrating and judging this competition is like, since yours truly is the one in charge and yours truly is a sharer.

Questions that I find humorous:

You say in your FAQ that your page limit is 120. My scripts is 138. Is that okay? I got that question, I'm estimating, about 25 times. Answer: No, it is not okay. The limit is the limit. Why would the rules not apply to you, personally?

I turned my script in but then found errors, can I resubmit? I got that question at least 10 times. Answer: No, you cannot resubmit. Look, if your script is amazing, a few typos or errors will not stop a judge from enjoying it. Beyond that - this is not a dress rehearsal. Would you call and agent and say oh sorry, I found some errors, can I resubmit? No, you would not. Get it right the first time - act like a professional if you aspire to be one. It's not fair to the other writers who worked their behinds off, combing through that script and making corrections.

I have earned over the limit of what you can earn, can I still submit? Uh, no, you cannot. The earnings limit is there for a reason - to keep the playing field as even as possible.

I know your FAQ says no adaptations but I have an adaptation, is that okay? I don't understand the question. No adaptations. We want to see original work. Why? Because if you win, we are going to trot you out personally to meet some managers. And they're going to know what kind of chops you've got as a writer. Adaptation is a many splendored thing - but we want to see what you can create from nothing and spin into gold dust.

I see that this is a feature competition but can I send in my short/tv script/play? Maybe in the future, but no, we are a feature competition only at this point.

I'm sorry to sound cranky; I've fielded so many of the same questions over and over, I'm just a little amazed by the lack of information-gathering and the chutzpah, honestly, to see if we can make an exception just for that writer.

In order to be fair to all writers, we have to set standards and rules and stick with them. The vast majority of entrants did their cotton pickin' best to follow and adhere to all rules. Those are the writers to whom we owe absolute fairness.

We are taking a deep breath and preparing to judge the first round of scripts to find the quarter finalists. Rather than hiring readers we don't know and that we pay very little, we are judging these scripts ourselves - myself and my partners, Margaux and Andrew. How can we do it? Coffee, taking a deep breath, and giving ourselves plenty of time to give each script its due. We figure, you worked hard to write your script, the least we owe you is our undivided attention.

What happens in first round judging? Well, that's the round in which scripts are reviewed for basic formatting (you'd be surprised, you really would), an engaging first 30 pages with a clear premise, great dialogue and great character work. If a script in first round judging cannot manage to entertain, nail format and set up a clear premise in the first act, then that script cannot move on to a higher round of judging.

The higher a script moves up in the judging, the more scrutiny the script comes under. Think of this round of judging as the round that simulates real life the most closely. You send a script to an agent or manager and they can't get through the first act? Into the circular file it goes. We will be returning snapshot notes to all scripts that don't make it past this first round, so that writers can feel that rather than sending their script into the void and not knowing why they didn't move up, they can review their brief notes and know that from where we sit, the script didn't contain the engaging elements necessary to warrant further review. If we can't tell what your premise is in the first act...you're in a world of hurt. Or if we can and it's basically some other movie, redux and not done as well...not good. If you used Word and the formatting is off - off you go. This first round is a litmus test for screenwriters. It's the most fundamental sorting process of those writers who have "it" and those who just aren't ready yet.

Someone asked me recently,Well, isn't it possible that a script might have a weak first act but then it gets much better in the second act? Is that possible? No, not really. Because the first act is everything - it is the set-up, it establishes the world, it shows us whether you can write. If you can't pull that off in the first act, the second act is irrelevant. Again, this is quite like the real world. Imagine that I am an agent. A very busy, overloaded agent. And I take your script home and read the first act and find errors, don't get what your premise is, and am not in the least bit entertained. I'm done at that point. Why should I read 10 more pages or 20 more pages hoping the script will get better? I don't know who you are and I don't care. I have a job to do which is to find great scripts by writers who might make me the money I need to afford my kids' private school and my leased BMW.

Entertainment is a highly competitive industry. In fact, competition pretty much defines it. It doesn't matter how nice you are, or how cute, or how sincere. It only matters if your script is great.

First round judging is a little like speed dating. I sit down with your script, and you have about 15 minutes to blow my mind or I'm on to the next script. Judging gets much, much tricker when scripts are the semifinal level. The script has passed the good first act test. But now, does this script beautifully pay off the set-up? Can you tie it all together in a big bow of entertaining satisfaction? Look, this is tough stuff, make no mistake.

But secretly - I enjoy judging scripts. I so badly want every single writer to make it to the next level. I love opening script after script and wondering what world I will find. What characters will I meet? Where is my winner - the one writer who every judge agrees has got something special? It's a little bit like searching for Willy Wonka's golden ticket. Will I find the winning script? I found the second place script at the Blue Cat Competition several years ago and I remember clearly walking into Gordy's office, slapping the script on his desk and proudly saying - I found it! (I thought it should have placed first but there you go). So it is with that same excitement that we prepare to find the winner of the 2009 Silver Screenwriting Competition. Maybe you're reading this right now, Grand Prize winner! And if you are, I'm going to have such fun shopping for your cool prizes and driving you around LA to lunches and appointments. I can't wait to read your script and be amazed. I can't wait to meet you in person.

So - off we go. Now get back to work, Wavers. The clock is ticking.

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