Trending Lounge Discussions

You're welcome, J'Nae. Here's the link for Week 3's blog (www.stage32.com/blog/november-write-club-week-3-how-to-make-a-strong-fir...). There's three prizes you could win this week!

Hi, J'Nae! I'm so sorry for your loss. I lost my aunt to leukemia in 2013. I love writing poetry, too. Are there any specific genres of poetry that you write?

My condolences, Haley Mary.

Thanks, Maurice. She passed the week before Christmas, so that time of year is always tough.

You're welcome, Haley Mary. I hope it's not as tough this year.

One way we can portray love without reducing it to cliché is putting a spin on the clichés, Sandra Isabel Correia.

I love that, Maurice Vaughan. No doubt, clichés need to be renewed with fresh perspectives and plots. For me, screenwriting is also a way to educate and bring more awareness through our stories. For example, a meet‑cute at a protest instead of a café, or turning a love triangle into a clash of values.

What’s your favorite way to take a familiar cliché and turn it into something fresh for the audience?

You're right, Sandra Isabel Correia. Screenwriting is also a way to educate and bring more awareness through our stories. I like to set up a scene so it looks like a cliché is gonna happen, but I deliver it in a new way.

They finally wrote back and said not interested. No reason given.

Hi, Katherine Blessan. I don't have any experience with My Story Animated, but "$200 even if they don't want it" sounds fishy.

Michael Bennett This is essentially what the Producing Unique New Creators program does for early stage producers. Although, they don't just follow it, they work on it and get the entire behind the scenes story and mentoring along the way. But of course it's a black box to everyone on the outside, as it is a real produciton. The concept you describe is problematic for a number of reasons, not least of which is confidentiality with your funders. I cannot think of one who would be amenable to the idea. Transparency is in no one's interest, especially the producers of the film. Would it be of interest to other filmmakers? Surely. Would it be of use though? Well 99.9% of the "community" will never move beyond dreaming, so... not really IMO.

I agree with part of your assessment to my query.. I would never reveal the names of funders nor sales agents/distributors for that matter, although I have had a couple of seasoned professionals who think I'm on to something if I can figure out a way to structure it. I've been at this for nearly 4 decades...that's an absolute no. Transparency in this business, unfortunately doesn't exist. I mentor a lot of people about the film business, and as you might imagine the first question out of their mouths has to do with funding, and I find there is a complete lack of understanding about the entire process. When I broke into this business back in the 80s, the access to information was awful, and to some degree it still is when it comes to film finance.

Sorry to hear you got ripped off, Michael T Gregory. Was it a screenwriting agent?

Hey Michael,

I'm always warning others of the scumbags that infiltrate the industry and yet I get warned not to bitter (Truthful) or stand-offish (Cautiously optimistic). Now the biggest rip-off when dealing with agents is that they are all, to some degree, rip-offs. There are no REQUIRED licenses needed to become a literary agent. They mostly just weasel their way into the bedrooms and backseats of "decision" makers and studio head morons that love to greenlight overpriced bombs like The Running Man remake and lose 100's of millions of dollars.

That being said, the biggest rip-offs are stealing your screenplay and then ripping you off out of cash. Never pay an agent anything! They get 10% of what they structure a deal for. Always copyright your work. The process is fairly simple through The Library of Congress. After that, you just can't be just a screenwriter anymore. You should have some rudimentary knowledge on how to construct a business plan which will include, but not limited to a shooting schedule, a budget for Above the Line and Below the line talent, a cast wish list, but don't go for too big of a name because that no longer has any pull with audiences because audiences are becoming sick and tired of being lectured by these celebrities on what they should like as opposed to what they just like. The thing is, there are a lot of morons out there ready to take your money. They say you need to hire a Line Producer. Now you don't. You need to budget for one then when he's hired, he can make the appropriate adjustments.

Thing is that you have to research these people. I have had producers talk a big game and after a little digging have found out that they produced nothing of note. I myself am a director/screenwriter that made a film for $2,200.00 which grossed $4,500.00 on a 3 day/9 show weekend at a privately owned theater. The film featured over 14 locations and over 20 actors so I never lost money, but studios would rather lose $100M than take a gamble on a $1.5M budget action film.

Don't take anyone on face value alone. Do some research or have a trusted friend research them. Everyone says "They know the business," but according to the track record just from 2025 alone, none of these "professionals" know anything about the film industry or they are just to dense to learn from their past mistakes.

Michael T Gregory so very sorry to hear this. I can see why it feels even more bitter because your work is worthy of an agent. I can see also then how that could have made you more open to this fraudster. I know there was a post a few months ago about an actor who almost got ripped off by an agent.

Thanks for the feedback. Hindsight being 20-20, I would’ve done lots different. Do you notice there aren’t any agents on this platform?! Hmmm

Luciano Mello I appreciate I'm coming from a different perspective, as a novelist, but I think intrigue will be better served by a tad more clarity. I'm sure it only needs a few changes!

I have to admit I like what you've got as is.

You definitely have some good content; it just needs to have more clarity. I played with your logline and came up with two examples that might help. Perhaps you can find something in the logline that you can use.

1) Motivated by hardship, an ambitious teen, is drawn into the glamorous world of modeling and falls under the control of a powerful billionaire, stripped of her autonomy, she is forced into a tense battle for both survival and her sense of identity.

2) An ambitious teen, driven by hardship, enters the glamorous, modeling world-only to fall under the control of a powerful billionaire, forcing her into an intense fight for survival and identity.

Way too much stuff going on here. Why not start with - An impoverished teen's stardom fantasy is challenged as she struggles toward a modeling career. There's lots of room in the story for creepy characters in a flawed industry.

You can also try : A small town girl's dream for modeling is crashed by the powerful billionaire taking her into the world of cruelty facing with challenges and hazardous games she's never imagined before.

I have a full play, a full play made up of collected one act plays, and many plays in the works. I guess if I had a wish list it would be finding the theater groups that would do the table reads and the workshops for the plays. I'm in a theatre mecca, Denver. there are universities, the Denver Center for thePerforming Arts, many active theaters that host national performers and touring shows. And then a scattering on small, community theaters. I have approached a few, but the results have been so "nothing", I know it must be my approach. So, my wishlist is a local approach to finding those theaters, to set up readings and workshops. (And workshops that add to my presence in the community.) On a dime of course.

Wow David Austin Veal It must be amazing to live in theatre mecca - so many people around to connect with and collaborate with. I do hope next year tells a different story for you because it sounds like you are smack bang right in the middle of it all!

@michael I hope you hit the trifecta! All three would be amazing! Crossing everything for you!

Maurice Vaughan I agree - the short story has been shelved for too long! Time to get it back out there. I hope your 2026 is amazing!

I might turn some of my script ideas/scripts into short stories, Lauren Hackney. Production companies buy short stories. Thanks. I hope your 2026 is amazing too!

Well, Jim I'm glad you're here with us and that you've found your people here. That's a beautiful thing. It's amazing how simple things like social platforms can open up friendships and comradery you can't find in your normal circle.

Jim Boston

Mr. Maurice Sunshine. :D I like it, Elle Bolan. My new nickname or a character in a script. Thanks.

Well, you always seem to be bringing that sunshine with you. All the time. It seemed to fit.

Thank you very much

that really makes me happy Elle Bolan

Congrats on the new connections! It's true, being supportive gets you far :)

My best friend is likely my biggest supporter. He's usually the first one I tell about my pitching and coverage adventures and he's always in my corner, and probably more fired up about my writing career than I am, and that's saying something lol. Hopefully he'll be able to attend BoFS's table read with me but if not, he'll definitely be one of the first people I show it to :D

Sydney S so nice to have finally been able to interact - you have such an inspirational energy :) I used to do quite a bit of photography myself back in the day. mostly dance, some fashion agency tests. How about you? What do you like to shoot?

Thank you very much for your encouragement Sydney S . I’m so happy you like my logline. And yes—the story hides a huge narrative that unfolds simultaneously across three major locations: Earth, planet Oziross, and the ISS.

I’m working on it, and one day it will come to life.

Sydney S Awesome! Nothing is cheesy about a little disco magic. I'm working on my final tweaks on my script Elimination Strain that was accepted into the Austin Film Festival where I met the awesome team from Stage 32. I thought I'd have time to do my tweaks to my script but with Halloween and Thanksgiving so close together it's been hard so this week I'm setting time aside.

Hi Seb,

Thank you so much, that’s so kind of you to say! It’s been lovely having the chance to connect and get to know you more!

I really love to photograph the surf and a lot of nature, the sun, the moon, butterflies, flowers, and different earth elements. I love bright colors but also a B & W moment...I also enjoy experimenting with double exposure, and I like to photograph friends and family, as well as some music. Living on the California coast, I definitely end up capturing a lot of my daily life at the beach, it’s such an inspiring place to live and create. I am so grateful!

It’s amazing you did dance and fashion photography! That must have been such a fun and dynamic experience. Do you still photograph some? Thank you for all you do for the Stage 32 community, we're lucky to have you as an education moderator :)

Warmly,

Sydney

Hi Christopher!!

That’s so exciting, congratulations on Elimination Strain being accepted into the Austin Film Festival! That’s such an amazing achievement, and it must have been incredible connecting with the Stage 32 team there. I was jealous i wasn't there :)

I totally get how busy things can get with Halloween and Thanksgiving right around the corner. It’s great that you’re setting aside time this week to focus on your final tweaks, your script is lucky to have such dedicated attention!

Wishing you smooth editing and lots of inspiration as you wrap it up. Can’t wait to hear how it all comes together! Have a great week!

Warmly,

Sydney