pilot

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.

From the archives: Expiration date: NEVER!

Maximum Z community, determination, encouragement, frustration, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, perseverance, persistence, pilot, screenplay, screenwriting, script, storytelling, television, writing , , , , , , , , , , ,
arthur dent
Don’t throw in the towel just yet, Arthur

Another week of ups and downs, so felt it was an appropriate time to repost the gem from April 2016. Enjoy.

A friend emailed me earlier this week to vent his frustration regarding the latest development for pitching his TV pilot. Suffice to say, it didn’t go the way he’d hoped.

“Writing is hard work for me, and to have a project like this dismissed completely deflates me. I think I need to set a deadline (end of 2016?), and if I haven’t gotten a sale or at least representation by then, exit, stage left.”

I can totally sympathize. Who hasn’t been in that boat before? You try and try, feel like you’re making no headway and going nowhere fast.

But setting up a deadline of when you’ll stop once and for all?

Um, no.

As we all know, this is not an easy thing to do. The odds are already stacked against us, and it takes an extraordinary amount of effort, determination and perseverance to keep moving forward. And that’s just to get your first break.

I of all people can attest to feeling like nothing good is ever going to happen for me, and why again am I putting myself through the agony of all of this?

Because we’re writers. WE WRITE BECAUSE WE LOVE DOING IT.

For a writer willing to give up writing is, to quote the late, great Vizzini, inconceivable. As crazy as it sounds, I’d rather write and continue to fail than not write at all. (But in theory would be improving after each failure, thereby resulting in an inevitable success.)

DON’T GIVE UP. You never know when things will work out for you, so continuously having at it will always increase your odds.

Continue to work on getting better. Even if only a handful of people read your stuff and like it, that’s still a victory. And they do add up.

IT’S A MARATHON, NOT A SPRINT. It takes a very, very long time to get to the finish line, let alone at your desired pace. And even then, you’re always striving to improve on it. Take this from someone who writes screenplays AND does half-marathons.

Believe me, there will be shitty days. Lots of them. You will be angry and frustrated. You will see others succeed while you feel like you’re going nowhere. It happens. But that’s the price you pay for setting off on this seemingly impossible journey.

But also keep in mind that you’re not alone. There are lots of us out on a similar path. Feel free to make the occasional turn so your path intersects with somebody else’s. It can help make the journey a bit easier.

My friend responded with a note of thanks and gratitude, which included “I’m ultimately a storyteller, a writer. This is what I exist to do, even if my audience is a small one. I will work hard to find it and share my stories.”

Couldn’t have said it better myself. Hang in there, chums.

Maximum Z Autumn ’21 Script Showcase

Maximum Z community, pilot, screenplay, screenwriting, script, spec, television, writing , , , , , ,

I’ve always been a big believer in supporting the writing community, and wanted to offer up the opportunity for as many writers as possible to put their material on full display for all to see. While there may be other sites that do this – most for a small fee, I thought it would be nice to do something similar – and for free.

Think of this as another tool in your personal kit of marketing materials. This is your chance to shine a spotlight on your script. Spread the word. Post the link. Toot that horn, and do it proudly.

What you will find below is a virtual treasure trove of material of 34 screenplays and 18 TV scripts. A vast spectrum of genres, many with accompanying awards and accolades.

But the most important part is that each and every one is available for you to read.

Something grabs your attention or piques your interest? The writer’s email is right there for you to click on and tell them “I’d like to read your script.” Maybe they’ll ask to read something of yours.

This is what networking and establishing professional relationships is all about.

So settle in and take a look around. Bet you find a script or three you like.

(And as long as I’ve got your attention, feel free to hit the ‘like’ button way down at the bottom of this post. Maybe even take it one step further and start following this blog. Management is dangling some enticing incentives for an uptick in numbers.)

FILM

AFTER EVER AFTER

David Schwartz

Animated Family Fantasy-Comedy

A royal princess has two weeks to rescue her prince from a powerful warlock, or else her sister will take over as Queen.

david@davidschwartzconsulting.com

–

ANNA’S EVERY-VERSE

Brian Tuttle

Drama

When a risk-averse accountant hits her head at work, she suddenly finds that every time she opens a new door, she steps into one of a dozen alternate versions of her life. She realizes the only way to get home is to keep opening doors, even if it means confronting every fear she’s ever had.

8 on The Black List

briantuttle11@gmail.com

–

AN UNDOCUMENTED RUMOR

Philip C. Sedgwick

Action-Adventure/Border Drama

A journalist for an US-based Arabian TV network heads to the Arizona border to sleuth out a rumor regarding a terrorist attack formulating in Mexico. When the rumor proves true, the reporter enlists a most unlikely team to intercept the attack and take on the even more unlikely forces behind the operation.

Best Original Screenplay, Burbank Film Festival, 2016

Best Feature Screenplay, San Antonio Film Festival, 2019

Official Selection, San Pedro Film Festival, 2019

Finalist, Official Selection, Beverly Hills Film Festival, 2016

Finalist, Hollywood Screenplay Contest, 2016

philip@philipcsedgwick.com

–

BANGK!

Mark Wesley

Crime/Heist/Thriller

A charismatic hustler devises a high-risk scheme to con the Bank of England into moving gold bullion to a location that’s easier to rob – if the New York mob don’t kill him first.

Quarterfinalist – 2020 Los Angeles International Screenplay Awards

markwesley13@gmail.com

–

BLACK OMERTA

Victer A. Levell

Drama

A corrupt Marine Corps Officer / Investment Banker with an old school Black and Italian upbringing reflecting on the origin and consequences of his actions after Federal conviction. Hiding in plain sight his entire career with Black Panther Party, and Gambino Crime Family affiliations. Living with a dark family secret, child abuse, and teenage PTSD results growing up into an adult broken with a Machiavellianism dark side.

usmc4457@gmail.com

–

CALYPSO

Fiona Faith Ross

Supernatural Thriller

When Granddad dies, a bereaved young American woman travels to the ‘old country’ to find her last living relative, an aunt who insists she is the immortal sea-goddess, Calypso.

Best Feature Screenplay – May/June 2021 round, Pinnacle Film Awards, LA

fionafaithross@gmail.com

–

DRAWING DEAD

Kelly Parks

Horror

Six poker pros tricked into a game of Texas Hold’em with The Devil must win or die.

2nd Rounder – Austin Film Festival

Top 25% – Coverfly

Quarterfinalist – 2021 Emerging Screenwriters Genre Competition

kelly.parks@gmail.com

–

FORSAKEN

Jeffrey Stackhouse and Wendy Lashbrook

Action-Adventure/Horror

A Confederate officer rides an urgent trail when the shocking brutality of a Black family found slaughtered forces him to choose a path of blood-soaked retribution, with only an adolescent Black girl as an ally.

PAGE Awards – Bronze Award – Action-Adventure

shadowlandonline.net

stackk@usa.com

–

FREEDOM FORT

Clint Williams

Historical Action-Adventure

Following the War of 1812,  withdrawing British forces turn over a fort and its armory to former slaves and Native Americans. But calls for an assault by the U.S. Army threaten the thriving community.

Winner – Final Draft Big Break – Historical/Period

Grand Prize Winner – Write/LA

clintwilliams3@gmail.com

–

INSENSIBLE EXISTENCE

Mark LeClair

Action Drama

A Special Forces veteran realizes his revenge slaying of the gang that killed his family won’t bring them back, nor his emotions, which makes him a valuable tool for the Feds. With help from his veteran-brothers, he agrees to take care of a pest problem for the FBI & DEA, but realizes too late that he is being set up and not expected to survive. The most dangerous person alive is one with nothing left to lose.

Semifinalist – 2021 Filmmatic Drama Screenplay Awards

mark.leclair@hotmail.com

–

KISS ME DEAD

Ken Henderson

Fantasy/Thriller

A hard-boiled ex-cop stays on a missing person case even after he’s murdered.

Winner – 2019 PAGE International – Thriller/Horror

Semifinalist (top 50) – 2014 Nicholl Fellowship

Quarterfinalist – 2019 Final Draft Big Break

2nd Round – 2019 Austin Film Festival

Quarterinalist – 2014 Scriptapalooza

kenhenderson@gmail.com

–

LUCKY DIP (short film)

Brian Weston

Drama

Everyone dreams of winning life changing money on the lottery. A big win changes lives. But sometimes not for the best.

bw1707@yahoo.com

–

MAN OF COLOUR

Martin Keady

Historical Drama

MAN OF COLOUR is a biopic of Walter Tull, one of Britain’s first black professional footballers, who was driven out of the game by racism (even from within his own club) but rallied to become one of Britain’s greatest heroes of World War One. 

Best Screenplay (Feature) – 2021 Page Turner Awards

keadym1616@gmail.com

–

MAX & LUPE: TREASURE HUNTERS!

Jane May

Adventure Comedy

MAX AND LUPE: TREASURE HUNTERS! is a movie about a heartbroken and hapless American dude who just wants to enjoy his all inclusive Mexican vacation but gets tangled up with a couple of slick international treasure hunters who are racing against a seriously bad hombre in order to score their biggest prize yet!

janemay11@gmail.com

–

MIDNIGHT

Alvina Charles

Action/Drama

A teenage boy is involved in an underground case to take down his father’s enemy but switches sides when secrets unfold.

riaria200113@gmail.com

–

MISS ME?

G. Leo Maselli

Dark Comedy

After six long years in a French convent, a teenage girl, with a pathological narcissist disorder in full bloom, returns home in California determined on having sex with her hero who just so happens to be her father’s best friend.

donleonado@gmail.com

–

MO’ALLEM

Nerris Nevarez-Nassiri

Coming of Age

When a brilliant Iranian teenager finds out she must give up her dream of going to college for an arranged marriage, she secretly fabricates an identity as a school teacher to obtain an American visa and escape the morning of her wedding.

Finalist – Austin Film Festival

Semifinalist – Vail Film Festival

nerrisnassiri@gmail.com

–

OUT BACK OF BEYOND

Dave Goossen

Comedy

After bungling a multi-million dollar deal, the two women responsible are sent to the Australian outback to save the project but end up battling their ruthless boss to save a quirky town instead.

davegoossen@gmail.com

–

PRELUDE TO A DREAM

David Dinning McDermott

Fantasy, Romance

A story that integrates magic and mythology into the fabric of the modern world, as we follow two lovers across the boundaries of death and time.

Finalist – Bright International Film Festival

Finalist – Beyond The Curve International

Finalist – Hollywood Screenplay Festival

Finalist – European Cinematography Awards

dinningproduction@gmail.com

–

ROMANTIC DOG

Das Bleu

Drama

A struggling musician is at a crossroads with life until he meets an alluring ballroom dancer while staying at the Chateau Marmont.

Semifinalist – Big Apple Agents and Managers Networking Lab

Semifinalist – Big Apple Film Festival and Screenplay Competition

dasxbleu@gmail.com

–

SCARLET SEAS

J.C. Young

Father and daughter hunters pursue a fugitive vampire to the New World; whose blood-thirst unleashed when pirates plunder the ship ferrying her coffin.

Red List selection – Coverfly, Feb 2021, July 2021

Top 20% – Coverfly – Top 20 Action-Adventure Feature Screenplays

Semifinalist – 2020 Filmmatic Screenpay Pitch Competition

Semifinalist – Creative Screenwriting Unique Voices Competition

Quarterfinalist – 2021 Screencraft Sci-Fi & Fantasy

writer.JCYoung@yahoo.com

–

SEX WITH MY EX

Lucy Linger

Romantic Dramedy

An interior designer relives her teenage years, and puts her marriage at risk, when she lands a job working with her first love.

lucy@lucylinger.com

–

STAND TALL!

Vincent Paterno

Romantic Comedy

A Vegas waitress tripled in size becomes a beloved showroom headliner, falls in love with the scientist who accidentally enlarged her, and vows to rescue him when he’s kidnapped by three mutual rivals.

Most Original Concept – Feature Screenplay – LA Under The Stars Film Festival

Best Character – Colleen Cossitt – Die Laughing Film Festival

Finalist – Los Angeles Cinefest

Finalist – Beyond The Curve International Film Festival

Semifinalist – Stage 32 New Voices in Animation Screenwriting Contest

vpaterno0819@gmail.com

–

TALONS

Brent Rouleau

Crime/Mystery/Thriller

While investigating a series of bizarre deaths, a veteran detective who quit big-city crime for small-town policing finds his life in danger when he uncovers a long-hidden black-ops program with ties to the highest level of the American government.

Semifinalist – Screencraft Drama

2nd Round – Austin Film Festival

2nd Round – Launch Pad Feature Competition

leafswinin05@yahoo.ca

–

THE BRIDGE

Persephone Vandegrift

Supernatural Horror

After agreeing to take part in a dangerous séance, a grief-stricken young woman discovers the truth behind an entity’s vengeance against the town and must stop it before it kills again.

sephvee7@gmail.com

–

THE FIRST GENTLEMAN

Mark Gunnion

Action/Romance

When President Rosa Cortez’s secret Camp David peace summit is taken hostage by brutal commandos, her scandalous ex-jock husband Will slips through the cracks. As war hero Rosa fights back from within, they must find a way to save each other – and the Chinese President.

Grand Prize – 23rd Annual Fade-In Screenplay Awards

3rd Place – Action-Adventure – Fresh Voices Screenplay Competition

Semifinalist – StoryPros Screenwriting Competition

Official Selection – 15th Annual “Action On Film” MegaFest in Las Vegas

Official Selection – Vancouver Badass Film Festival

markgunnion@gmail.com

–

THE FUNNY FARM

Robert Ward

Horror

A wisecracking demon slaughters the parents of a farm girl hiding in a cellar… but when the demon extricates her, they battle to a ghastly ending.

Award Winner – 2019 Filmmatic Horror Screenplay

2nd Place – 2019 Best Feature Script – Hollywood Horrorfest

Finalist – 2017 Shriekfest

Nominee – Best Horror Screenplay – iHorror Awards

Grand Prize – Horror – 2016 Hollywood Screenplay Contest

rward@got.net

–

THE MAN OF LA CANADA

Sara Carpenter & Josh Greiveldinger

Comedy

Loosely based on Don Quixote, Alonso, becomes convinced he is a comic book superhero and, with the help of his reluctant best friend, attempts to take down a small town biker gang.

whitebeltfilms@gmail.com

–

TYPHOON BABY

Tad Israel

RomCom

As a typhoon turns his relationship upside down, the man turns from hater to lover.

tadisrael@gmail.com

–

UNDER THE BED

Ethan Chen

Horror/Supernatural Thriller

A young tormented girl Lily befriends a monster that is willing to kill those who wronged her. With each kill the monster changes with Lily changing as well.

Best Unproduced Script – Niagara Falls International Short Festival

Best Unproduced Script – Hong Kong Indie Film Festival

ethan_chen8282@aol.com

–

UNTIE ME

Carol Frome

Thriller

When Sophie and her girlfriend Isabella uncover murder evidence, they don’t know that it will lead Sophie to an unthinkable choice: kill her all-powerful father or be killed.

carolfrome@msn.com

–

WE ARE ROUGH MEN

J.R. Blomberg

Neo-Western Crime Drama

In 1972, a sheriff being investigated for murder must confront his rodeo past when he suspects bull riders in a slew of bank robberies.

jrblomberg75@gmail.com

–

WELCOME TO GARYTOWN

Seth Nelson

Comedy

When a popular podcaster moves back to his rural hometown and discovers his job-hopping childhood friend is living a double life, he must decide whether to go along with the prank, or expose the truth in an effort to boost his career.

Semifinalist – Filmmatic Comedy Screenplay Awards (Season 6)

snelson1076@me.com

–

WORLD WAR 3.0

Glenn Toussaint

Science Fiction

In 2065, a hacker and a group of telepaths lead three rogue nations in a desperate last stand, against the plutocratic world government’s drone forces. 

glen@sandyhornerealestate.com

–

TELEVISION

ANCHOR RIDGE

Christopher O’Bryant

A lawyer is sent to a small southern town to handle a troubled estate, but upon arrival something feeds off the fear and guilt from his past.

If TRUE DETECTIVE investigated THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE in the TWILIGHT ZONE.

obryantcj@gmail.com

–

BINGOMAN

Shauney Taylor

Thriller/Drama

A small town has had two young girls go missing in one month. Can this eight year old girl’s imaginary friend protect her from being the next one caught?

2nd Place – Open Topic Short Film Contest

2nd Place – Raindance Film Festival

taylorsue42@yahoo.com

–

BROKEDOWN

Richard Leone

Crime Drama

Set in Portland, Maine, Detective Sarah Leighton, a Combat Veteran and recovering opioid addict, investigates a drudge related homicide and must choose her career or her family when she finds herself crossing the line between cop and criminal in order to bring down a local drug ring.

richard.leone@gmail.com

–

CHANNEL SURFING

Peter J. Herron

Black Comedy Sketch Show

A half hour black comedy sketch show exploring the world of broadcast television by joining a viewer each week as they jump from channel to channel, catching dark/absurd/social commentary comedic vignettes of the news, TV shows, sports, movies, documentaries, adverts and everything else vomited out the media we consume today. 

peterjherroncartoons@gmail.com

–

FANGIRLS

Gary Barnard

Dramedy

When two best friends learn of a real life crime that mimics one of their favorite comic books, they do everything they can to solve it.

garybarnard25@yahoo.com

–

FATHER BROWN – THE BELLE OF THE BONFIRE (spec)

Karen E. Simmons

Light-comedy murder-mystery BBC series

Two of Father Brown’s friends go undercover at a high-class hotel to find the culprit behind a series of grisly murders, using themselves as bait to draw the killer out of the shadows.

Another of my Father Brown specs – THE WRONG SCONE – won 2nd Place for One-Hour Dramas in the 2021 Scriptapalooza competition

ksimmons511@yahoo.com

–

HER MAJESTY’S MUSKETEERS: LITTLE GIRLS SHOULDN’T PLAY WITH SWORDS

Phillip E. Hardy

Action-Adventure

Beset by enemies conspiring against King Louis XIV, a collection of courageous fighting women come together to train and fight for the greatest swordsman in France, the uncrowned queen.

Winner – Best Action Television Script – Mount Fuji International Film Festival

Official Selection – Las Vegas International Film and Screenwriting Festival

Official Selection – Best Script Award – London

phillip_hrdy@yahoo.com

–

HUMAN GAME 3: THE REVELATION

Nathan Waire aka Nathan Zen-Sapien

Suspense/Thriller

When a psychic begins to have visions of grizzly murders she enlists the help of one serial killing team to hunt down an even bigger threat!

Outstanding Achievement – Madras International Film Festival

Finalist – Toronto CIFT

Official Selection – Medusa Film Festival

Finalist – Best Script – ViZ Awards

nathanwaire@gmail.com

–

INTER-DIMENSIONAL RUNNERS

Alex Rodriguez

Animated Comedy

Prince, a half-demon slacker, falls into another dimension and looks for a way back home in time for ramen night, but is chased by inter-dimensional guards who want to kill her for disrupting the balance.

alejandra.rs92@gmail.com

–

KITT

Maura Campbell

Comedy/Drama

Lonely neuroscientist Susan transfers her cat’s consciousness into a homeless coma patient. But when the cat gets his tongue it sends everyone into a flap, not least the Ethics Committee overseeing her experimental project.

maura.campbell@btinternet.com

–

MALACCA

Benjamin Jimenez

Thriller/Suspense

After the mysterious disappearance of flight MH777 in the Gulf of Malacca, and the reappearance of Dr. Milton James and his six fellow passengers three months later, Dr. James is confronted with a mysterious, life-threatening conspiracy that he and his companions must uncover before it kills them and, what could be worse, these secrets serve to destroy the world as we know it.

bjimenezt@gmail.com

–

MASKED INTENTIONS

Rachel Amy Ritchie & Kate Burcham

Murder-Mystery/Dramedy

When a vindictive murderer rudely interrupts their graduation gala, the university’s supposedly brightest must bare their secrets to unmask the killer and make it to graduation.

raritchie13@yahoo.com

–

OCCUPIED INTELLIGENCE

Collin Lieberg

Historical Drama

Based on a true story. Two newly recruited female Resistance members risk their lives to rescue downed soldiers and translate Nazi secrets as part of a civilian spy ring, only to face betrayal and capture.

2nd Rounder – Austin Film Festival

Top 50 – ISA Fast Track Fellowship

Quarterfinalist – Page Turner Genre Screenplay Competition

Quarterfinalist – Screencraft TV Pilot Competition

collin.lieberg@gmail.com

–

RIVERMEADE

S. E. McKendrick

Fantasy

6 impossible things before breakfast?

  1. travel to a small English village on a whim
  2. find out that fairy tales are the historical documents of a parallel reality
  3. find out you’re cursed
  4. meet a mermaid
  5. meet a troll (who lives under a bridge)
  6. pet a dragon

Okay, that took until lunchtime, but wait ’til you see tomorrow’s schedule!

scripts2020@mail.com

–

SEX PASTA

Pilot – “Tiro”

Rowan Wood

Sitcom

A group of college friends return from winter break to find that things are changing more rapidly than they expected.

marphclon@gmail.com

–

TERRA NOVA

Pilot episode – “Scott”

Jonathan Tedman

Historical/Adventure

Robert Scott leads the Terra Nova expedition to Antarctica in his attempt to become the first human to reach the South Pole.

jonathan.tedman@ntlworld.com

–

THUNDERBOLT

Zachary Thomas Starnes

Crime Drama/True Story

In the late 1970’s, a father and son set to build a legacy by taking a hidden bar in their small town, from a stash house for the mob, to the regions most popular joint and the centerpiece for the true stories of wildly good times and various crimes that circulate it… Everyone has a Thunderbolt story.

zacharytstarnes@gmail.com

–

ZCBD

R.S.J.

Horror

A local street pharmacist is forcefully recruited by a secret  government agency that wants him to distribute a new strain of narcotic to his customers but unbeknownst to him the new drug does more than gets you high but also makes you crave human flesh.

reddyself@gmail.com

–

A few takeaways from 40 scripts

Maximum Z characters, community, description, dialogue, notes, overwriting, pages, pilot, plot, plot points, proofreading, protagonist, punctuation, reading, Richard Walter, screenplay, screenwriting, script, spelling, story, storytelling, structure, UCLA, writing , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Well, that was an experience.

As 2020 wound down, I’d already made the decision to devote 2021 to focus on improving as a writer.

In addition to writing more, that also meant reading scripts more.

I wanted to really work on developing my analytical skills, so on the last day of the year, I put the word out on social media. Want notes on your script? For free? Let me know.

And let me know the screenwriting community did. And then some.

Out of the 75 or so people who responded “Yes, please!”, 40 actually followed through and sent their scripts.

(Apologies to those who missed out. That window is now closed)

It was a fair mix of shorts, pilots, and features.

Since I also wanted to still work on my own material a bit, it all came down to time management. How much time could I dedicate to each script? It worked out to one a day, and about three to four a week.

Granted, these were not the most extensive of notes. Some general observations, questions and comments about the story and the characters, and an insanely large amount of inadvertent proofreading.

I also made sure to preface my notes saying that these were just my thoughts and opinions, so the writer was more then welcome to use or ignore them as they saw fit.

For the most part, the reactions were positive.

“Thank you so much! These are incredibly helpful! This will really help my next draft get to the next level!”

No comments wishing me bodily harm or proclaiming I was an idiot who simply couldn’t grasp their genius, so going with the theory that they approved of what I had to say and just never got around to saying thanks. I’ll ignore this horrific breach of etiquette and still count it as a win.

There was a wide variety of genres and story ideas to be found. Some truly unique and original stuff, as well as more than a few “familiar, but different” approaches to some classic concepts.

What was probably the most surprising result was that the same comments applied to a majority of the scripts, including:

WHAT’S THE STORY?

Since there are no definitive “rules”, I do like to adhere to some strong guidelines regarding structure and plot points.

If I get to around page 25 or 30 and still don’t know what the main story or the protagonist’s goal are supposed to be, there’s a problem.

The writer was too focused on minor issues and details that the main storyline got lost in the shuffle.

SHOW, DON’T TELL, or HOW DO WE KNOW THAT?

A lot of writers would explain what something meant, or what somebody was thinking, or why they were doing it, rather than portraying it visually.

For example, a scene might say something like “Bob stands at the sink, washing dishes. He thinks about the girl he took to the senior prom and how she dumped him to run off with a plumber and now they live in Dayton with four kids and a cranky Pomeranian.”

You know what we’d see on the screen?

Bob washing the dishes.

Or “Jim was lonely.” How would that look?

There was a lot of reminding the writers that film is primarily a visual medium. Describe what we’re seeing and hearing, and let the characters’ actions and words do the heavy lifting.

A subcategory of this is TRUST YOUR READER/AUDIENCE TO FOLLOW ALONG AND FIGURE THINGS OUT

By explaining what we’re seeing or what’s going on, you’re denying the reader/audience the pleasure of figuring things out to help move the story forward.

This might also count as a subcategory, but there were quite a few times a line would say something like “Bob looks to Mary. He apologizes.”, followed by Bob’s dialogue of “I’m sorry.”

I can’t help but think this is because the writer wants to make absolutely sure that you understand what’s happening, so they tell you, and then show you.

Something else a lot of writers fell into the trap of was OVERWRITING (aka BIG BLOCKS OF TEXT)

There would be 4 or 5 lines at a time to describe what was happening in a scene, which for me, really slowed down the read. I want to be zip-zip-zipping along, not taking my foot off the gas to make sure I don’t lose my place.

“The more white space on the page, the better.” Can that paragraph of 4-5 lines be done in 3? 2?

There was also frequent use of “one the best pieces of writing advice I ever got was WRITE AS IF INK COSTS $1000 AN OUNCE” (shoutout to Richard Walter at UCLA) Try to say the most on the page with the least amount of words.

A lot of writers would go into exquisite detail about things not relevant to the plot, such as the decor of an apartment that’s in one scene, or what the extras in the background are wearing, or what happens to a random character in a fight scene. These sorts of things would distract me from following the flow of the primary storyline. I’d read it and wonder “what does this have to do with ____’s story? Would it make a difference if it wasn’t there?”

This one can’t be stressed enough – SPELLCHECK IS NOT YOUR FRIEND!

I get that not everybody has amazing spelling skills, and your eyes might be kind of tired of seeing the same text over and over again. But any writer should really know the difference between ‘your’ and ‘you’re, ‘there’, ‘their’, and “they’re”, and so on.

But when I read that a character “sets down a bag of frozen pees on the kitchen counter”, it makes it kind of tough for me to concentrate on the rest of the story. How can I think about anything else for the next 60-70 pages?

Not sure about spelling or punctuation? A lot of writers make for good proofreaders, so don’t hesitate to ask around for some help.

Friendly reminder – there is no apostrophe in “sees”. It’s “Bob sees Mary,”, not “Bob see’s Mary.” That popped up more than a few times.

Question for anybody who’s ever written a screenplay: do you ever read it out loud? Especially the dialogue. This really helps you get a grasp of how it should sound.

DOES THIS SOUND LIKE SOMETHING SOMEBODY WOULD ACTUALLY SAY?

You don’t want to run the risk of your characters sounding flat or dull, or too “movie-like”, which can include pure exposition (“As you know, I’m the wealthiest man in town who moved here sixteen years ago after striking oil in the Yucca Salt Flats, and now my twin daughters are running against each other for mayor.”) Let your ears be the judge.

Read it out loud. Host a table read (via zoom or eventually in person)

And speaking of dialogue-related items, I try to limit my use of parentheticals as few per script as possible. A lot of the time, they’re either not needed, or can be replaced with an action line (Bob points.) preceding the dialogue (BOB – “Look over there!”).

The context of what the character is saying should convey the appropriate emotion or interpretation. If I had a dollar for every time I saw the use of (sarcastic), I’d have…a lot of dollars.

As has been stated many times on this blog and throughout the screenwriting community, it takes a long time to learn how to write a screenplay, let alone a really good one. I’m not saying I’m an expert, but I believe I have a pretty firm grasp of what it involves, and am glad to have been able to offer my two cents to help other writers improve both their skills and their scripts.

Since this was a pretty significant undertaking, it was also a bit exhausting, so I don’t think I’ll be making the blanket offer again. I’m still open to reading scripts, but am taking a little time off to recuperate and recharge, so drop me a line after 1 April. Schedule permitting, we can work something out.

And a HUGE thanks to everybody who offered to read one of my scripts, which I might take some of you up on as the year progresses.

Okay. Back to work.

Presenting: Your Scripts! (vol 2)

Maximum Z community, genre, pilot, screenplay, screenwriting, script, spec, television, writing , , , , , , ,

Since we’re all part of one big writing community, I wanted to do my part to help support my fellow creatives and offer everybody the opportunity to show off one of their scripts.

A very hearty thanks to all the writers who sent in. A grand total of 88 scripts for film and television, along with a new category loaded with potential – webseries.

Genres of all types are represented here, so there really is something for everybody. If any of the scripts below catch your eye or sound intriguing, please don’t hesitate to contact the writer. I’m sure they’d be more than happy to send it your way.

Happy reading!

FILM

AMASAI AND THE MEANING OF EVIL

Austin Curreri

Animated Action-Adventure

After a near-death brawl, a street-punk turned monk Amasai fuses with the Angel of Justice, embarking on a journey into the Pit to beat up fallen angels, sinners, and Sin himself to end evil.

Screencraft 2019 Fellowship – semifinalist

Screencraft 2019 Animation – quarterfinalist

AustinJCurreri@gmail.com

—

AMERICA UNARMED

Shawn Madeiros

Drama

U.S. President plots a dictatorship using his secret covert force to create chaos so Americans vote to give up their 2nd Amendment rights. The American Gun Club uses its network of U.S. militias in hopes of saving the “Land of the Free”.

shawn.madeirosbiz@outlook.com

—

ANN & DALE GET MARRIED

P.J. Marino

Comedy

During the quarantine, two nerdy teenagers meet at a skate park, fall in love, and hatch a risky plan to leave their depressing town behind.

pjmarino@pjmarino.com

—

BEAUTIFUL LIE or THE UGLY TRUTH

Antonio Shorter

Drama

A male and a female live a happy life together as they dreamed of but jealousy is a common trait that people have and it can lead to consequences that no one wants to go through.

antonioshorter21@gmail.com

—

BORDERLAND

Ken Henderson

Horror

A young farmer struggles to survive a horrific dust storm and the hellish creatures hidden within it.

Screamfest Horror Film Festival – Finalist

kenhenderson@gmail.com

—

BRAINS

Paul Zeidman

Horror/Comedy

Stranded in the rural backcountry, eight high school overachievers find themselves in the middle of an outbreak of an intelligence-destroying virus that turns its victims into mindless savages.

paul.zeidman@gmail.com

—

BUFORD’S ALL NIGHT ZOMBIE DINER

Gregory Blair

Comedy-Horror

The graveyard shift at a lone diner becomes the hilarious, raucous battleground for some disco-dancing, man-eating zombies and a handful of young, hick hash-slingers.

Script World Screenplay Competition – Winner

GBMaximumZ@2writers.com

—

DEVIL I KNOW

Michael McCormick

Horror

Cedar Hills in Boston, the only cemetery in the world with a trolley running through the middle, disturbing the peace of the dead, creating lost souls.

mccmichael333@gmail.com

—

DIAMONDS

Peter Andrews

Comedy – short

Buying jewelry for his girlfriend becomes a hero’s quest when they visit the shop of a family friend.

Austin Film Festival – second rounder

andrews845@verizon.net

—

DO NOT DIVIDE THE DEAD

Jonathan Concepcion

Period Drama

After the Second World War, the USSR censored all information on the Jewish Holocaust. When her last surviving relative – her half-brother, a Photojournalist – goes missing, a self-hating Soviet Jewish survivor goes on a journey to find him, and confronts the identity she left behind.

2018-2019 UK FIlm Festival – Top 50 feature scripts

concepcionjonathan3@gmail.com

—

DREAM NO MORE

Ery De Jong

Horror/Science-Fiction

After a meteor impact, a lesbian couple and their daughter move onto a sailboat to escape civilization’s end, only to realize that an alien force is hunting them through their nightmares.

LGBT Los Angeles Film Festival – Winner – Best Feature Screenplay

erydejong@gmail.com

—

EDEN’S PARADISE

J.E. Swainston

Science-Fiction/Action

In a dystopian future, a young woman leads a small group of survivors, fleeing the dangers of the big city to find sanctuary and build a new home;  better to serve in heaven, than reign in hell.

janetswainston@gmail.com

—

EDISON’S GHOSTBOX

Travis Seppala

Biopic with Horror elements

When Thomas Edison creates a machine to communicate with the dead, it pits him against the most notorious skeptic of the day – Harry Houdini. [based on actual events]

2019 WRAC List – featured

2020 Shoot Your Sizzle – Top 100

2020 Screencraft True Story – quarterfinalist

2020 Table Read My Screenplay – top 100

2020 PAGE International – semifinalist

flannelmann@yahoo.com

—

ENEMY

Clint Williams

Western

After one of their own murders a Comanche boy, a small group of Spanish cavalrymen find themselves stranded without horses deep in hostile territory, facing the dangers posed by vengeful warriors, nature and each other.

clintwilliams3@gmail.com

—

ESET

Dina Mousa

Fantasy-Adventure

In the world of trickery and betrayal of ancient Egypt, an arrogant goddess-queen is forced into a life of hiding and later leads a battle of the gods to save the world from eternal darkness.

dinamamousa@gmail.com

—

EVIL MOM

Michael Raphael Salomon

Folk Horror

A young psychopath’s penchant for darkness comes full circle after hallucinogens, a pagan ritual in the forest and a series of unexplained deaths lead to the unearthing of his family’s hidden past—murder, insanity, incest and human sacrifice.

Austin Film Festival – Second Round

Tracking Board Launchpad – Second Round (still in contention)

dr.ms@earthlink.net

—

GOOD SAINT BINKY

Tom Batha

Dramedy

When a grief-stricken widower decides on suicide he must first travel cross-country to deliver his playful 110 pound Rottweiler to its new home.

Stage 32 Feature Screenwriting Contest – winner

Lato1@comcast.net

—

GRAD NIGHT

John Henderson

Horror

A high school senior races to stop a killer who strikes each year on graduation night before she and her friends become the next dead students walking.

johnmichaelhenderson@gmail.com

—

INITIATE GOD MODE

Ash Willeby

Family Action

On one of the worst days of her life, a blacklisted video game developer gets imbued with her in-game-character’s powers; can she use them to get her life back on track? 

ashwilleby@gmail.com

—

LOCAL HIRE

Cindi Woods

Comedy

A struggling actress who can’t afford to work local hire hits on a sketchy plan to use a nursing home for free lodging but runs into bigger trouble when the plight of her elderly roommate threatens to derail her Hollywood dream.

cindiwoods@gmail.com

—

MABON

Simon Doyle

Horror/Thriller

An elderly woman worries that her frail husband is turning into a different person after leaving hospital, a condition which may be related to the appearance of a mysterious occult group in the area. The Shining meets The Wicker Man.

simon.doyle@doctors.org.uk

—

MARIDIA

John G. McGillivray

Science-Fiction/Horror

After an alien virus wipes out most of humanity’s presence among the stars, a young actor and her sole companion, a talking synthetic eagle, search space for survivors and hope.

john.mcgillivray@gmail.com

—

MECHCRAFT

Brian Fitzpatrick

Science-Fiction

A teen singularity is hunted by relentless enemies for his shape-shifting nanotech ability. It’s The Matrix meets Harry Potter.

The Script Lab Screenwriting Contest – quarterfinalist

Screencraft Sci-Fi/Fantasy – quarterfinalist

Final Draft Big Break – quarterfinalist

PAGE International – quarterfinalist

brianfitzauthor@gmail.com

—

MIA’S ACCIDENTALS

G. DeAngelis

Family-friendly Comedy

An awkward girl determined to lead an elite fife-and-drum corps is thwarted by its powerful director, so she forms her own corps of misfits, and rights an old wrong, when she leads them to a public showdown.

PAGE International – finalist

Humanitas Comedy Fellowship – finalist

deangelis.gina.m@gmail.com

—

MOSLEY MANSION

Stephen Tronicek

Horror

A dangerously obsessive horror fan is invited to her favorite director’s mansion, and must learn to let him go.

stephen.tronicek@gmail.com

—

NANA AND JAKE

Ross Allaire

Family/Science-Fiction

A retired first-grade teacher and her orphaned grandson must outwit an obsessed small-town sheriff in order to save who they think are refugee aliens on a doomed planet.

PAGE International Screenwriting Awards, 2020 – Semi-finalist

rossallaire@gmail.com

—

OUTSOURCED

Tony Ferrendelli

Supernatural Comedy

After a man accidentally sells his girlfriend’s soul to Satan, he must go to Hell to retrieve it.

PAGE International – quarterfinalist

Houston Comedy Film Festival – nominee – Best Feature Screenplay

San Angelo Revolution Film Festival – nominee – Best Feature Screenplay

ISA Fast Track IX Fellowship – top 50 writers

Table Read My Screenplay (Park City) – semifinalist

ajferrendelli@gmail.com

—

OUT THE WINDOW

Lynn Matheson

Drama

A middle-aged woman’s cancer diagnosis becomes her coming of age story when she finally finds her voice and chooses how to live her life.

matheson.lynn@gmail.com

—

PATRIOT-1

Kevin Powers

Action

Disillusioned Delta Force Operator Ken Baker rediscovers the ideal that he fights for after finding himself embroiled in a conspiracy involving a dangerous new faction in Afghanistan, an energy corporation and a traitorous team member.

Recommended by Indie Film Hustle (coverage)

Recommended by WeScreenplay (coverage)

2020 Los Angeles International Screenplay Awards Spring – semifinalist

kevinpowers70@gmail.com

—

PHOENIX

Chaise Gerber

Drama

One night long ago reshaped Maya’s life and forever changed the future of her and her family, and if she’s ever going to move on she must face her scars of the past and rise above.

2020 Screencraft Drama – semifinalist

chaisesgerber@gmail.com

—

PICK UP SIDNEY

Natalie Higdon

Comedy

After her life falls apart, a struggling actress goes on a haphazard journey with her estranged half-brother in order to pick up her late stepfather’s inheritance, forcing her to come to terms with the family she left behind.

2020 Nicholl Fellowship – quarterfinalist

LiveRead/LA – official selection

2020 Screencraft Fellowship – semifinalist

natalie.higdon@gmail.com

—

PING

Ryan J. Murphy

Horror

A journalism student stumbles upon a mystery involving a deadly spirit who is murdering rideshare drivers. Think The Ring without a videotape.

ryanjmurphy107@gmail.com

—

PLAYTHINGS

Brendon Udy

Horror/Thriller

A woman flees her abusive partner, only to find herself captive in a strange Victorian home. Now tormented by the larger-than-life homeowner, the woman must make a daring escape before her bones are ground to make bread.

brendon.u@gmail.com

—

QUICKLY QUIETLY

Jeff Haber

Action/Thriller

A federal undercover agent pursues a bomb suspect through a luxury hotel, but must do so in silence.

j.r.haber@att.net

—

REFLECTION OF VENUS

Rebecca M. Gintz & Sarah K. Croshaw

Horror

A young computer programmer’s life is in jeopardy after she purchases an antique that an evil entity is attached to. Being agnostic, she struggles to accept the paranormal activity in her home and seeks psychiatric help.

2020 Script Summit – Winner – Horror Feature

2020 Script Summit – Winner – Golden Age

joshrebeccagintz@yahoo.com

—

ROOMS OF EXPERIENCE

Steffany Sommers

Drama

An up-and-coming district attorney is compelled to confront her own painful past when she prosecutes an elderly woman who took the life of her severely disabled adult son.

Script Summit – Debra Landwehr Engle Fellowship – winner

Diverse Voices Screenwriting Competition – semifinalist

steffanysommers@yahoo.com

—

SELDON SEEN

Peter R. Feuchtwanger

Romantic Dramedy

After starting at a new high school, a charmingly quirky teen with a delusional disorder, or “daydreaming on steroids,” falls quickly for another new student but, after finding that she has bipolar disorder, the two lovebirds struggle to find order in their disorders.

Screencraft Comedy – finalist

The Script Lab Free Screenplay Contest – finalist

Filmmatic Comedy Awards – semifinalist

Big Apple Film Festival – semifinalist

PRFProductions@gmail.com

—

SEVEN FOR AN AUGUST NIGHT

Nicolas Edelbach

True Crime – Drama/Black Comedy

The night after Sharon Tate and four others were murdered, Charles Manson, along with six family members, spends the night driving around Los Angeles county seeking two more homes to continue their kill spree; but not everyone in the car is on board with the plan.

nicolasedelbach@hotmail.com

—

SHADOW MEN

Kent Hill & Sean Francis Ellis

Action/Science-Fiction/Thriller

When his friend disappears in a secluded mountain town, a former Special Forces Soldier discovers the townspeople are being subjected to mind control experiments by a secret organisation.

deathstalker2rules@gmail.com

—

SILENT MOMENTS

Wesley Chambers

Drama

While mourning her sister’s suicide, a recently discharged soldier seeks to ruin the life of the therapist she blames for the death.

wesleypchambers@gmail.com

—

SOUL PASSAGE

Patrick Mediate and Kristin Ilagan

Adventure/Thriller/Horror

A clever ex-NYPD cop turned small town detective on the verge of retirement is forced to take on one last case when his teenage daughter is abducted. His investigation leads him from Suburbia to the underground world of Haitian voodooism where he finds out that the kidnappers’ intentions are darker and more sinister than he could have ever imagined. In a race against time, he must suspend his conventional beliefs and accept the world of the supernatural in order to save her from a fate worse than death.

Winner – New Orleans Horror Film Festival

Winner – Mile High Horror Film Festival

Winner – The Magic of Horror

Winner – The Los Angeles Film Awards

Second Rounder – The Austin Film Festival

Quarterfinalist – Screencraft Horror

…and over 15 additional Official Selections, Award nominations or wins.

patrick.mediate@gmail.com

—

SPACEMUTT: THE MOVIE

Anthony Moore

Animated Science-Fiction

The self-proclaimed greatest hero of all space and time is supposed to rescue a Prince from an enemy planet before his upcoming coronation, there’s only one problem, the kid doesn’t want to go.

Future Film Writers – 5-Page Read – winner

Flixze Film Festival – finalist

Las Vegas International Film and Screenwriting Festival – in consideration

techrat@live.com

—

STAKES FOR SUCCESS

Darcie Gray

Romantic Comedy

A woman strives for the dream career in male dominated 1980s NYC, but love could jeopardize everything in this high stakes world of blinding lights, fabulous fashion and electro beats.

dgray8228@gmail.com

—

SURVIVAL AS A GHOSTWRITER

Ericka S. Gomez

Comedy – short film

A lyrical genius decides his key to acceptance is through the Hip-Hop battles at his new high school until a popular senior threatens to ruin his life by forcing him to ghostwrite his lyrics.

Columbus Black International Film Festival – Winner – Best Comedy Short Screenplay

Houston Comedy Film Festival – Winner-Best Comedy Short Screenplay

Script Summit Film Festival – 3rd Place – Best Michigan Short Screenplay

Portland Film Festival – finalist – Best Comedy Short Screenplay

Summer In The South Film Festival – finalist – Best Comedy Short Screenplay

Filmatic Short Screenplay Awards – semifinalist – Best Comedy Short Screenplay

diversefilms79@gmail.com

—

THE AXIS NOXIOUS

Jay Han-San

Drama-Fantasy-Mystery

The perfect world of an angel of death turns upside down when he falls in love with an angel of life putting him on a path of self-discovery.

jayhanbooks@gmail.com

—

THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT

R.J. Anderson

Christmas Comedy-Drama

When a Christmas Spirit transfers into a young boy, two families struggle to return it before Christmas is forgotten.

rjandersonusmc@gmail.com

—

THE FAMILY JEWELS

Elizabeth Ditty

Romantic Dramedy

In the days before their mother’s funeral, a newly-jilted former trust fund kid leaves her siblings in the lurch when she embarks on an emergency road trip to discover the truth about her parents’ marriage, her mother’s massive jewelry collection, and herself.

Screencraft Comedy – quarterfinalist

Screencraft Drama – quarterfinalist

Austin Film Festival – second rounder

izzi.ditty@gmail.com

—

THE GRADUAL DETERIORATION OF WALTER TWIG

L.S. Garvey

Science-Fiction/Fantasy Romance

When his mirror image goes rogue and steals his girlfriend, a mentally ill cello prodigy struggles to control his reflection in order to save his girlfriend before he loses her to the other side of the mirror forever.

Austin Film Festival – semifinalist (top 2%) – advanced in comedy, sci-fi, horror, and Enderby (can be made for under $10M)

lsgarvey@hotmail.com

—

THE INTRUDER

Robert Rhyne

Horror

After moving into an isolated farm with a strange history of suicides, a newly-single mother discovers a ghostly intruder living there, and must protect her troubled teenage son from becoming his next victim.

Stage 32 Search for New Blood – first place

Horror Hotel Screenplay Contest – finalist

Shriekfest – finalist

After placing highly in the 13 Horror.com screenplay contest, “The Intruder” was published by the contest sponsor as a paperback and kindle e-book, now available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Walmart’s platforms.

randprhyne@aol.com

—

THE KEEPER

Kevin Nelson

Historical Drama

The incredible true story of Ida Lewis, a lighthouse keeper who saved dozens of lives while facing the struggles of a woman thriving during the Reconstruction Era. 

2019 ScreenCraft Public Domain & True Story – finalist

2020 Nicholl Fellowship – top 20%

2020 Launch Pad Feature Competition (Pending) – quarterfinalist

2018 Austin Film Festival – second rounder

2020 Atlanta Film Festival Screenwriting Competition – quarterfinalist

kevinnelsonwriter@gmail.com

—

THE LACKEYS

Johnny Dinh

Horror/Thriller

A group of ex-henchmen find themselves abducted by their old boss, and now must escape his lethal torture rooms. 

johnny_n_dinh@yahoo.com

—

THE LEGEND OF YAKATUTCH

Sean Francis Ellis

Horror/Science-Fiction/Adventure

A snowboarding champion must embrace his First Nations heritage to save his girlfriend from a legendary beast, which needs her DNA to restore its humanity.

2016 Toronto Horror Film & Screenplay Festival – finalist

2017 Beverly Hills Film Festival Screenplay Competition – official selection

2017 Screencraft Screenwriting Fellowship – quarterfinalist

seanfrancisellis@gmail.com

—

THE MAN WITH A GLOVE

Suzanne Lutas

Supernatural Thriller

When a claustrophobic art intern is held captive, she must restore a mysterious painting which has more inside than just paint.

2018 Screencraft Horror – quarterfinalist

2020 The Script Lab Free Screenplay – quarterfinalist

2019 Pitch Now Screenwriting Competition – finalist – Thriller/Horror

2020 Miami Screenplay Contest – semifinalist

2020 Wiki Screenplay Contest – semifinalist

suzannebl@mail.pf

—

THE NETHER GLOOM

Amir Olin

Horror/Mystery/Supernatural

A priest breaks the seal of confession over a series of child murders and reveals it in a court. The murderer is sent to prison, where he gets killed by co-prisoners. Soon, something evil settles in the priest’s house.

amirolin@yahoo.com

—

THE RED ARROW

Mark Rodney, Ronald Wenick, and Anat Golan

Biopic Drama

A famous Grammy-nominated jazz musician by day and con-artist by night must sacrifice himself to save his son in 60’s  Vegas, after the two get in way over their heads with schemes involving the US Army, Howard Hughes, Sonny Liston, Sheriff Ralph Lamb, and the mob.

Sundance – finalist (special mention for finishing in top 4%)

StoryPros – finalist

Scriptapalooza – semifinalist

info@thewritescript.com

—

THE ROAD KINGS

Jerron Spencer

Horror/Comedy

Resurrected as avatars of Heaven, Elvis Presley and Jim Morrison fight evil– and their own sinful natures– as they battle to save a small town from the wrath of a vengeful demon queen seeking to create hell on earth.

jerronspencer@gmail.com

—

THEO JESSUP, TEEN “GENE”-IUS

Isaac D. Lucas

Action/Thriller

A savvy teen is forced to flee when a greedy scientist hunts him down to harvest his advanced DNA as a cancer cure.

kiwee@y7mail.com

—

THROWBACK

Rachel Woolley

Horror/Comedy

Adult girlfriends struggling to reconnect at an old-school slumber party must fight for their lives when the “dream dudes” from their dating board game manifest in the flesh…and turn out to be total nightmares.

Women In Horror Fest – Winner, Best Feature

Screencraft Horror – finalist

RachelWooley@outlook.com

—

VERMIN

Pat Semler

Horror

A world-weary oil wildcatter and a strident biology student must work together when a fracking drill site she’s documenting is overrun with radioactive carnivorous moles.

patriciasemler@gmail.com

—

WHEN IN ROME

Jeff Naparstek

Romantic Comedy

Embark on this zany romp through ancient Rome as a struggling farmer vies for the hand of the emperor’s daughter. Cat and mouse games abound in this wacky tale of love and sport. Buckle up for a fun ride!

2019 Houston Comedy Film Festival – winner

2019 Portland [Oregon] Comedy Film Festival – winner

2020 Austin Revolution Film Festival – semifinalist

2020 Indie Gathering Film Festival – 3rd Place – Rom-Com Category

2020 Page International Screenwriting Awards – semifinalist

2020 Creative Screenwriting Unique Voices – semifinalist – 2020

2020 Red Flight Pictures Screenplay Awards – semifinalist

propwriter1@gmail.com

—

TELEVISION

AIDA

Niya Kapree Johnson

Historical Horror

In 1720, Aida, a young enslaved African woman takes part in a ritual gone wrong, resulting in the creation of the first of her kind, werewolves. Fighting those who wish to oppress them is just the beginning of Aida’s problems when Captain Billy, a mysterious supernatural being, blows into town looking to cause trouble for Aida and her pack.

niyakapreehonson@gmail.com

—

AWAKENING

Zaelyna Beck


Drama/Supernatural – pilot

After getting fired from a temp agency, a chronic insomniac takes up meditation therapy, where she befriends a comatose girl and awakens a supernatural gift within her that could forge a new career.

zaelyna@gmail.com

—

BUBBY

Cari Haim

Comedy

Bubby, a recently widowed Jewish grandmother, moves into her daughter’s happy family home. Will their conflicts about religion, raising kids, and family traditions bring them closer together, or create a permanent rift?

cariteacher@hotmail.com

—

DEBT

Christopher J. O’Bryant

Crime Drama

Debt collection is a multi-billion dollar industry. Career collector, JOSH, life falls apart after he repossesses the wrong car and winds up confronted by dangerous men who will kill to keep their secrets.

2020 Page International – finalist (top 10 best drama pilot scripts)

chris@obryant.ws

—

DOG MEN

Andrew Orillion

Fantasy Police Procedural

After being thrown out of his guild in the Medieval fantasy port metropolis of Dog’s Head, a former apprentice wizard finds a new lease on life when he joins the local police force known as the Dog Men.

andrew.orillion@gmail.com

—

EPHEMERAL

Justin Olson

Science-Fiction/Drama

A guilt-ridden physicist resurrects the hometown he destroyed decades ago inside a massive Time Sphere, giving himself just 27 hours to save his wife and son from nuclear catastrophe.

Write LA – finalist

nojustlions@gmail.com

—

FABRICATIONS

James Tichenor

Science-Fiction – pilot

A recovered addict hitching rides to track down her abducted six-year-old son joins forces with a mistrustful independent trucker to combat the first wave of an alien invasion hidden in his sealed cargo.

2020 TSL Free Script contest – semifinalist

2020 Screencraft Sci-Fi – quarterfinalist

james.l.tichenor@gmail.com

—

FLAGRANT

Isaiah Taylor

Half-hour Dramedy

A Black student-athlete from the West coast gets a culture-shock after receiving a basketball scholarship from a Midwest university. Now he must overcome racial prejudices to find his place and leave a lasting impact on the basketball team.

taylor.isaiahr@gmail.com

—

GARYTOWN

Seth Nelson

Comedy

An irresponsible deadhead taxidermist continues the prank of a lifetime, until a nosy talk-singing podcaster uncovers his true identity, sending his life into a depressive downward spiral of despair.

snelson1076@me.com

—

GROUNDLING

David Priest

Supernatural Crime Thriller

In a small Arkansas town plagued by mysterious disappearances, a doubting monk in search of cosmic meaning uncovers a secret tradition of his order that might save the townspeople, at grave risk to his own soul.

david.priest12345@gmail.com

—

HADES

Michael Boaks

Medical/Crime Drama

An ER doctor struck off. A crime boss diagnosed with cancer. Gangland tensions rising. This could be the start of a beautiful friendship…

2020 Austin Film Festival – second round

2020 LA International Screenplay Awards – finalist

michaelboaks@hotmail.com

—

HIRE POWER

Nick Burrows

Comedy/Drama pilot

A trainee recruiter quickly learns about the dark side of the industry when he pursues his future father-in-law as a client. As his personal and professional lives collide his future at the firm is thrown into doubt by a contentious merger with their biggest rivals.

ndburrows@hotmail.com 

—

I’M FINE

Teresa Warner

One-hour Dramedy

After her father commits suicide, Katie, must learns to navigate her grief and this new part of adulthood with the help of a suicide loss support group. Maybe with their help she can figure out if her father is actually haunting or she’s going crazy.

twarner@alumni.flagler.edu

—

MANTIS

Janese Taylor

Action/Thriller limited series

After freeing a group of teenagers from a sex-trafficking ring, a Black female vigilante’s own personal plans go awry when a Russian syndicate puts a price on her head.

San Francisco International Screenwriting Competition – semifinalist

Austin Film Festival – 2nd rounder

Coverfly Red List – #4 for Action Television in October 2020

janese16@gmail.com

—

MOODY & THE GHOST

Kim Hornsby

Dramedy/Suspense/Romance

After a horrific car accident that takes her sight and robs her of telepathy, a kickass ghost hunter with a popular YouTube show finds both senses restored in the presence of a sea captain ghost from 1850 who strikes a deal to enable her if she’ll help him pass on.

Austin Film Festival – 2nd rounder

Imaginarium Screenplay Contest – finalist

Table Read My Screenplay – top 100

kimhornsby@yahoo.com

—

OCCUPIED INTELLIGENCE

Collin Lieberg

Historical Drama pilot

Based on a true story. Two women risk their lives to rescue downed soldiers and translate Nazi intelligence as part of a civilian spy ring, only to face betrayal and capture.

Page Turner GENRE – quarterfinalist

Screencraft TV Pilot – quarterfinalist (still in contention)

collin.lieberg@gmail.com

—

PEREGRINE

Joan Albright

Science-Fiction/Action/Drama

Trapped in the demilitarized zone between warring American states, a disavowed soldier must keep her half-brother alive while evading the gangs which feud over the Zone’s meager resources.

joanalbrightwrites@gmail.com

—

PLAINSVILLE

S.E. McKendrick

Science-Fiction – pilot

Welcome to Plainsville, the town on the edge of the final frontier.

scripts2020@mail.com

—

SHELTERED

Layla Cummins

Supernatural Crime Drama

A homeless mother witnesses the strange murder of a political activist on the streets of Bristol and becomes the new target of a killer-for-hire summoned by society’s wealthy elite.

laylacummins@hotmail.co.uk

—

SLIM CHANCE

Erick Buckley

Fantasy

Chance Blood, a luckless, middle-aged Dad stumbling through a mess of a life, haplessly becomes the avatar of Eris, Goddess of Creative Chaos and must cope with Gods and Goddesses, Monsters and Demons, his kids and ex-wife, and his new place in this ever stranger Universe.

erickbuckley@gmail.com

—

SOUTHERN FRIED

Guy Crawford

½ hour comedy-dramedy

A prodigal daughter and her surprise fiance return to her small southern hometown to take over the family diner, setting up a collision of worlds and values that leaves everyone trying to figure out how to coexist  in the new normal.

You can take a peek at selected scenes of this LBGTQ-diverse cast script being performed on the Southern Fried episode at thethingforawd.com.

guyc2_2000@yahoo.com

—

TEACH

Michael Hager

Comedy

Two teachers grapple virtually with difficult parents, manipulative administrators, and absurd colleagues, all while maintaining a shred of a romantic relationship in the time of COVID.

michaelhag@gmail.com

—

THE DOLL HOUSE

Elisabeth Joplin

Drama – pilot

After walking away from a long term relationship, a young woman gets a job as a sex worker where the lines on morality begin to blur.

mslizjoplin@gmail.com

—

THE HOLLYWOOD CANTEEN

Alison C. Wroblewski

Drama/Period/Crime

When the Hollywood Canteen opens to fanfare in 1942, a secretary, soldier, and star decide if they still want “in” while a murderer lurks in the shadows.

WeScreenplay TV Pilot – quarterfinalist

alisoncrews@mac.com

—

THE KINGS OF SUBURBIA

Justin & Chris Cleroux

Crime Drama

A debt-ridden doormat of a suburban dad starts to seize opportunity after a chance encounter with two familiar, unexpected robbers.

justindcleroux@gmail.com

—

THE PATSY

Irene Platt

Crime – pilot

A senator’s wife is tortured through a cochlear implant she doesn’t know she has…

legalsurfer95@gmail.com

—

YUAN YUAN AND THE HOLLOW MONSTER

Catherine Chen

Family Animation

Eight-year-old Jackie is determined to protect her newest pet, a tiny turtle named Lucy, at all costs. Even if it means chasing down a massive hurricane called the Hollow Monster.

Student Academy Awards – semifinalist (short film)

Animation Block Party – Best Animation for Kids

yuananim@gmail.com

—

WEBSERIES

ALL SAINTS

Aray Brown

Drama/Thriller

When a brainwashed girl must kill her uncle and sacrifice his blood to a cult God, she joins forces with an unconventional cop to save her soul.

brown.aray@gmail.com