reading

From the archives: May I be of some assistance?

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“Be with you folks in a minute.”

Not the first time I reposted this one, but was reminded about it after a great chat with a screenwriting colleague earlier this week asking for some help in promoting her FREE class on writing a Christmas movie. Details down at the bottom.

In the meantime, please once again enjoy this post from July 2019.

For the most part, working towards making it as a screenwriter is a solitary effort. You’re the one who has to write the script and get it out there. It’s a tough journey, but you don’t have to go it alone.

Hence – networking.

Making that initial contact is great, but you should also strive to make it worth the other person’s while as much as you are for yourself.

Once you start to build up your own personal community of Other Writers, and those relationships gradually develop beyond the “Hi. Nice to meet you” stage, you’ll naturally seek out some help in the form of feedback – your latest draft, a query, a logline, what have you.

And that’s all well and good, but it’s equally important, if not more so, for you to return the favor. Rather than just popping up and saying “Hey, would you read my script?”, try “Hey, we’ve known each other a while, and you seem to know what you’re talking about, so would you be open to reading my script? And I’d be more than happy to reading one of yours.”

Helpful tip #1 – don’t be the person who asks for notes but isn’t willing to give them.

Helpful tip #2 – even if you don’t like what their notes say, you still need to hold up your end of the bargain and give them notes – especially if you’re the one who asked in the first place.

Sometimes the best kind of help is when it’s unexpected – either from you or from somebody you know.

A few years ago, a producer friend of a friend was looking for a certain kind of project. I didn’t have anything that met their criteria, but offered to post the listing on a few social media platforms. At least 20 writers responded. I sent their info to the producer, who then contacted a few of them (as far as I know).

What did I get out of it? Just being happy to help and the appreciation from all the writers – even the ones the producer didn’t follow up with.

I’ve also been fortunate to be on the receiving end, with friends sending me emails and messages about listings seeking scripts like mine.

A little effort really does go a long way – anything from forwarding a script or job listing to a few words of encouragement, or even offering congratulations for somebody achieving some kind of accomplishment. Don’t you like when somebody does that sort of thing for you?

As much as we’re all working towards our own individual success, we’re also part of a community; one where each member should help support the others in whatever way they can.

-Screenwriter Isabel Drean has a new online course called “Break Into The Industry With A Christmas Movie“. It’s free and only runs for 28 minutes. There are also links to other online courses Isabel offers. She’s a veteran screenwriter, including selling five scripts which were all produced in an 18-month span.

A few more hurdles to go…

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Several days and a lot of pages marked up with red ink later, the latest draft of the animated fantasy-comedy is complete.

But no resting on the laurels for this guy.

I have a few other pending projects that need my attention, and then it’s one more read-through to fix any new issues. That draft will then go to some readers, most likely resulting in another draft. After that, maybe a contest or two.

There weren’t a lot of major changes for this round; more like lots and lots of little ones. A changed word or phrase here, the reorganizing of action lines or dialogue, that sort of thing. Nothing too drastic, but just enough to make a difference.

Additionally, after all the time I spent on a potential new title, I decided to stick with the original one. For now, at least. If a producer wants to buy it and then change it, who am I to say no? Once the check clears, of course.

And a huge shoutout to all the readers whose notes made a big difference.

Overall, I’m quite happy with how it turned out. I’m glad I took my time and didn’t rush it. It feels more put-together than before, and hopefully the end result will be as rock-solid as it can be.

Fingers crossed.

My industrious red pen

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Another shorty today, but worth mentioning.

Wrapped up a rewrite of the animated fantasy-comedy. Implemented a good deal of changes and suggestions from several sets of notes. Really liked the results.

Printed it out, and am now going through through it line by line for additional edits, tweaks, etc.

After that – sending it to a handful of readers. Still deciding who to ask – those who saw a much earlier version, or potentially somebody new.

I was also feeling somewhat bothered regarding how long this whole process is taking. A LOT of time has been spent on this script.

But then I see comments on social media from friends who are also completing their latest draft, including some that have been working on it just as long, or even longer than I have.

Which makes me feel not so bad.

IT TAKES AS LONG AS IT TAKES.

I’ll get there.

From the archives: Try the direct approach

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Nice to see you again. Mind if I ask you something?

In June, there was an event on Twitter (I’m not calling it the other thing) called ScreenPit, where writers listed the loglines for their scripts in the hopes of garnering interest. Trust me when I say there were A LOT of scripts listed. Some I’d read before, some I’d heard of, and most that were new to me.

If something caught my eye – the title, the logline, the concept, I’d reach out and ask the writer if I could read it.

Nobody said no, and they were all thrilled to be asked. Some even asked to read my stuff.

This whole experience reminded me of a post from Dec 2016. Enjoy.

Sometime last week, I received a very nice compliment via on online forum regarding the quality of the script notes I give. A mutual associate of ours chimed in with the grumbly “Well, he never does it for me.”

To which I responded “Because you never ask.”

I don’t know what this writer’s standard M.O. is for getting notes, but from what I can gather, usually involves them posting “Anybody want to read my stuff?”

There’s nothing wrong with that, but the drawback is you run the risk of getting feedback from somebody with less experience than you, or worse, has no idea what they’re talking about.

This is why networking and establishing relationships with other writers is so important. If someone posted a generic request for a read, I’d be less inclined to respond. Even if I knew the person. I figure they’ll probably get a few other responses, so why bother?

But if someone came to me specifically and said “If you have the time, would you be able to read this?”, I wouldn’t hesitate to say yes. This shows me that they value my experience and opinions, along with respecting that I can’t simply drop everything to accommodate them. They’ll also include an offer to read something of mine, if I’m interested.

Sometimes I’ll get an email asking me for a read, and it might be because of any number of reasons. They’ve read my stuff before and think this new script is similar. They know I have an eye for fill-in-the-blank. All of this could only have come from myself and this other writer having already established a good professional relationship.

While I always encourage writers to get out there and network, it’s also important to build on those connections once you’ve got them. You don’t have to become somebody’s best friend, but being supportive or offering the occasional words of encouragement really go a long way. Plus, people are much more likely to remember that sort of thing, adding to the likelihood they’d be willing to help you out.

More than often I’ve read about another writer’s projects and introduce myself, tell them how I found them (usually via the forums) and of my interest in the script in question, then ask if they’re cool with me taking a look at it. It’s a rare occurrence when someone says no.

Both of you are writers constantly striving to improve, and some good, solid feedback can play a big part in that. And that can be best achieved by getting to know other writers and treating with the same respect you’d expect to be treated with yourself.

-Like I wrote about a few weeks ago, the 9-week summer session of Kaia Alexander’s Entertainment Business School begins on August 5th. This weekend is your last opportunity to sign up and have access to the wealth of info, advice, and guidance about the business of show that Kaia has to offer. And if you use the code PZ50S24, you’ll get $50 off the enrollment fee. Kaia really knows her stuff, so if you’re serious about wanting to learn more about having a career in screenwriting or TV, her course is a great place to start.

My Austin experience

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The 30th Austin Film Festival is in the books, and I had the pleasure of attending for the first time. There was also the bonus of my script being a Second Rounder. Twice. More on that in a minute.

Before I went, a friend who’d been there several times offered up some very sage advice:

“Don’t go expecting it to be a career-launcher. While that might be a remote possibility, go with the intent of meeting people, maybe learning a few things about the craft, and most importantly – to have a good time.”

I took all of those to heart, and it most definitely paid off.

For me the absolute best part was getting to meet an extraordinary amount of people I’d only known through social media; a lot of writers I’ve interacted with for years. It was fabulous to be able to talk with them face-to-face. Whether it was over coffee or drinks, a meal or just waiting in line for one of the many panels, just being able to chat (or shout, depending on the location) with each other was extremely pleasant.

Like a lot of writers, I can be quiet at first before I feel comfortable enough to open up and be more social. In the days leading up to the festival, I was terrified it would be another one of those “Everybody’s talking to somebody while I’m just sitting/standing here by myself”-type of situations.

And I hate those.

More than a few people told me it’s very easy to start a conversation in Austin. You see somebody wearing a badge and just start talking. I figured I’d give it a try.

The easiest place to do this was in line, of which there are MANY. A bit awkward at first, but this ended up happening a lot. One of my favorite parts was asking somebody about their script or scripts, which were listed on their badge if it had placed. I love seeing and hearing a writer talk about their work – you really can see their excitement about it on display. I even got a few “I’d love to read that” in response to them hearing about mine – always nice.

Another great thing was the wide variety of panels being offered. I think this will be the last time I’ll feel the need to go to any of the “how to break in”-type panels. While the information was good, none of it was anything I hadn’t already heard many times before. I didn’t mind attending them, but next time I’ll be able to focus more on the ones that feel a little more tailored to my kind of writing (e.g. Deconstructing the Action Movie, Tentpole Storytelling, etc.).

With my script being a Second Rounder, I had the opportunity to attend some roundtable panels, which involved industry pros chatting with some of us at a table for about 12-15 minutes, then moving on to another table. The ones I got to hear ranged from TV writers to a screenwriter who’s had several films produced over the past few years.

Regarding my earlier comment about my script being a Second Rounder twice. I’d entered the animated fantasy-comedy before the early bird deadline, but then did a few rewrites on it and thought it was a lot better, so I rolled the dice and entered it again before the final deadline. I felt it was worth paying another entry fee. I was thrilled when I got the phone call saying the script was a Second Rounder, but then remembered I’d entered it twice. Was this for the first or second entry? The first, I was told. This gave me hope that the second entry might have a shot at making the semifinals. A few weeks later, another phone call came in to congratulate me for my script being a Second Rounder. Not what I was hoping for, but still really nice to hear. It was the first time a script of mine ever made Second Round, so to also be attending the Festival for the first time was a double-win.

One of the things that wasn’t as great a match for me was the late night activities. Much as I wanted to take part, a combination of decades of my body being used to getting up in the middle of the night for work and non-stop activity from dawn to dusk resulted in me being totally spent at the end of the day. Hitting a party or visiting a bar at 11pm or midnight might work for some, but not this guy

I could talk about other peripheral things like where to stay, good places to eat & drink, and that sort of thing, but that’s more of an individual choice. Part of the fun was the exploring of the downtown Austin area. Although I will add that dinner at Gus’ World Famous Fried Chicken was phenomenal.

If you’re a screenwriter who hasn’t had the chance to attend the Austin Film Festival, it’s something I highly recommend. It’s truly an experience you won’t forget and hopefully be one you’ll be eager to repeat. I don’t plan on doing any contests for 2024, so I’ll probably skip going to Austin next year; more likely ’25 or ’26. Or as one of my friends put it: “You should come back when they’re talking about the movie that you wrote.”

I like that option the most. Working on it.

**One more thing: I tested positive for Covid upon my return home. Another first-time experience, and another reason this trip will be truly memorable. This has also happened for several other friends, so if you haven’t tested yet, DO SO IMMEDIATELY and take the appropriate action.