Well, I just received a punch to the gut from my latest pitch session. I am NOT complaing about the feedback I received - the indivisual gave great notes and wrote mostly positive things. No, the gut punch is that I wrote my script specifically for a certain cable channel, following their rules and tropes and style. And I thought that had added a fun little twist that would make my story stand out. And it turns out that they are no longer looking for material like that. So now I feel "stupid" for having invested so much time and energy into the script (and tabling other scripts to focus on this one). And I'm not sure I can rewrite this one enough to make it salvagable to any other company (or at least without spending a ton more time on it). . I still love this script and am proud of the work, but now it just makes for a nice paperweight.
Guess its time to write something dark and Dystopian for Netflix
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I've heard stories of scripts being shelved and turning up years later to finally get made. I mean realistically most scripts will never get produced but just because it didn't work out now doesn't mean it can't in the potential future. If you're proud of your work and did your best, you should keep your head up. I will say though it's interesting how you mentioned you wrote it specifically for a network in that genre, style, etc... And at the end you mentioned it's time to write something dystopian for Netflix. Do you write what you're passionate about or just think in terms of what you perceive might sell in the marketplace? That's what I would ponder moving forward.
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Don't make the same mistake twice. Never limit your screenplay to one potential buyer.
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Sorry to hear this, Don. There's a discussion on Stage 32 that's similar to your post (writing for trends). https://www.stage32.com/lounge/screenwriting/Write-To-Trend-or-Write-What-You-Love
I agree with Dan Guardino.
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Hi Don - I would suggest not writing for a specific channel and just write your story. Everything these days with streamers, cable, networks, platforms, etc. change constantly but great stories and great writing never change, they are always needed!
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Don't despair Don Dobrez Jr. You never count on one script. If it's solid then you never know. It might lead to a writing job because someone likes your writing style. ABW = Always Be Writing.
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Hey Don Dobrez Jr! I completely appreciate the frustration. But let not your heart be troubled - mandates do change all the time (sometimes daily depending on the latest staff meeting) and just because this cable channel isn't into the concept, doesn't mean that this can't find an audience. The key is thinking fourth dimensionally and outside of the box. Keep at it my friend! And you can always reach out to me at j.mirch@stage32.com - Let me know the genre and logline and I will give you some additional thoughts.
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Don, are you a better writer now than when you started? Then what was wasted?
I have about 15 half completed screenplays that I realise don’t have a market. So I stopped. Each one made me a better writers.
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I was thinking that same thing the other day, Craig.
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Just submit the same script to the next crop of Executives. Could be a year from now, ten, twenty... Good concepts never die; they get optioned forever.
Eric Heisserer waited twenty-years to adapt The Story of Your Life (Arrival). The Director of the movie was in middle-school when EH had the idea of making the book to a movie.
So, ya like to write for today's hot list - you're already 3 to 5 years behind the curve.
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Couple of years ago (just before pandemic) got a request for a script I wrote 20 years ago...were into talks of re-writes but director finally gave up saying story is perfectly assembled as it is, but un-filmable...that's until next interested party comes along...
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I hope they will regret having not taken your script...
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No don’t write something dark. Write from the inside out, not from the outside in. Don’t write for someone else, write something for yourself. Every human on this planet has a story. Write your story!
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A sincere THANK YOU to everyone for the kind words. Yes, I learned a few valuable lessons. The reality is that I really like my script and hope that I can get it somewhere other than I originally intended. Just for an FYI, it was written as a Hallmark Christmas movie and I followed their tropes and requirements as best as I could, while still allowing for my own take on things (there was a "magical/fantasy" reveal of the main character). And the initial feedback I received, professionally and personally, was this was perfect for them. But, apparently Hallmark has made it known that they are "not interested in anything magical or otherworldly", so my pitches have come back as "passes". So now I have to decide whether the script is "too Hallmark" as is and needs another rewrite, or whether to keep going with it and look into other outlets. Or I just table that script for now and go back to one of my other scripts... decisions, decisions. And as a side note, it was my dark humor coming through when I said I should write something dark and dystopian for Netflix. Anyway, thank you all for the advice.
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Don't beat yourself up, Don. I once got feedback (not from this site) that read "This poorly written screenplay is an overblown exercise in absurdity". All you can do is write the best script you can (remaining true to the story and not to any certain network/production company) and let Fate do the rest.
Remember, you never lose. You either win or you learn.
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Here you go, Don. Follow the pie chart, add your own point of view only you can do, and maybe Hallmark suits will read your sample and hire you to rewrite their in-house idea for production.
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Don't be too hard on yourself. Who knows when the time will be right and you'll be able to get your script into the right hands.
I'm gonna be honest, the first script I ever wrote was a live action Speed Racer script. It was when I was fresh out of high school, years before The Wachowskis film came out. I was naïve and didn't understand the business at all. Was it a slap in the face when I finally grew up and realized that I'd put way too much time and effort into something that I legally had no right to? Sure, but you live and you learn.
Good luck on getting your script out there!
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Chasing trends is fraught with disappointments like this. I encourage you to write what you would want to see on screen, not what some streamer or producer thinks is next. Trends are fickle things. If you write something you truly believe in, it's easier to get others to believe in it. Good luck.
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Don - think about how much you've learned from the experience - it's not a wasted year.
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Don, you got one of your scripts into a bigwig's hands...and I commend you for that.
As long as you still love that script and still believe in it, that's what counts. There's got to be a decent place for that project. (Well, I like to think so!)
I wish you all the VERY BEST...and I'm glad you're here on Stage 32!
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Dan, if the material is worth its salt, you should be able to pitch it to other people. And, Doug is right. Writing a screenplay is never a waste of time.
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Even if it were true and you can't sell it elsewhere, you can use it as a spec to get writing assignments. Most writers in the industry have scripts in their drawer that they were able to use this way. Especially if this was for television. Spec scripts are worth their weight in gold. So don't despair.
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I agree wit the general sentiment here - don't write to trend. You don't know where the next trend is going. Write to trend if you're employed and paid to do so - at someone else's risk.
Write what YOU want. And then write 20 more. One of the 20 will fit the next "trend", will fit in somewhere.