Ian White: Screenwriter and researcher in Miami, Florida.

Build a pitch deck, extract a scene to make a short, do a table read.

Contest season is upon us. I think that is a great place to start. Building your pitch and honing it also helps to prepare you for when you get the chance to tell someone about it.

Jimmy - totally agree with a table read! Hearing dialogue, even action, read aloud can do wonders for improving the script!

Shane, other things to consider, if you wish to sell your work, are sharing and pitching. You can certainly post your script on your S32 profile page for peer review. Or just post a logline—whatever you are comfortable sharing. There are other sites to post work: InkTip, SimplyScripts, Script Revolution, etc. Pitching is a whole other skill set. Under "Happy Writers" in the top menu bar, then click pitch sessions, see a link at the bottom of left side column. The link is a pdf of tips or typical expectations for both a written or verbal pitch. Certainly good information. Again, I concur with most in this thread... Get professional review, be prepared for rewrites, and keep writing! Finishing a screenplay is a huge accomplishment. Hold your head high! Now roll up those sleeves and start writing another! Good Luck! :)))

It is all about transforming the idea into a story. Then attaining resources and ability is bring your screenplay to visual life. I am currently looking for such resources. Help is appreciated and will be awarded.

if you like, just pay your $20 to WGA west to register and upload your screenplay to them (this does NOT make you a WGA member tho.. you are going to have to fork out a lot more dollars for that to happen), , then file it with the library of congress for a small fee. you will feel better about copyright issues, altho some feel this is not needed. l;this will supposedly protect legally you from anybody "stealing your script", which very few, if anybody, really ever would do so. If you register with WGA west or such, DO NOT put the registration number on your cover page... it is THE hallmark of being branded with "gasp" the infamous "amateur " to do so... remember... copies of other writer's SPECIFIC in words work can be filed can be filed as copyright issues, as can T.M. issues as far as SPECIFIC NAMES as names go. but there is no law against having and writing about IDEAS... to include tribute derivative works. But I know nothing...

A creamy Baileys after exciting writing sessions is a must for me!

Just my personal pov: You say it's "GOOD ENOUGH" to me and I'll say it ain't - strive for excellence in everything you do.

I build the outline, character bios and storyworld first. Stone cold sober for that and the first few drafts. Cause none of that is fun. It's like doing the blueprints on a house. Tedious.

Once it's tight, I'll save it as a new version and do a few punchups over a drink or two maybe. Then come back to it sober and see if any of the drunken input version was any better. Sometimes it is, sometimes not. All depends.

Not always, but on S32 Pitch Sessions you do.

Max Adams Completed, meaning completed now.

Donnalyn Vojta Thanks, I was wondering about that as well.

John, lots of advice in the comments and my guess is none of it is based on a reading of your script. Sounds like you need a good healthy script consultation. Check out Michael Hauge at https://www.storymastery.com/https://www.storymastery.com/ or his Film Courage Interviews at https://bit.ly/2KDsPP7https://bit.ly/2KDsPP7.

Sorry, those links were severely damaged.

Michael's website: https://www.storymastery.com

Michael's Film Courage Interview: https://bit.ly/2KDsPP7

Hmm....maybe link his weakness to his desire? Like if he wants to be a sheriff then give him terrible aim, or if he wants to court a woman, make him socially awkward, etc.

Would you guys throw that 'Save the Cat' book away! I knew Blake years ago when he was a fixture in the Writer's Store and working on the book. We had lunch out on that little patio area behind the Hollywood Roosevelt and discussed it - I told him not to write it and get back to his "Nuclear Family' script Of course he didn't listen to me and he single handedly has done more damage to the fine art screenwriting than anyone else. (Of course, that's just my pov.)

I'm a little late here, but I'm proof you don't need to have a formal education in screenwriting to go professional but you do need talent and it helps to know someone. Even though I had help getting started in the industry it still takes TIME.. I started writing in 2009 and while I've made money at it since 2011 it took until 2013 to get one that was produced and that production (after going into rewrites and reshoots being renamed DELIRIUM) was not released to theaters and DVD/blu-ray until this year!

Other than reading books, I also read a ton of screenplays and watch movies to learn. Plus the friend who got me started, has also been an amazing mentor.

^^^ Perfect post Lisa!

OS

Gold

Congrats Ian!

Congrats!

Congrats, Ian. That's awesome.

cheers!

"Passengers". Haven't been produced yet, but "Shadow 19" and "Man Alive" were relatively recent spec purchases.

Scott Meyers compiles this list every year. It doesn't have everything but it'll give you an idea.

https://gointothestory.blcklst.com/2017-spec-script-deal-list-cbd371d6ab39

Good job. Well done.

Thank you Christina for watching and for your personal comments!

Ian, thank you. Diane