books

Embrace the change

Maximum Z books, comedy, determination, draft, fantasy, movies, perseverance, persistence, podcasts, protagonist, rewrite, scenes, screenplay, screenwriting, script, television, writing , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

After a slight delay, work has resumed on the fantasy-comedy rewrite. Averaging about 2-3 scenes for each writing session. If I keep this pace up, I might even wrap it up by the end of the month.

But I’m getting ahead of myself.

A significant part of this rewrite is shifting the focus of each scene to make my protagonist more active and have her be the one moving things forward. More than a few times it’s involved having a scene play out from her perspective rather than that of another character. Some of these are proving to quite challenging, so I’m doing what I can.

Also factoring into this is forcing myself to let go of how the scene was before and making whatever changes are needed. This can be kind of tough because I initially think the scene is good enough as is and don’t want to overdo the tinkering.

But if it’s going to get better, some degree of tinkering is needed, if not a necessity.

Once I accepted that and started actually doing it, things got a little easier. And because the new version works better, I’m not missing how it was before. The changes that have been implemented are a better fit overall, so anything from previous drafts is left by the wayside.

I’m trying to be better about approaching the rewrite process so each draft is noticeably different (and stronger) than its predecessor, and not “I’ve rearranged the furniture in a slightly different configuration”.

Further proof that no matter how long you’ve been writing, there’s always something new to learn.

-A friendly reminder that the window to submit your script’s info for The Maximum Z 2026 Script Showcase is open through Thursday Dec 17, so don’t put it off for too long. All the details here.

-I’m putting together a list of movie, TV show, and book recommendations to include in the last episode for 2026 of my podcast The Creative Writing Life. Just one from each category, please. Those can be sent here.

Helping > hindering

Maximum Z books, community, encouragement, networking, professionalism, screenplay, screenwriting, script, support, writing , , , , , , , , ,

I got an email earlier this week from a writer I’ve never met or interacted with asking for some help/guidance in getting their script out there.

My first thought was “Why me? I’m pretty much in the same position as you are.” But decency won out and I offered up some suggestions of paths they could take, along with asking that very question.

They appreciated what I had to say, and explained they reached out because “I saw that you had interviewed people in the industry and wrote books about it, impressive! I watched you on a podcast and perceived that you were a sharp guy….”

I don’t know about sharp, but it was still nice to hear (along with a shoutout for my books).

As I’ve written here many times, establishing and maintaining your writing community are truly invaluable resources. A key factor is that being open to helping others, especially when you’re not looking for something in return.

It’s just about being a nice person that people enjoy and appreciate interacting with.

Here are a few posts from the archives about that very topic.

Enjoy.

Happy to help

Still happy to help

That’s me – the human flying buttress

Still flying, still buttressing

My brain’s helping hands are ready to go

I despise this with the fiery intensity of a thousand suns

Maximum Z books, career, community, frustration, networking, podcasts, screenwriting, writing , , , , , , ,

No doubt many within the assorted writing communities have received at least one email of this nature:

“Hi there!

I found your book/project (TITLE) and was immediately captivated by what an amazing work it is on the subject of (WHATEVER).

1-2 PARAGRAPHS OF FLOWERY ASS-KISSING PROSE AND ASSORTED GENERALIZED COMMENTS BASED ON YOUR WORK AND ANY RELATED DESCRIPTIONS AND/OR WRITE-UPS FOUND ONLINE

I think the potential for the impact this material could have is huge! Just imagine readers having in-depth discussions about the complexities revolving around (SUBJECT).

I would love to discuss this more/have you on my podcast/social media. When would be a convenient time for you?”

You may at first think this is an honest and sincere email from somebody genuinely interested in your work.

To a certain extent, it is, but not from a creative perspective.

Because you know what’s coming next – and they’re never upfront about it. They shower you with praise and lofty expectations to reel you in, before the inevitable:

“I wanted to also let you know what the tier levels are for the varying packages we offer to help to promote your material.”

And there it is.

To paraphrase – “We want you to pay for the privilege of having us promote your work.”

Sometimes I respond to the initial email with lots of probing questions, seeking out at least an iota of truth. Getting even that is challenging.

No matter what, I wrap it up by writing “Thanks, but no thanks”, sending it and then deleting all of it.

Sometimes they come back with a “I’m sorry to hear that. We’re really interested in working with you. What can we do to help make this happen?”

I’m too polite to send my immediate thought of “fuck off and die, you bloodsucking leeches”; others may not be as reserved. I remain silent, delete that one, and move on with my life.

I get it. Some writers are so desperate that they’ll shell out the bucks to do this. That’s their choice. I prefer not to. Although I am curious how effective these campaigns are, or if at all. I’m inclined to think most writers regret having made the investment.

Would love to hear from anybody who’s had a positive experience with this sort of thing.

My inbox has seen an increase in these emails over the past few weeks.

Most of them stop sending, but the occasional note pops up after a few months to “just check in” and ask if I’d still be interested. That one also gets deleted right away.

There are A LOT of people out there more than ready to separate you from your money as part of their effort to “help you and your career”.

Do your research. Trust your instincts. If it feels fishy or seems too good to be true, it probably is. If somebody is genuinely interested in helping you, they’re not going to charge you for it or ask you to cover any “fees”.

Caveat emptor indeed, chums.

I have… concerns -OR- More than a few red flags

Maximum Z Austin Film Festival, feedback, notes, reading, screenplay, screenwriting, script , , , , , , , , ,

My script didn’t make Second Round for the Austin Film Festival, which I accept. It’s just the way it goes. Sometimes it clicks with the reader, sometimes it doesn’t. Nevertheless, I was looking forward to getting the notes back to find out what they had to say.

The notes arrived.

At first glance, they seemed okay. Maybe not addressing what they felt didn’t work, but more like “here are some issues you might want to address”. That… kind of makes sense. But there were also comments of how one very minor character should have been more developed(?), or that a major supporting character felt “secondary”(??), and that the protagonist should be more active in the first act(?!?).

Re: that last one – apart from a handful of scenes, she IS the first act.

Overall, the notes felt very odd, and somewhat unemotional; like they were missing something. Couldn’t put my finger on it.

Other writers were posting on social media that their notes felt as if they’d been written by AI. That gave me pause.

I read my notes again and realized some important components were missing, such as:

No mention whatsoever of the antagonist. AT ALL. Imagine discussing Star Wars and ignoring Darth Vader.

No addressing the very relevant detail that Acts 2 and 3 take place in New Jersey.

No mention of any other supporting characters.

No comments or thoughts about the jokes. In a COMEDY.

There are a few others, but these were at the top of the list.

I passed this info on to my manager, who put them into an AI detection program. The result said 85-90% AI.

I tried it with a different program. 100% AI.

I composed a civil and respectful email to Austin. I made a point of not ranting or raving, simply saying how disappointed I was to have experienced this. Whether or not they respond remains to be seen. Other writers have asked for a refund.

Austin averages around 14-thousand entries, so they need readers. But from what I understand, the quality of the readers, or least their analytical skills, have gone downhill over the past few years.

Quick sidenote – I was really hoping that when the Nicholl implemented their “one script per entry” policy a few years ago, Austin would follow suit. No such luck. Profit above quality once again.

I was an Austin reader a few years ago and always did my best to give quality notes, because as someone who enters scripts into a prestigious competition like this, it’s what I would expect. Don’t get me wrong -I’ve received more than my fair share of lousy notes from Austin, but at least I could tell they were written by an actual person.

When we write our scripts, we hope that readers and audiences will connect with them. That they’ll be able to relate to the story and characters. That they’ll be entertained.

Analysis by AI totally ignores that and sees only what’s on the page, not what it’s saying. It only knows what it’s been programmed to know. Notes via AI are doing a total disservice to the writer. It might identify if something’s not working, but it can’t explain why or make suggestions of how to fix it.

Like one of the signs at the 2023 writers strike said: “AI did not experience childhood trauma”.

I’d already drastically cut back on entering contests, with Austin one of the few I considered still worth entering. After this experience, I’m not so sure.

The joy of a crowded reading queue

Maximum Z books, film, ideas, inspiration, movies, pilot, reading, screenplay, screenwriting, script, Shane Black, Tarantino, voice , , , , , , , , , , , ,

In addition to all the work on my scripts, the short film and the recent writing conference, I’ve been making more of an effort to read more scripts. Fortunately, members of my network of trusted colleagues continue to come through and provide me with a constant supply of quality material.

It may be part of a swap, or they ask me to read their latest draft and give notes, and sometimes it’s just for hell of it.

I try to read one per week, preferably in one sitting, but that’s a time management thing. Not having to do notes really speeds things up.

The latest lineup includes two pilots, two features, and the manuscript for a book about screenwriting – all from writers I know, and another writer sent me three scripts from an established pro; one in production, the second just announced, and the third in development.

Sometimes I’ll track down the script for a film I really enjoyed and want to see how the writers had it on the page, and then see how it compares to what’s onscreen. I’ve also started compiling a list of scripts I’d love to read.

Reading scripts can be incredibly helpful. Seeing how somebody else put their story together along with how it reads on the page can influence your own methods. Not that you should try to copy them, but it helps you hone your skills and craft to make your writing more effective, as well as establishing your writer’s voice.

Speaking of voice – check out scripts by Shane Black, Quentin Tarantino and Brian Duffield as shining examples. Great writing, each with a distinctive voice that really engages and involves the reader.

Reading scripts can also help motivate ideas. If I’m feeling stuck, I’ll watch a scene that’s similar to what I have in mind, then find the script to see how it reads on the page, then figure out a different way for mine to go.

I’d forgotten how satisfying it is to take the time to read a script. Doesn’t matter whose it is. Good writing is good writing, great writing is better, and a solid, well-written script is the best.