tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8496585120938599514.post233115389983772799..comments2023-05-04T03:37:04.200-07:00Comments on The Rouge Wave: EvolutionJulie Grayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14690487940378619749noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8496585120938599514.post-47866026664953099552008-05-05T12:02:00.000-07:002008-05-05T12:02:00.000-07:00This space - couldn't agree with you more. But for...This space - couldn't agree with you more. But for newer writers, structure and guidelines are very helpful. There's an interesting evolution that happens with writers, which is that at first, you learn about and hew to all the "rules" like crazy but over time, all of this stuff becomes very intuitive. And the other thing is that while it seems crazy or cliched, very often the first thing an exec looks at is the page count. It's an imperfect barometer for the skill set of the writer. But what do you do after that? Start reading on page one. And therein lies the true test of the material - after a few great pages, I really don't care how many pages there are because I am compelled by the read. Guidelines are just guidelines. But the more experienced you are, the more you get to ignore them. I, believe it or not, once read a 500+ page romcom. That's a particularly keecrazy example that I throw in just to give a laugh. But what is self-evident to an experienced writer (i.e., that story is king) is not as evident to a less experienced writer. On the Rouge Wave we have Wavers who run the gamut from "whats-a-slugline" to produced, paid writers. So I try to address the concerns, questions and needs of most everybody. But you are spot-on and I wish you luck and thank you so much for your comment. <BR/>Cupcake for you. xoJulie Grayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14690487940378619749noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8496585120938599514.post-65385209185252578532008-05-05T11:45:00.000-07:002008-05-05T11:45:00.000-07:00Now knee deep with HBO in script negotiations (wit...Now knee deep with HBO in script negotiations (with a story that was pitched long before the strike started/ended), so I might know what I'm talking about (we're <I>not</I> negotiating over the 3 or 4 act structure or if at 117 pages the script needs to be shorter or not) I'll say only this: the <I>story</I> dictates not only the <I>how</I>, but also the <I>length</I>, the number of pages, of the script. Getting hung up on <I>structure</I> or a certain <I>amount</I> of pages is a complete waste of energy...<BR/><BR/>I'm not saying forget the sage advise of the Wave-inatrix via her manager, executive, and producer friends, instead I'm suggesting all you need to do is tell the damn story and tell it well. Be better than every script that comes across that producer's desk and the rest will take care of itself.This Space Blankhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17083709869765672778noreply@blogger.com