Screenwriting : Question about Quote by Jason Bullock

Jason, you ARE qualified to finish it. Do finish it. Sure it may not be at the level it needs to be. It will be your vision that can be communicated to someone else, another writer, to get it to the next level. Hammer those keys and force that story in existence!

$30,000 for one treatment & one screenplay draft. Work for hire 1099/W-9 tax form. Make writers sign NDA, Hire and fire, but you keep 100% of idea.

I agree with Lindbergh. You can finish it. You started it, after all.

And yes... more than likely, the first draft of it will be far from great. And that's PERFECTLY OKAY! You have to start somewhere.

If you then want to bring in script consultants or get someone to give you notes, then that's a different story. But don't be deterred before you even start.

It. Will. Suck. Trust me, it will suck. But you can edit the suckiness out of it. You cannot edit a blank page. Please please please keep at it.

Agree @Lindbergh @Ronika. Only you can organically take it where it needs to go. Nobody’s first script is perfect. A gradually improving whole script shows writer’s confidence to see it through rather than a half unfinished idea. Story, theme, character’s point of view. Get your blue print in the ether and get feedback from one solid idea then do re writes.

Why do you feel you're not qualified to finish it?

Because I know my limits. I’m a director, editor, and producer. I can do the big idea and even some of the beat outlines. But the writing details and making it sound good is something that’s beyond me.

Jason, since you know what you're good at - the ideas, the outlines...maybe a writing partner who's good at implementation of those ideas, good at character development, dialogue, is a possibility?

This is what I would hope would happen. You would send me what you have. I would read it. We would have a call (Zoom I expect) and we would discuss the job. All that is Free.

I would then say how much I would want. This would depend on the budget you had, of course. If I loved the idea of the story, we got on and you had very little money, then I may be willing to work very cheap. Depending on how much I loved it $2000 USD.

If you had a decent budget it would be 2.5% of that budget.

I hope this is not a secretary job. I have spoken to a few people that have started a screenplay. They think their logline, synopsis means all the hard work is done. They are looking for a typist not a writer.

I like working with people that have base material. Even a first draft. But they are interested in my take on it. I may have to change it, sometime (what may seem) considerably. But that is what I can bring, my take. Otherwise you want me to be the world’s most expensive typist.

@Jason Sounds pretty weird but true, once you know your characters on a deep and visceral level small details look after themselves. EG In a coffee shop each character would tell YOU the writer how they behave. EG Declan sits by a Cappuccino, starring at it whilst he slugs from a tin hidden on his knee. “Perfect cream leaf top, these cunts drink artwork.” Felicity downed a double expresso looking anxiously at her watch. “No time! Gym or Declan? I’ll toss a coin.” Being an editor think of the end visual results for idea, storyboard adding dialogue captions to serve story. I don’t do this but it relates to your particular question, you have editing skill so work backwards if mind blank.

Oh man, you couldn't pay me enough to put down my own ideas to pick up someone else's...

I've rewritten plenty of scripts. Give me an idea what you want and I can do it easily.

You can add me on here and we can discuss it.