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Put your best script forward

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With the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes over, an event originally planned for earlier this year can now take place.

That’s right. It’s time for the triumphant return of The Maximum Z Winter ’23 Script Showcase!

Got a feature or short screenplay, or a TV script you want the rest of the world to know about? This is your chance to do exactly that – for the incredibly reasonable price of ABSOLUTELY FREE.

On Friday, December 22nd, a list of scripts easily available and shareable with pretty much anybody will be posted here, and yours could be part of it. I’ll also post a link to it on a few other platforms, thereby enabling as much access to it as possible. You are also more than welcome to do the same so you can proudly proclaim “Hey! Check it out! My script’s in here!”. What better way to toot your own horn?

And since it’ll be a wide assortment of scripts, chances are some of the listings could make you think “Hey, I’d like to read that!” Each listing already includes the writer’s email, so it’s a piece of cake to contact them directly and say “Hey, can I read this?”

What a bargain, huh?

Submissions accepted between now and Thursday, Dec 21st.

Here’s how it works:

Email the following info here with the subject line “Maximum Z Winter ’23 Script Showcase”

-Film or TV?

-Title

-Author(s)

-Genre(s)

-Logline

-Awards (if applicable) – limit of 5

-your email

That’s all. Pretty simple, right?

However, there are two very important details to keep in mind:

-ONLY ONE SCRIPT PER PERSON

and

-DO NOT SEND THE SCRIPT!!

Previously-listed scripts are okay, but new scripts are encouraged.

Also highly encouraged – PROOFREAD YOUR EMAIL BEFORE SENDING!! Is all the info correct? No typos? I’ve received more than a few over the years that could have used a good edit. How it’s written in your email is how it’ll be written in the post.

The inbox is open with a deadline of Thursday, December 21st, so don’t delay and send today!

Looking forward to seeing what you’ve got.

Socializing from the comfort of your own home

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Over the past year and a half or so, I’ve taken part in an increasing number of Zoom calls with other writers. Sometimes it’s a group thing – usually involving breakout rooms, and sometimes it’s a no frills one-on-one.

Much as I love meeting with other people in person, these are a darned good alternative.

If you haven’t allowed yourself the pleasure of being involved with this, you’re doing yourself a great disservice. Networking is a key part of being a screenwriter, and this really is a golden opportunity to do that.

At its heart, it’s just a conversation between two (or a few more) people. Just shootin’ the breeze.

The biggest benefit is just being able to talk to somebody equally as familiar with all the trials and tribulations of being a screenwriter. Topics of discussion usually include where we’re from/where we are, how we got started, what our scripts are about, what we like to write, and what we’re working on.

I always get a special satisfaction seeing somebody get excited and enthusiastic when they talk about their work.

Granted, non-writing topics are usually also involved, but eventually it all works back to that one detail we all have in common.

What’s also great is that geography doesn’t play a factor in any of this. I’ve had conversations with writers in my neck of the woods and those literally on the other side of the planet, which is kind of mind-blowing when you really think about it.

As we all know, writing is primarily a solitary activity, and most of us welcome the chance to interact with somebody. The detail that this version of it is while both of you are sitting at your desk is a minor one.

Is there a writer you know via social media you’d want to talk to? Ask them. Chances are they’ll be more than happy to do it. A lot of the time the biggest obstacles are timing and scheduling – especially if you’re in different time zones. It might take a little time to coordinate, but once it’s set and the chat begins, it’s a pretty safe bet you’ll both have a great time.

And as we head into the holiday season, some writers might even see the chance to take an hour out of their day to just sit and talk with another writer as the respite they didn’t know they needed. It’s always great talking to a kindred spirit, and talking about your respective works can be a real boost and/or motivator for creativity.

So don’t hesitate to take advantage of the fact that the technology is easily available for you to have a great conversation with, and potentially establish a professional relationship with another writer, no matter where they are.

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.

Behold the tactile experience

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A few weeks ago, I printed a copy of the animated fantasy-comedy, and then posted on social media about holding the actual document in my hands and the sensations that resulted from doing that.

(Quick note – said sensations were of a very positive nature. There’s definitely something to be said about holding a physical manifestation of all the time and effort you put into this draft. It’s exhilarating. Uplifting, even. A true sense of accomplishment. And then eagerly accepting the next step of figuring out what’s wrong with it and how to fix it/make it better.)

The post yielded quite a wide spectrum of responses. From “Totally agree. It’s fantastic!” to “I can’t imagine NOT printing it” to “You still print out scripts?”

As I matter of fact, I do. I find it to be incredibly helpful when it comes to editing, proofreading, and overall polishing.

As more than a few people put it, “Printing out a script is a necessary part of my process. I can see things on a page I’m holding that I might not see on a screen.”

That can definitely apply to me. After I finish a draft, I’ll step away from it for a few weeks, then print it out (double-sided) and have at it with red pen in hand. I go through the whole thing page by page, line by line, marking it up as much as necessary.

Could there be some kind of subconscious connection between holding an honest-to-goodness physical printout in your hands and what it does to your creative process? Beats me, but it seems to really make a difference.

I’m much more likely to spot something that needs to be changed when it’s on a piece of paper rather than on a screen. A line of dialogue that doesn’t work or needs retooling. A scene that doesn’t flow the way I need it to, so I try rearranging it. Or those most common of miscreants – a typo, a misspelled word, or a rogue punctuation mark. It happens.

Sometimes I’ll have a page that’s totally mark-free, or maybe one or two little fixes. Sometimes the page has got more red ink and edit marks than actual text, or my notes and comments occupy a lot of that white space.

All of it – not uncommon.

One interesting side note – many’s the time I’d have to decide about cutting something I was hesitant to cut. I would then figure out what was best for the script and story, and not what I wanted. If cutting this or rearranging that resulted in the scene, and subsequently the script, being better, then so be it. The usual follow-up to that was I’d make the change, then immediately forget about what was cut because the new version was better.

Once all the changes and fixes have been taken care of this draft, I’ll go back to the beginning and start implementing those changes and fixes on the digital copy.

Also not uncommon – trying to read my own handwriting, which can occasionally border on appearing microscopic in size from me trying to cram too many notes on the page. It might take a few passes to read it, but I eventually get there.

Before I know it – voila! A new draft.

Printing out my scripts to do some more work on them in order to make the next draft better is a process that’s served me quite well over the years, and I don’t see any reason to stop doing it.

At least buy me a drink first

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Pop quiz!

You’ve got a script you’re quite excited about. You’ve slaved away on it and now can’t wait to show it off to the rest of the world.

But you want to make sure it’s as good as it can be, and that means getting feedback.

Who do you ask?

Is it:

A – a professional script consultant

B – somebody in your network of writers

C – a total stranger you just met. Like, minutes ago

And the answer is…?

Okay. Pencils down.

It would be nice to think that common sense, logic, and professionalism would influence your answer.

A and B are both correct.

Unfortunately, there are some who think it’s C, and are very adamant about that decision.

I was recently on the receiving end of such a scenario. A writer had asked to connect on a social media platform, I accepted, and within a matter of minutes received links to a trailer and pitch deck for their script.

I responded with a blunt “thanks”, to which they said they were looking for help to improve the script.

I said I’d try to think of some suggestions for consultants and services they could check out.

They were hoping I’d do it, to which I responded “I charge for notes too”.

They took that as “I accept your offer, and will now work with you!” and sent an NDA for me to sign.

I’m sure you can guess what my reaction to that was.

I tried to end it by saying that starting a connection with “Thanks! Read my stuff! Help me!” was not the way to go. Shockingly, they failed to get the point and kept going.

There were a few other issues that came up, so let’s just say the rest of our exchange proceeded to go downhill like an out-of-control bobsled on fire.

FOR CRYIN’ OUT LOUD – DON’T DO THIS!!

I get it. The enthusiasm. The heightened adrenaline. The hope/daydream that anybody who reads your script will immediately proclaim it “best ever!”

What a lot of writers, both new and those still learning, fail to comprehend is that part of being successful at screenwriting is establishing and maintaining professional relationships. You can’t just jump right in with a total stranger and say “You don’t know me, but I want you to help me”.

Would you want to be on the receiving end of that? Of course not. So why do some writers feel it’s a savvy move? If anything, you’re sabotaging yourself before you even get started.

It’s essential to take the time to build your personal network, and one of the key phrases here is “take the time”. Nothing happens in the blink of an eye. It requires patience, tact, and civility.

Putting in the time and effort to be a good screenwriter isn’t only about the writing. Knowing how to play well with others is just as important.

Be nice to people. Treat them how you’d want to be treated. Help them out if/when you can.

Then you meet for drinks.

That’s how you do it.