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Lee Jessup

The latest in a series of interviews with script readers and consultants who would be worth your while to work with if you want to get your script in shape. Today’s spotlight is on Lee Jessup.

Author of the best-selling book Getting It Write: An Insider’s Guide To A Screenwriting Career, Lee Jessup is a career coach for professional and emerging screenwriters, with an exclusive focus on the screenwriter’s professional development. Her clients include WGA members, Golden Globe and Emmy nominated screenwriters, writers who sold screenplays and pitches to major studios and contest winner. An invited speaker at screenwriting conferences and festivals both in the US and Europe, Lee is a regular contributor to Script Magazine and was the interview subject for a number of film-centric television and web programs. To learn more about Lee and her services, visit www.leejessup.com.

1. What’s the last thing you read/watched that you thought was incredibly well-written?

It’s a cliché, but I always go back to Breaking Bad episodes, which is probably fresh in my mind because I just did that the other night. That’s master craft right there. I’ve been reading a lot of TV scripts lately; one of the best I read recently actually came from a client who wrote a really amazing, intricate pilot with some amazing, innovative character work. Sadly, I’m not allowed to say who. Can’t play favorites!

2. How’d you get your start reading scripts?

I started reading scripts as a kid – my dad was a film producer, and so we always had scripts lying around the house. I thought everyone read scripts and broke them down for fun – it took me a while to get that some people (like my mother) just can’t wrap their brains around reading that format. After all, a script is not fully realized work – it’s a blueprint made to be elevated by imagination.

3. Is recognizing good writing something you think can be taught or learned?

The more you read, the better you learn to recognize quality. When I send my clients to readers, I am always looking for people who are super-seasoned, who’ve read thousands of scripts, because that foundation really informs the reader about what’s out there and  provides a more solid quality barometer. When someone just starts out reading, they can often find promise in the work, whether or not it’s actually there. It’s after you’ve been reading for a while that you begin really evaluating the script for what’s on the page, rather than the potential your imagination allows you to see in it.

4. What are the components of a good script?

For me it all starts with character, so “must-haves” are things like: wound, stakes, clear goal(s), ample conflict. Michael Hauge has a great saying that a strong screenplay rests at the intersection of story and character. That’s a big one for me. Don’t get me wrong – a strong, clear external journey to take us from act 1 to 3 is a must, but if you don’t have that internal journey, that element of taking a protagonist from living in fear to living courageously, you lose me. At the end of the day, I always look to see what the protagonist’s goal was, whether this was achieved or reversed, and if it was done, whether it was done to satisfaction.

5. What are some of the most common mistakes you see?

Page count is the most obvious one. I am sure you’ve heard this before, but I find it to be one that’s very, very hard to recover from because ultimately it’s your first impression. Second is another one of those: not enough white space on the page. The look of the material itself. I recently interviewed Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, and Scott talked about the fact that script pages are meant to be read from top to bottom, not left to right. When I am unable to read from top to bottom, when the script is overly described, then the writer automatically has a serious strike against him. Other things that drive me crazy are scenes that don’t move the plot along, or ones that repeat information we already know without giving us anything new. Hitchcock was famous for saying that in every scene you have to get at least two new bits of plot-relevant information, specifically once you’re out of the first act. That’s a great rule to go by.

6. What story tropes are you just tired of seeing?

I am one of those who believes that anything old can be made new again with a new, different, unexpected take, so in this scenario I am actually open to seeing anything so long as there’s a fresh, interesting voice behind it.

7. What are the 3 most important rules every writer should know?

1. This is a craft; you get better as you go along (which means: write a lot!)

2. Screenwriting is iterative work. No one gets it right on the first draft. This is why you finish a draft, you get notes, you finish another draft, you get another set of notes, etc. It’s all part of the process.

3. While writing great screenplays is critical to screenwriting success, it’s only part of what it will take to build your screenwriting career. Building a screenwriting career takes consistent industry-facing efforts that will help construct and progress your screenwriting career. As a writer, your job is to consistently stoke and manage both the creative fire and your industry-facing, strategic fire.

8. Have you ever read a script that was an absolute, without-a-doubt “recommend”? If so, could you give the logline?

Gonna have to pass on this one if only for client confidentiality…

9. How do you feel about screenwriting contests? Worth it or not?

Winning a big contest is a big deal, which just goes to show that contests are a small-fish/big-pond sort of a game. In order for a win to really work for you, it has to be in one of the biggies, where in truth even high placement goes a long way. For example, every year my clients who place in quarters or semis for the Nicholl Fellowship get multiple read requests from agents, managers and production companies. It’s a way for industry execs to have material vetted for them, and qualified for them to read. In addition, being able to say that you won, were a finalist or a semi-finalist in one of the BIG contests, such as Final Draft’s Big Break or PAGE is generally a door opener. The industry is a bit like the mafia – we need someone to vouch for you. The big contests can certainly help you build that pedigree.

10. How can people get in touch with you to find out more about the services you provide?

Everything anyone ever needs to know about me (and then some!!!) can be found on my website: www.leejessup.com. There’s a full breakdown of how I work, what I do and all the rest of it.

11. Readers of this blog are more than familiar with my love/appreciation of pie. What’s your favorite kind?

Chocolate mousse. Hands down. No question.

Ask a Wicked-Smart Script Consultant!

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Rebecca Norris copy

The latest in a series of interviews with script readers and consultants who would be worth your while to work with if you want to get your script in shape. Today’s spotlight is on Rebecca Norris of Script Authority. She works with writers, producers, and directors to consult on feature-length screenplays, TV pilots, TV specs, webseries pilots and full series, and career direction and strategy.  

1. What’s the last thing you read/watched that you thought was incredibly well- written?

My current obsession is House of Cards. At first, I didn’t care for the show. I found the device of Francis talking directly to camera a bit odd, the plot lines confusing, and I didn’t like any of the characters! However, a friend encouraged me to keep watching, and I’m so glad I pushed through. The genius of the show is in the slow reveals—they don’t hand you anything up front—you earn carefully-placed insights into the characters over time. I ended up binge-watching all of Season Two and am now deprived of new episodes until January! I should have spaced them out more.

2. How’d you get your start reading scripts?

For my first internship, I worked at a state film office that held an annual screenplay competition. They had an entire room stacked with feature-length screenplays, and it was my job to read and recommend scripts to the higher-ups for the contest. When I moved to L.A., I was able to parlay that experience into reading for a production company and then another screenplay competition, and it snowballed from there. This has included reading for Sundance, QED Entertainment (DISTRICT 9, FURY), Screen Queensland, BlueCat, ScriptXpert, Script Reader Pro, and other contests/services, and I’ve worked in development at Southpaw Entertainment (AUGUST RUSH, THE SPACE BETWEEN US).

3. Is recognizing good writing something you think can be taught or learned?

I think anyone can be taught to do anything; whether or not they have a natural aptitude for it is another matter. The thing is, we are all storytellers. It’s engrained in our psyche. And reading is a personal, subjective experience for each individual. Some stories that bore the pants of me might be endlessly entertaining to someone else, and vice versa. That’s why a film can be rejected from one contest and then go on to win first place at another.

However, the technical aspects of a script can be judged in a fairly uniform way. Is the writing concise yet descriptive, or is it overly wordy? Are there misspellings and grammatical errors? Is the script formatted to industry standards? Is the page count a reasonable length? A writer can’t control whether or not a particular reader will judge their writing as “good”, but they can control the technical aspects of the script to give it the best possible chance of impressing a reader.

4. What are the components of a good script?

A good script has a solid premise, interesting characters, a well-conceived plot, tight narration and dialogue, and is technically up to par as far as typos, sentence structure, formatting, etc. It also must be ENTERTAINING. This is something I believe writers forget about sometimes, especially if they’re writing, say, a historical drama. Audiences don’t care about facts and figures and accuracy nearly to the extent that they want to have an emotional journey—a catharsis. It’s the writer’s job to provide that journey and entertain along the way—that’s why we’re in the Entertainment Industry. I think most readers would agree with me on this—the first question I ask myself after reading a script is, “Am I bored?” If I’m bored, then the script will not get a Consider or Recommend, no matter how true to life or historically accurate it is.

5. What are some of the most common mistakes you see?

By far, the most common mistake is spelling errors. Most scripts I read are chock-full of typos and glaring grammatical errors (including sentences with missing punctuation, missing words, or only parts of words.) It’s incredibly frustrating because this is something completely under the writer’s control. What writers may not realize is that every time I come across a typo, I’m taken out of the story. When a script has multiple typos per page, as some of them do, I’m taken out of the story dozens of times by the time I read the last page, which essentially ruins the experience. As writers, the written word is our only instrument. A pianist wouldn’t perform on an out-of-tune piano, and likewise, a writer should fine-tune his or her instrument and become a master of language. Having a typo-free and correctly formatted script says to the world: “I’m a professional, and I care about the quality of my work.” In my opinion, it’s the best way to control your first impression to a reader.

6. What story tropes are you just tired of seeing?

There has been a trend over the past several years of incredibly brutal, violent, and bloody dramas. (And I’m not talking about horror movies here.) I think it’s a reflection of the dark times we’ve gone through over the past decade and the current political landscape in the world. I’ve also programmed at some film festivals, and some films I screened were sickening to the point where I had to turn them off. I’m not a prude and I enjoy a good action or horror film just as much as the next person, but it’s gone a bit overboard lately. Some of the films had gratuitous violence toward women and children, which I find disheartening and painful to read. Sometimes I long to read a comedy or something lighter that ends on a positive note, and I hope the trends change in the coming years toward lighter (and less barbaric) fare.

7. What are the 3 most important rules every writer should know?

1) Don’ t get disheartened if you aren’t getting recommends or considers on your early scripts. Take the notes, learn from them, and keep writing. Your writing will improve greatly if you just keep at it.

2) It’s okay to struggle with writing. Some writers get disheartened and give up if writing isn’t the glorious, self-expressive, free experience they think it should be. Writing can be difficult and tedious. It’s courageous to be vulnerable and put your heart out on the page, and even more courageous to then send your work to total strangers. The best thing a writer can do is show up every day and write, and when the work is ready, keep sending out those ships. One day, a ship will come back in.

3) You are in total control of your very first impression on the reader. You do so through your mastery of language, spelling, formatting, brief yet descriptive narration, etc. You can’t control whether or not a reader loves your script, but you can control your presentation. Hire a professional coverage service to proofread and get feedback before you send your scripts out—it’s the best way to test the waters and see how your script will be received, since many coverage services employ readers who have worked at contests and production companies.

Even if your script doesn’t get a recommend, the writer themselves can. Scripts and writers are tracked by production companies, and if you as a writer make a bad impression, a company is less likely to be willing to read another one of your scripts. If you made a good impression as a writer but they just passed on that particular script, a company will be much more willing to read future work from you.

8. Have you ever read a script that was an absolute, without-a-doubt “recommend”? If so, could you give the logline?

Since most of my work deals with newer writers, I have not yet personally come across a script that was an absolute Recommend with no doubts in my mind. Most scripts I read have a solid concept but need work to get them industry-ready. I have read many scripts that I would recommend if the writer made adjustments and changes, and those scripts might receive a Consider.

9. How do you feel about screenwriting contests? Worth it or not?

Absolutely worth it. They’re a great way to build up credibility and provide the ‘pitching points’ writers need to become interesting to agents, managers, production companies, etc. You don’t have to win. Even being a quarter-finalist in larger contests or fellowships can make you attractive and garner interest in your work. And if you do win or place in a major contest, it can open doors for you very quickly if you take advantage of the opportunity.

Submitting to contests also provides built-in deadlines. If you know you have regular submission deadlines you have to meet, it puts a fire under you to write every day. It’s not that expensive–you can take $400 and submit to most every major screenwriting competition and a couple of smaller ones. Think about all the things most people waste $400 on in a year (like coffee!). It’s a small investment that can have a big payoff, if even just to get you motivated to write.

10. How can people get in touch with you to find out more about the services you provide?

Contact FreebirdEntertainmentLA@gmail.com for availability and pricing.

11. Readers of this blog are more than familiar with my love/appreciation of pie. What’s your favorite kind?

Pumpkin! I’m thrilled that it’s Fall and we’re just a few weeks away from Halloween, my favorite holiday. I’m going to have to binge on all the pumpkin products over the next couple of months before they’re gone!

Venturing outside your comfort zone

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Try it. You might like it.
Try it. You might like it.

Everybody likes different things. A universal truth if ever there was one.

Something I like may be the total opposite of something you like, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.

But how willing are we to be open-minded and try something different than what we like?

Do you immediately get all defensive and resist? Do you cautiously dip in a toe and carefully proceed? Or do you embrace the opportunity and jump right in, feet first?

And what in the world does any of this have to do with screenwriting?

Easy. Good scripts can be found in so many different genres. As a constantly-learning writer, you should be reading all kinds of scripts, no matter what the genre.

Sure, you can only read scripts just like what you write, but that narrows your focus and can get a little dull after a while.

Changing things up and reading scripts you normally wouldn’t can only help you be a better writer.

A friend asked me to read his horror spec. Horror is definitely not my thing, but he’d read one of my scripts, and the least I could do was return the favor.

Even though it wasn’t a movie I would go to see, I made a point of reading it from a writer’s point of view. Was the structure sound? Were the characters developed enough? Did the plot make sense? Was it scary? Formatted correctly? Any spelling errors?

Despite my opinion of the horror genre, I enjoyed the read and told him so in my notes, highlighting what I thought worked and pointing out what didn’t. He appreciated my honesty, and thought I made some good points.

Victory for both sides.

Counter to that, I’ve had my share of feedback that could best be interpreted as simply disinterested.

One reader from a high-profile service seemed to skim to around page 30, then called it a day, filling out their notes with generic comments. In as vague terms as possible, they made it pretty clear this wasn’t for them.

It’s extremely difficult to win over the reader who’s ready to stop reading your script before they even begin. Unfortunately, there’s not much you can do about it. The best you can do is put it behind you and move on.

(Which I did. The same script would eventually go on to some moderate contest success and get me a manager.)

Fortunately, there are those who, even though your genre “isn’t their thing”, will read your script and hopefully give you some notes that will help make it better.

You just have to get out there and find them, making sure to offer to return the favor.

Ask Two Savvy Script Consultants For the Price of One!*

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(L-R) Miranda, Sandra & budgeter/scheduler extraordinaire, Hosam, who is not part of this interview
(L-R) Miranda, Sandra & budgeter/scheduler extraordinaire Hosam, who is not part of this interview

*And considering this doesn’t cost you anything to begin with, that’s the best deal you’ll get today.

The latest in a series of interviews with script readers and consultants who would be worth your while to work with if you want to get your script in shape. Today’s spotlight is on Miranda Sajdak and Sandra Leviton of Script Chix.

1. What’s the last thing you read/watched that you thought was incredibly well-written?

WINTER’S BONE

BUTCHER HOLLER by Daniel Shea

2. How’d you get your start reading scripts?

M – Started off as an intern in Hollywood doing the typical script-reading duties. Moved on to being an assistant and continued to do coverage there. Eventually found myself reading for friends and family on the side, and realized (around the same time as Sandra did) that it was a good idea to monetize some of this so as not to just be doing it in my free time. Ended up simultaneously being asked to read for various studios/companies, and turned all that experience around into Script Chix!

S – I believe I read my first script in college, though as a kid, I liked to watch movies and transcribe them. It took hours, but I loved it. The internet wasn’t really a thing yet, so there was no easy access to them. However, professionally, I started reading as an intern doing short coverages for executives during staffing season. My subsequent jobs at an agency and a cable network had me reading all of the time – for potential clients, development, and show staffing. Giving notes to clients, friends, and others who needed feedback was part of my daily life. When I decided to leave my network gig and go out on my own, doing it professionally seemed like a natural transition. As soon as friends at another cable network heard my news, they offered me a spot as one of their book readers. Around the same time, Miranda and I teamed up, and the rest is Script Chix history.

3. Is recognizing good writing something you think can be taught or learned?

M – Somewhat. The biggest thing here is to read as much as possible. We see scripts from writers who clearly don’t read screenplays regularly. The more you read, the more you’re able to recognize. Some of it is likely innate – and it should start early, before you get to Hollywood and decide you want to make movies – but, sure, recognizing what works just comes from reading more.

S – Reading is both objective and subjective. When we give notes, we try to focus on the objective. Even if we personally don’t like a character, a plotline, or concept, we can recognize that it written well, and it’s just not our personal taste. So yes, being able to recognize good writing can be taught; some things are obvious like formatting. However, it takes years of learning and practice to be able to both identify what is good and to be able to separate your own opinions/ taste from it.

4. What are the components of a good script?

S & M – There’s a number of things, but most importantly, a compelling story with multi-dimensional characters. Believable moments that still feel fresh. Strong narrative voice. Imagination and marketability. We would also include formatting in this list. It’s not a sexy component, but it is an important one. The story can be amazing, but if the formatting is off, it’s distracting, and most readers won’t be able to pay attention to greatness of the script.

5. What are some of the most common mistakes you see?

S & M – The biggest one we see, by far, is lack of formatting and proofreading. Bad character introductions. Lazy concept. Writing from experience, but instead of dramatizing the “true story that really happened” to the writer, it’s a regurgitation. Not understanding the difference between edgy and outright offensive or mean. One-dimensional or non-existent women and minorities. Some of these are not necessarily mistakes, but they’re all definitely problems we encounter often.

6. What story tropes are you just tired of seeing?

M – Refrigerator women. Lack of women and minorities. One-dimensional women.

S – Stories about Hollywood, writers, and nights out with the boys. Every writer at some point writes a script about being a struggling writer in Hollywood or their lead male protagonist is a sensitive writer that gets their heart broken. Also behind the scenes of reality TV – this is starting to become a thing. People tend to write what they know and unfortunately, all they know is trying to make it in Hollywood. Unfortunately for them, no executive wants to read this and no audience wants to see it. So if a writer must write this story, do it, get it out of your system, and move on to something more original. Draw from life experience – get out there and enjoy the world, feel heartbreak, and get into trouble (but not too much). The “night out/ retail job with the boys picking up women” is also the most common one we see in fledgling comedy writers. It’s another case of writing what you know. These stories don’t work because they are usually re-tellings of actual experiences that are not particularly dramatic or funny to anyone outside of the people who experienced it. Additionally, the humor only comes from insulting women. Just because making fun of a woman was hysterical to you and your boys in the moment doesn’t make it funny or appealing to anyone else.

7. What are the 3 most important rules every writer should know?

M – Write. Read. Revise.

S – Persistence, practice, and patience.

8. Have you ever read a script that was an absolute, without-a-doubt “recommend”? If so, could you give the logline?

M – Yes! And it just finished shooting! “A teenage con artist tricks a desperate mother into hiring her as a live-in companion for her autistic daughter.”

S – I agree with M. That script is amazing. Honestly, it’s tough to give a blanket “recommend” because each company and client we work with has their own specific mandates of what they are looking for, so it needs to be tailored to their needs. A script that I loved recently, like goosebump-inducing loved is “With the help of a crotchety old neighbor and his garden, a young woman’s world comes alive.” It sounds a bit generic, but it was beautifully written and full of magic with a hint of surrealism.

9. How do you feel about screenwriting contests? Worth it or not?

S & M – Absolutely worth it, but not all of them. Do your research. See which contests have a track record of success for the writers who’ve won. Look at what the prizes are. If the only prize is that you won the contest, it’s probably not that worthwhile (unless it’s a big name like Nicholl or Page). And look at things like fellowships, as well. If they want you to pay but aren’t giving you anything WORTHWHILE in return, it’s not worth it.

That said… if you’re starting out and still sending out queries and you haven’t won anything or been published or produced – enter contests. Get some prestige next to your name, even if it is just “winner of miscellaneous contest.” It helps in general, but it mostly helps if the contest is considered reputable.

10. How can people can get in touch with you to find out more about the services you provide?

www.scriptchix.com/services or drop us a line at info@scriptchix.com

We also blog about writing, life in Hollywood, and host networking events, so be sure to poke around a little: www.ScriptChix.com.

11. Readers of this blog are more than familiar with my love/appreciation of pie. What’s your favorite kind?

A man after our own hearts!

M – Boston cream

S – Apple or chocolate cream

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howard casner

The latest in a series of interviews with script readers and consultants who would be worth your while to work with if you want to get your script in shape. Today’s spotlight is on Howard Casner, who has written an e-book about his experiences – More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, and also hosts the podcast Pop Art.

1. What’s the last thing you read/watched that you thought was incredibly well-written?

Right now, screenwriting and moviemaking in the U.S. are at a crisis point. Very little is being done that is interesting or exciting. Most of it is bland, boring, or even if entertaining, falls short of a real success when it comes to quality. I feel we are treading water, waiting for a group of filmmakers and writers to come rescue us. We are in need of a new wave.

The film with the strongest screenplay this year so far has been BORGMAN, a movie from the Netherlands about someone who is pure evil worming himself into the household of an upper middleclass family. It is what I call a WTF film, strange and imaginative with strong characters and fascinating story.

However, my favorite movie of the year so far is UNDER THE SKIN, a sci-fi movie made in Scotland about an alien who seduces men to a house where they are then killed for fodder for another planet. Both are highly original, something that I feel is often missing from American films.  Right now, the two countries producing the most interesting and exciting movies are South Korea and Romania.

2. How’d you get your start reading scripts?

Before I moved to L.A. in 2001, I was in the theater and read scripts constantly. But once here, I met someone in a coffee shop who let me use him as an intro to the person in charge of the Slamdance Screenplay Competition.

After doing a sample coverage (which worried me because I didn’t like the screenplay, but it had won an award the year before), I was taken on. That year I discovered the first place screenplay, Song of Silence by Miranda Kwok, at the last minute and for a few years after that kept discovering the first place winner.

This then gave me the background to get work, also through connections, at Here! Networks and Final Draft Big Break Screenplay Contest.

3. Is recognizing good writing something you think can be taught or learned?

You can be taught to find screenplays that whoever is paying you wants to find. They give you a list of criteria and you can probably get by on that.

Recognizing good writing has some element of instinct to it. You need the ability to create a vision inside your head of whatever is described and hear the voices of the characters, which to some degree, is something you either can do or you can’t.

You also need to have as large a background in seeing movies and reading screenplays as you can. The more you read, the more movies you’ve seen, the easier it is to recognize what is new and original, and you can weed out what is formulaic and has been done many times before. And, of course, you really need to be able to do this and be a fast reader (some people are slower readers than others and that can be a problem).

4. What are the components of a good script?

One problem is that what “good” means can vary from person to person. I see the words “great” and “good” often used to describe screenplays and I’m not quite sure what they mean in the context of the person writing.

If you mean “good” in that commerciality is irrelevant and the screenplay has inherent quality apart from box office and other practical considerations (which is how I use the term), then the most important component nine times out of ten are characters (there are always exceptions). Without strong and vibrant characters, almost nothing else matters. You can have the most original high concept in the world, but with flat and uninteresting characters, I won’t care.

But after that, you need a screenplay that is readable and clear with an interesting plot (though, again, interesting is ambiguous; what is fascinating to one person is a bore to another).

But perhaps even more important, a good screenplay is one written by someone who has a vision, a voice, something to say, who writes from the heart, from a need to get a story out there.

5. What are some of the most common mistakes you see?

Besides the obvious, which is a screenplay that is horrendously formatted, or is almost unreadable, a story that is hard to follow and understand, with novelistic and literary narrative rather than focused and to the point narrative, and screenplays by people who don’t seem to understand the basic concept as to how to write a screenplay in the first place…

I would first have to say that it would include screenplays written according to formula, to a structure they got from a book or guru, screenplays written by people who have nothing to say and don’t have a real, interior reason to write a screenplay. That’s why the first of my ten commandments for screenwriters is to not read a book, or take a class, or use a guru in writing a screenplay until after you have written two or three first.

Beyond that, it’s screenplays that are concept and plot driven rather than character driven; overcomplicated plots; and screenplays written about a subject matter (like crime and espionage thrillers) where the writer hasn’t done the research.

Some of my pet peeves: characters not going to the police when the opportunity presents itself; cell phones lost, conveniently destroyed or losing power; not using social media when it would resolve a situation in no time; female roles that are underdeveloped, or in which women are humiliated for no reason; using lack of insurance as a plot motivator (by the time the movie gets made, the ACA may make many of these plot turns outdated). I could go on.

6. What story tropes are you just tired of seeing?

The romcom where a woman just feels her life is incomplete unless she is married, or at least in a serious relationship and that is her main goal; as a corollary to that, women characters who can only be defined by their emotional relationship to men; a group of people, especially teens or young adults, getting stuck in the middle of nowhere attacked by country folk; screenplays that are about being gay, rather than have a central character who just happens to be gay (especially coming out stories).

As a corollary to this, stories that start with grabber scenes (they are a cliché and they almost never really intrigue me), especially if the grabber scene is a dream or someone being chased through some woods.

7. What are the 3 most important rules every writer should know?

-That the quality of the script might not help you in and of itself and the better quality it is, the harder it might be to ever get the screenplay produced.

-As a corollary to the above, it’s who you know, not how well written your screenplay is, that can make the difference (though your screenplay has to have some modicum of skill to it, or just about nothing matters).

-The way movies are getting made (at least in the U.S.) is changing. You may have to do your first screenplay yourself, and if so, do something new, original and with a vision.

I will add one additional rule: learn how to format a screenplay and learn how to write a screenplay that is a smooth and easy read. This last is far more important than new writers ever seem to want to admit. I don’t know why, but they’ll often be open to any other suggestions, but bristle when I mention their formatting and narrative.

That is why my second commandment for writers is that the exception to reading a book on playwriting is that you must read a book on formatting; no exceptions.  Your narrative can always be reduced by 10 to 20% and will not only not hurt the screenplay, but probably benefit it.

8. Have you ever read a script that was an absolute, without-a-doubt “recommend”? If so, could you give the logline?

Many. Every year I read quite a few of those. I can’t really comment on any I’ve read for current contests, since the contests are still ongoing, but one that I still don’t understand why it hasn’t ever been made is “The most successful television personality that a Middle Eastern country has ever seen has to flee the country after a revolution; years later, working in a bar in Germany, he is given the chance to reclaim his glory if he will just publicly apologize for every negative thing he has ever said about the new regime”.

9. How do you feel about screenwriting contests? Worth it or not?

It’s not so much whether they are worth it. Based on the way things work in the U.S. right now, and the way the economy is working, they are sort of a necessary evil.

This may sound odd coming from someone who makes a living doing coverage and reading for contests, but if you can bypass contests and readers for companies and agencies completely, and get to the sources themselves, to the immediate people who can make a film and get those persons to read your script, do that.

But getting to the position where you can do that takes a lot of time and in the meanwhile, you need to find ways to get some sort of resume and approval of your writing, and screenplay contests are a place to start.

At the same time, there’s little point in entering a contest unless you have a screenplay that has been honed and worked on and is getting positive responses from others. Otherwise, you’re just throwing money away.

10. How can people get in touch with you to find out more about the services you provide?

For more detailed and full information about myself and my coverage services, go to my blog Rantings and Ravings.

I’m also offering a new service: so much emphasis has been given lately to the importance of the opening of your screenplay, I now offer coverage for the first twenty pages at the cost of $20.00 USD. For those who don’t want to have full coverage on their screenplay at this time, but want to know how well their script is working with the opening pages, this is perfect for you. I’ll help you not lose the reader on page one.

And of course, my e-book More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader can be purchased on Amazon.

11. Readers of this blog are more than familiar with my love/appreciation of pie. What’s your favorite kind?

When I was young, my family would make Lemon Chiffon and Chocolate Pie, which were my favorites. I’m not a big fan of hard crust pies. I prefer things like cheesecake.