spec scripts

Incoming message for you: scripts wanted

Maximum Z community, networking, screenplay, screenwriting, script, spec, television , , , , ,

Have you been productive, writing-wise, during lockdown? Got a script you’ve rewritten, tweaked, and polished? And now you’re just bursting at the seams to show the world, but don’t know where to put it on display?

Well, fret no more because your chance to do exactly that has arrived!

As done twice on this blog last year with thrilling results, it’s time once again for the Maximum Z Script Showcase!

Here’s how it works.

Email the following info here under the subject “Maximum Z Script Showcase”:

Title

Author

Film or TV

Genre(s)

Logline

Awards (if applicable)

Your email (in case somebody would like to contact you about reading your script)

That’s it. Simple, no?

Two very important details to keep in mind:

ONE SCRIPT PER PERSON. No exceptions.

and

DO NOT SEND THE SCRIPT!

The post will go up on Friday, 4 June, so you have until Wednesday, 2 June to send in your details. Anything after that will NOT be included.

So don’t delay, and send it today! Or at least reasonably soon.

A few people have asked/wondered why I’m doing this. Do I get anything out of it? Am I picking the one I like best and giving that writer an award? Is there some kind of sinister secret agenda at play?

Nope. I just like helping out other writers, and giving them the chance to put their wares on display, so to speak. You never know who’s going to be looking at the list, so why not offer up your strongest script?

And for those visiting here for the first time – welcome! Feel free to take a look around, as well as like any posts that tickle your fancy, and subscribe because you think it’s such a gosh-darned amazing source of information.

-And speaking of deadlines, the fine folks at the Page Turner Awards have asked me to pass along that the deadline to enter their competition is 31 May. They’re offering some amazing publishing prizes, ranging from mentorship to audiobook production, film rights options, and film producers looking for adapted and original material. All the details at https://pageturnerawards.com/

One curtain falls, another rises

Maximum Z comedy, determination, entertainment, fun, goals, inspiration, motivation, patience, perseverance, persistence, polish, preparation, productivity, project, pulp fiction, rewrite, scenes, screenplay, screenwriting, script, sequence, spec, story, storytelling, writing , , , , , , , , ,

stage
Don’t go far, folks. Next show is on the way!

Among the sizable slew of ongoing projects of which I’m currently undertaking, finishing the edit/polish/rewrite of the pulp sci-fi spec was pretty high up near the top of the list.

Mostly because it was something I felt I absolutely had to do; sort of a “get it out of my system” thing.

And for now, it is. Finished. At least until the next sets of notes come in and the whole process starts all over again. No big deal. Par for the course.

Overall, I like how it turned out. As has been the case before, it was also simply just fun to write. That helped. And some of my readers from the previous draft were quite enthusiastic about what a fun read it is. That also helped.

Even though the story’s pretty much set in place, every once in a while inspiration would strike, or a suggestion would be made, and I’d come up with a way to potentially improve a particular moment, scene or sequence.

So off it goes to some very savvy readers, and my attention redirects to the much-interrupted overhaul of one of my low-budget comedies, which has been a sizable challenge on its own.

Creating amazing tales of thrills, excitement, and heart-pounding fantastic-ness? No problem. Trying to craft a smart, funny story? A challenge, to say the least.

Then again, I do loves me a good challenge.

An amiable assortment o’ items

Maximum Z comedy, contest, crowdfunding, development, encouragement, film festival, half-marathons, momentum, output, perseverance, persistence, productivity, project, pulp fiction, rewrite, running, screenplay, screenwriting, script, spec, success, writing , , , , , , , , , ,

study group
Everybody’s keeping busy, so there’s lots to talk about!

First three months of the year wrapping up today, which makes it the perfect opportunity to offer up your Project Status Update! Feel free to step up to that virtual microphone (aka the comments section) and announce the latest developments for whatever is currently occupying your attention.

My list is pretty short:

-Work on the pulp spec continues. Currently around page 83, with a projected final count of 120ish. Strongly suspect FADE OUT will be typed sometime in mid-April, give or take a couple of days.

-Dipped my toe into the waters of rewriting the low-budget comedy courtesy of some helpful notes. Not a total page-one rewrite, but definitely taking my time with this one.

-My western was named a finalist at the WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival screenwriting contest. (Editor’s note – yay) Further details (i.e. how it placed) won’t be announced until the awards ceremony at the end of April, but still quite proud to have made it this far.

And a couple of items tacked on to the bulletin board, which spotlights creative-type folks and their even more creative projects well worth your time and attention:

-Filmmaker/screenwriter Eric Claremont Player has launched a crowdfunding campaign for his courtroom drama film project. Make sure to check out the colorfully captivating and absolutely true backstory that led up to it.

-Writer-director Dianna Ippolito is running a crowdfunding campaign for her new project Robb’s Problem: A Horror Short. As Dianna puts it, “Our goal is to bring you a really smart, beautiful and thought-provoking horror film, produced, written and directed by women.”

As with all crowdfunding projects listed here, donate if you can!

If you’d like to get the word out about a project of your own, feel free to drop me a line. Operators are always standing by.

-Ran the San Francisco Rock & Roll Half-marathon this past weekend. Made it just under the 2-hour mark with 1:59:11. Next race is in July, so hoping to shave a few minutes off of that.

Just another gradual shifting of gears

Maximum Z comedy, concept, draft, dramedy, feedback, multitasking, notes, output, pages, productivity, project, quality, screenplay, screenwriting, script, spec, story, writing , , , , , , , , ,

gear-shift
Start at first and take it from there

Notes continue to trickle in for the comedy-now-dramedy spec. General consensus – solid concept, underdeveloped, reads like a first draft, still needs a ton of work, and so forth.

All of which is fine by me. I wrote it in an extremely short amount of time, which is probably quite evident in the draft itself.  It’s also the fastest I’ve ever cranked out a draft, and to me that’s still a victory in itself.

Would I have loved for everybody to gush about it and claim it truly wonderful? Of course, but that ain’t gonna happen. As long as nobody says “This is terrible!”, I’m good.

Is it at least a decent script? Well, I like it. There’s a lot of potential in it, and the quality can only improve from its current state.

So while the thoughts of “what to fix and how to fix it” percolate, I’ll slide it to the always-expanding back burner and move on to the next couple of items on my agenda, which includes notes on some friends’ specs, followed by the first draft of a long-in-development project.

Exciting times, chums.

It’s that time again!

Maximum Z comedy, dramedy, notes, pages, polish, production company, productivity, project, reading, representation, rewrite, screenplay, screenwriting, script, story, writing , , , , , , , , , ,

New York Author Honored at Cocktail Party
Sparkling wit, bon mots & smart turns of phrase are right at home here

Another three months has passed, making it a more than fitting opportunity to check in with all of you hard-working writers to find out exactly how that writing is going.

That’s right, gang. Put on your public-speaking pants (online edition) and step up to take part in the world-renowned Project Status Update Time!

(insert triumphant fanfare here)

It’s a fairly simple process. In the comments section below, feel free to share with the rest of us what’s new with you and your writing.

Page count. Logline development. Contact with a prodco or rep. Pre-production on a short. Any and all updates are welcome.

As is the tradition, I’ll start things off:

I’ll still give it one more read-through, but I wrapped up the rewrite/polish on the comedy spec. It’s more of a dramedy now, but still quite a charming little story.

I’m also in the process of giving notes on some friends’ scripts, and once all of those are done, it’s onto a pair of new projects. Exciting times, indeed.

How about you?