Though I went to college for business management and learned how to write a business plan, I did not write one during 2017. Not for my screenwriting and not for my entry into the Texas real estate business. I suppose there are two reasons for that. First, I’m an old hand at doing work, so I kinda know what to do. Second, I’m hesitant to commit to a written plan with stated goals and timelines. I guess I just don’t want to hold myself accountable. And since I don’t currently work for anyone, I can get away with that. But in looking back at 2017, I did accomplish a lot with my screenwriting career even by flying by the seat of my pants. These things included:
1. Wrote four scripts, including one with two rewrites and one final polish.
2. Received three script requests via Stage 32 pitches, one that resulted in an upcoming meeting with a producer who liked the script.
3. Received four script requests via the Inktip newsletter.
4. Signed a write to shop agreement with a producer I’ve worked with several times. He was able to get my script read by two executives at a big six studio.
5. Signed two option agreements. One in September and one this past Friday.
6. I was asked by Stage 32 to write a blog article about doing pitches and did another interview about script hosting sites for the Maximum Z Screenwriting blog. https://www.stage32.com/blog/Submitting-Your-Written-Pitch and https://maximumz.wordpress.com/2017/03/17/qa-wphillip-hardy-about-hostin.... And I did an interview for the Inktip newsletter last week that will be posted later this month.
7. Worked with one of my Stage 32 pals who pitched one of my screenplays to a literary agent.
8. Received another request for two screenplays from a producer I connected with through a Facebook writer’s group.
9. I did some script paid consulting jobs.
10. Placed and won at several script contests and film festivals.
11. Finished a third and final draft script for a director and sent emailed to him yesterday (yes, December 31st).
So now I’m looking forward to making 2018 my best year yet as a screenwriter, both creatively and commercially. And, I hope to begin writing a new script sometime in the next few weeks.
How’d it go for you?
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2017 was a pretty hectic and, in total, a pretty non productive year. I moved, shut down my old studio & cable show, built a new studio to resurrect my Indie Filmmaker's Showcase program but shut it down again for lack of filmmaker participation. I gave a few award winning short scripts to some Millennials who swore that they wanted to be Directors and knew how to make films. So I gave them the freedom and $$ they wanted; they all went over the edge - nevermore.
I'm looking forward to getting back to my writing and wasting less time helping the wannabe crowd. Looks like you've had a pretty good run last year - now go sell a few houses. All the best to you.
Doug:
Thank you and I wish you the most productive of years in 2018.
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Solid accomplishments, Uncle Phil.
2017 goal: 3 specs with 3 different budgets.
1 studio expensive with crazy fxs & blowing up buildings, 1 mid level expensive with dogs & water stunts, and 1 cheap budget, contained action.
I want to be a specialist, so all 3 specs are one night stories.
Anyways for 2018, push my chips all in on the low budget first. attach Talent.
The other 2 specs ain't worth printing until I setup the low budget.
Though i have a Rep, but it's a hard truth advice from Rep- write 5 years worth of original material, just to be invited for an assignment gig.
I will make another movie and try to cut the waiting line again.
Dan: Good luck and thanks for your help in 2017.
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Uncle Phil. Congrats on all your wonderful accomplishments in 2017.
I wrote a one-hour pilot for a producer.
I also wrote two screenplays with Judy Norton that we’re going to produce. We got a distribution company and a film crew ready to roll. My agent has a group of investors who might fund one of both of them.
In December a producer asked me if he could option one of my spec screenplays and I told him no but we could produce it together and he agreed to that. So now I got stuck doing a rewrite. As they say be careful what you wish for. Anyway, that was my nothing to write home about year.
Paul: He sure is.
Dan G: Congrats and your hard work is paying off.
That's fantastic! Well, mine wasn't as productive as I thought it should've been at the beginning of the year, but I am hoping from what I learned in 2017, it gets better in 2018.
I finished writing a feature back in early 2017, and submitted it for Nichols. However, chances of getting it into the quarter finals is always slim. However, I grew with that script and continued to edit and polish it up. I am now looking at holding a workshop with a few of the actors/actresses this year. If it wasn't for Stage 32's Twitter, I wouldn't have been here to fully network with other writers and filmmakers. So this year, I am able to focus on that, as well as continue working on other future writing projects. But for now, this spec that I have been polishing up is my goal to get it produced and made. We will see how it goes!
Still working and writing but not a "working" writer...yet.
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Finished my longstanding first script in 2017. Looking to target market it to producers, maybe talent. Congrats on your very good year Uncle, good things do happen to good people.
Laura:
Nice work.
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Great article and congratulations to all of you on all of your accomplishments!
Well, Uncle Phil, thanks to your post last February about the 13Horror.com contest, I decided to take a chance and enter my first contest. As you know, I entered 2 short screenplays, and one of them won and the other was a finalist.
I then went on to enter 1 of my TV pilots, 2 of my features, and 9 short screenplays in various contests. (Screencraft Horror, Los Angeles Cinefest, 13Horror.com, Women in Horror, Horror Films in Hotlanta, and many others) and all but two of them either won or placed.
The horror feature I had written in April was a finalist in 2 contests and placed in 5 others. It has also been requested by 2 producers and one agency via VPF, and 2 other producers by query letters.
Thanks to Dan G for his post on writing tight and eliminating unnecessary words because I also wrote a 1-page screenplay for the Berlin Flash Film Festival and it won the Overall Monthly Category for the Year award.
My fantasy feature logline was a finalist in the LA Screenwriter Logline contest in April. (Thanks to your post, Uncle Phil, on the LA Screenwriter)
I received all 5s on my score card for my written pitch from an executive at S32 who also gave great feedback, but had to pass on my holiday feature because he had already produced something too similar to mine.
I adapted three of my short holiday stories into short screenplays during "The Write Club Challenge" on S32. (Thanks to Beth for holding it again.)
And thanks to CJ Walley and JE Clarke I became a reviewer for the Shootin' the Shorts page on Script Revolution in September, and have written reviews for 12 screenplays so far.
So as you can see, Stage 32 and its members played a huge part in my accomplishments during 2017. Many thanks to you all!
This year I'm going to enter a few of the bigger contests, write another horror feature, a Sci-fi feature, and adapt more of my short stories and novels into screenplays.
Linda: What a great year you've had. I wish you continuing success with your high quality horror work.
Thanks! And I look forward to reading about more of your success stories as they are always an inspiration. : )
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I had a GREAT year! My screenplay DEAD WAKE did very well at the film festivals I entered it into- even winning a prize of getting published (available on Amazon, y'all! Please support it!) and my film DELIRIUM is getting a limited release to theaters and VOD on January 19 (see my profile for details and..please support it, too!) Meanwhile I signed a contract for Project Exposure with David Ranes (Southpaw) and another with Michael Mendelsohn (just waiting for him to finish a film and give me notes on the treatment I wrote for him) The new year began with a new project as well....so I'm going to be even more scarce as I have a deadline looming!
It depends. If by "career" you mean keep writing screenplays, it went well... I am a "career" screenwriter, so everything went smooth. Just today I did something for my "career"(a small grammar error correction!:) If by "career" you mean sell spec scripts, get movies, work with agents and stuff, well... still the same place...:) You just inspired me for a new post here....
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not one to blow my trumpet, but very well actually. In 2018 I'm working on a thriller, a sci-fi adventure and a memoir... all at the same time!
I spent most if not half of the year preparing story's to publish this year and it was really fun. I can't wait to continue writing more for this year as well.
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2017 was a great year for me. Film Festival awards, finished Short Film and started two more screenplays. Completed my forth Book "Woman In the Mirror" on Amazon and working on a Documentary about Mother and Daughters.
Kaye B: This thread was absolutely posted for you to blow your own horn. I'm my best trumpeter.
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I am hoping 2018 will be better for me. My Agent just informed me that her lawyers are reviewing the proposal she received from an investment group for one of my movies.
Dan, good luck with that. Some prayers and maybe even some finger crossing couldn't hurt at this point.
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Thanks. I do have my fingers crossed. I think the hardest part of this business is the waiting.