I need some help to figure out my next steps to become a professional screenwriter.
I do write every day and I also learn how to improve and polish my scripts every day. I pick up tips whenever I stumble upon them and I try to get the best out of my work. That part has always been clear to me. I learn, I get better and I'll keep doing that as there's never an end to learning in my opinion.
I'm also aware of how important networking is. I am trying to be active and I am trying to engage and interact. Though I definitely still need to learn to do it more effectively. Currently I'm mostly networking here on Stage 32 and LinkedIn. I tried to find groups of fellow creatives near my hometown but unfortunately there's not much going on when it comes to film where I live. So connecting online is my best way at the moment. I am already planning a trip to LA but that probably has to wait until next year. Until then I still want to use my time effectively. I guess joining the Writer's Room would be a major plus right? I tried to join a couple days ago but there was trouble with my PayPal. I hope I can fix that soon.
I participated in a competition (my second so far) a few weeks ago but the notification date is in August so there's still some waiting on what the outcome might be. I also submitted a script to a film school that was looking for a new story to produce with their students. The deadline is today so hopefully they're reaching out soon. But as you can see that still involves waiting.
What I'm needing advice on is on how I could use that waiting time even more efficiently. Webinars and classes seem like a good option. But since there's a lot out there maybe you could recommend which ones are good to first learn more about writing scripts but also to learn more about the industry and the business side that's important to know as a screenwriter. Maybe you could also recommend books?
Also do you have any tips to find good mentorship? (I can guess it's all about networking, right?)
At the moment I feel stuck about “what's next?”. Which is why I thought you might be able to help to find some clearance?
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Unfortunately waiting is a big part of what we'll all have to do. Sometimes it feels like a majority of getting somewhere in the screenwriting business is waiting for someone else to make a decision.
In the meantime if you are looking for books try Save The Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need. You can find it on Amazon.
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Bill Albert, thanks for the recommendation. I'll check the book out and put it on my list.
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Hi, Lucy Addams. You're doing the right things. I definitely suggest taking webinars and classes.
Here are some webinars and classes (and labs) on screenwriting (www.stage32.com/education/search?term=screenwriting). This webinar is one of the best ones I've taken: www.stage32.com/education/products/20-steps-to-planning-and-writing-a-me...
And here are some webinars and classes about the industry and the business side: www.stage32.com/education/search?term=industry and www.stage32.com/education/search?term=business
Here's a post about screenwriting books: www.stage32.com/lounge/screenwriting/Your-Go-To-Screenwriting-Books
And I definitely suggest joining the Writers' Room. There's a lot of perks:
You can submit your scripts to Open Writing Assignments (OWAs). This explains the OWAs: https://support.stage32.com/hc/en-us/articles/8183283651732-What-is-an-O...
The Coverage Reports are every Monday. WR members read a member's script and write feedback on the script before the Coverage Report, then everyone gives their feedback during the Coverage Report.
There's an Executive Hour webcast every week where an executive comes in and talks about the industry, gives advice, etc.
Pitch Practice is every Thursday night at 5:30 P.M. PST/8:30 P.M. EST. You can sit in and listen to members practice their projects and give them feedback. You can pitch your project too, but you have to sign up. The hosts, Noel Thompson and John Mezes, take names during Pitch Practice for people to pitch the following week. You have to sit in and listen at the practice before you can pitch (I think once or twice). One night each month is the Pitch Practice Happy Hour where everyone hangs out and gets to know each other better. I think it's the 3rd or 4th week every month.
There's a Pitch Tank in the Writers' Room. The Pitch Tank is where you pitch your script to an executive and get feedback. I think the Pitch Tank is every week.
There's also a Writers' Cafe different times throughout the week. The Writers' Cafe is like a writing accountability group/encouragement group.
The Writer's Toolkit. The toolkit has documents to help you on your screenwriting journey. Documents like scripts you can read, pitch decks, a query letter template, etc.
And there are other WR perks (I'm copying and pasting from the "Frequently Asked Questions" section on the Writers' Room portal page):
10% off Stage 32 Coverage, Consultations, Contest entries
10% off Stage 32 Next Level Education Labs and Classes
Annual members receive 1 (one) free contest entry per year
Surprise Perks including Free webinars, discounted Pitch Sessions, and more! The savings that you’ll get on the services pays for the Writers’ Room membership! The more you utilize the Stage 32 services, the more valuable the membership becomes!
You can sign up for your first month free here: www.stage32.com/writers-room/plans-vip
You could also apply for indie screenwriting jobs (www.stage32.com/find-jobs). That's how I got my start in the industry. The Job Board is updated regularly.
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Always happy to chat one-on-one, Lucy. Do come by for a chat anytime and I'll help where I can.
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Bill Albert Have you read "Dialogue: The Art of Verbal Action for Page, Stage, and Screen" by Robert McKee? I thought it had some good points. Lucy Addams I'd give it a read. I always thought my dialogue was spot on until I read this a while back. I realized I needed to pay more attention to where a person was from as to the words they would use. Also, I realized that dialogue changes when a person is scared or angry as opposed to their everyday work voice, etc. Anyway, sorry for the ramble, and I hope the suggestion helps.
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Master storytelling and story structure, learn and master two or three genres you like, read a lot of scripts by produced writers (check Scriptslug), and network to build lasting relationships.
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No matter what Lucy Addams KEEP WRITING and reading scripts that are in your genre is the fast track to getting better: Scriptslug.com. You can also use Grok3 on X Ai tool to help you along as well. Example Prompt: Create the logline and synopsis of a fantasy fairy tale called Cinderella as an example and it will kick something out that will help you get going. Hope this helps. Cheers and Happy Writing!
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Thank you, Maurice Vaughan That's a lot for me to check out. Now I can make a better plan on what classes and webinars I should join.
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I will keep writing! Thanks for sharing your advice.
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You're welcome, Lucy Addams. And when you get to LA, I suggest checking out a Stage 32 Meetup (www.stage32.com/meetups). If you don't see a Meetup whenever you plan on going to LA, you could make one.
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hi Lucy, I would suggest learning more about being pitch ready. Really helpful is learning to make pitch decks, along with refining loglines, the synopsis and having general pitching skills - such as having an elevator pitch memorised, a few slides that show the mood and tone. Maybe some character visuals to help others picture your screenplays when they're made into movies or shows. There's some great webinars here for that too. Pitching competitions are great for networking and opening doors sometimes.
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That's some great advice! I never had to pitch before and preparing for it would be a good thing. I like to forget about it. So thank you for the tip and the reminder, Amina Jindani