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:

***

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.

***

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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