Screenwriting : Article from Script Mag - Spec Scripts 101: 12 Signs of a Promising Spec Script by Arial Burnz

Nice one, thanks for sharing!

Sure!!

Well, these "lists" come from readers, folks who have to read thousands and thousands of scripts... That's daunting. So these "top 10 (or whatever) lists" are rather like superficial "cheat sheets," if you will. They recognize that a lot of badly written scripts do these things—even though the thing itself may or may not be bad—so those things become general, assumed, broad stroke notions, a quick evaluation, a way to gauge a script. It's not fair, nor even a true sign that the script or writing is bad. The script could be great. That said... I totally get it! Lol! I have read a crap ton of scripts myself. And you can tell a lot on that title page, and especially the first page. Hell, the first line. When I see WGA or copyright on the title page, I sense the writer does not understand copyright, is paranoid, and it does affect my excitement or interest in reading any further—a certain dread sets in. If I'm greeted with giant blocks of copy, my eyes fuzz out and I don't want to read it. I dunno... It's just one of those things. LOL! As a writer you gotta think about what experience you are creating for your reader. You want them to have instant confidence in what they are about to read. That they are in good hands. ;)

Jesus m***********g Christ! This bozo is going to let a WGA number cloud the actual quality of the script? Seriously?

And don’t even get me started on hitting his page 5 and page 10 paint-by-numbers preferences. What an arrogant SOB.

Okay. Rant over. Nothing more to see here. Let’s all just move along.

Yup, it's an inconvenient truth. Lol! :) The presence of the WGA number and/or copyright on the title page CAN certainly give an unwanted impression about an aspiring writer; that the writer is paranoid, unprofessional, blah blah blah... And, yes, it's utterly eye rolling, unfair, stupid, ridiculous... But unfortunately, it is a common assumption. And, I agree, Tom B, I didn't care for this guy's list either...

ahahah, it is all true and all BS. Depending on where you are in your writing career.

When I was reading in the stone ages before facebook and PDF files, it was all paper scripts and every cover page had Agency or Manager contact info. I don't remember a repped Writer with copyright or WGA ### on the cover page with their agency info.

all paper scripts that came US Postal mail unsolicited by unrepped Writers had copyright or WGA ### on cover page. I threw all of them in the trash, unread. That was office procedure.

BTW, that was the same BS unrepped Actors meeting Casting Directors. Their headshots without agency info get tossed in trash.

Now the smart Writers and Actors who knew the rules would break them by putting a FAKE agency name on cover page & headshots. Hope for a read or acting audition.

Sadly, the same judgments are made by producers, execs, financiers, and potential cast when reading material. So it's not just analysts or script readers who make assumptions based on these perceived flaws or weaknesses in the first few pages. I must admit, however, that in the thousands of scripts I've read a WGA # has never raised any red flags.

Sorry, to add... I've even heard some folks consider the WGA number and/or copyright on the title page to be rather insulting... to them, the reader, or whomever—"Good grief... Not going to steal anything, newbie. Sheesh." Plus copyright protections are in place regardless if its shown on the cover. That's a known fact, common knowledge—certainly well known to those in the industry. So... seeing it plastered on a script may make it seem like the writer does not understand, or doesn't "get it." These assumptions are unfortunate. No doubt. ...Okay I'm done now. Moving on. As Fiona said, it is a strange and baffling world we live in. Lol! ;)