Every screenwriting teacher talks about Theme. But do you actually need it? If you’re unfamiliar, THEME generally refers to what the writer is really trying to say: the takeaway, the mission statement, if you will. It’s often a truism or observation about life, like: no good deed goes unpunished, or love will find a way….
There’s a whole hidden infrastructure in Hollywood devoted to tracking and scoring Open Assignments. Come get some. (Note: This article was originally published in 2019, and some of the people mentioned have moved on.) It’s not just about specs. The vast majority of a working screenwriter’s income often comes from assignments. We spoke…
Yes, we know, eyes are glazing over at the thought of yet another missive about formatting. Look, guys, you don’t want to give the gatekeepers a reason to pass on your script before they’ve even read it. And if they open the PDF and it’s clear that the author doesn’t know the difference between sheeeit…
FREE Half-Hour Consultation w/ Every Horror Submission thru October Are you working on a scary good horror/thriller script that you plan on unleashing on the world to wreak havoc, terrorize, and lay waste to us all? Cool! For the entire month of October, we’re giving away FREE half-hour consultations with every horror pilot…
We were overwhelmed with entries this year and a surprising amount of near misses that may only be a draft or two away. But in the end, eight scripts were undeniable. What did they get right? Each showed a strong and distinctive writing voice as well as a command of the genre they were…
What possible avenues would I have with my script in terms of pitching (contests, etc)? What do I do with it once it is awesome? One of our clients just asked these very questions and, of course, we figured many of you might be wondering the exact same thing. That’s a big question. We could…
We’re still working our way through GET REPPED NOW! submissions and have noticed a tendency for Shot Calls and Music Calls. Yes, we understand you can visualize your writing so well that you know exactly what it should look and feel and sound like. However, sometimes this tendency can hurt your material and your career….
Twenty years ago, Creative Screenwriting magazine published my article below. I thought it would be fun to revisit it and see what (if anything) has changed in the last two decades. So here’s the original piece, mostly intact. Things which are no longer relevant have been edited out, and I have added new commentary in…
As you probably know, the Get Repped Now 5/31 deadline is approaching fast! If your screenplay or pilot scores a “consider” or better for script, it will be elevated to our manager panel and hopefully open the door to representation. Want to know the #1 reason many writers don’t land that coveted “consider”? Pedestrian dialogue. We’ve…
But I’m the writer! Only I know what it looks like in my head. That’s why I need to put it all on the page. Every camera angle, every character movement. Right? HOW NOT TO SHOOT YOURSELF IN THE FOOT Part Five: DON’T ANNOY THE DIRECTOR (You can find Part One, Two, Three, and Four…