Quality or quanity or both?

[Fin!]

Hi, I'm a newbie. This is my first post. (applause!) Anyhow, I've completed one screenplay and I'm currently working on 2 more. Now, I've heard that someone should at least have 3 screenplays when they start hitting the agents/producers circuit. My question is should I focus more on working on different screenplays or should I keep polishing up the ones I have? Should I try and do both?

[-XL-]

Give your first one some time to breathe before returning to it. In that time write another one.

It's amazing how much some distance from your work can help improve it.

[IWrite]

It's more about experience than quantity - that is to say that most first screenplays suck - so it's best to have a few under your belt before you start looking for an agent.

Agents will normally decide whether or not to sign a writer off of one script - if the first one doesn't wow them, they're not going to ask to see another - and if the first one does wow them, they will most likely sign you even if it's your only one.

So I'd say quality matters more - but the more your write the better the quality of the writing.

[dpaterso]

My question is should I focus more on working on different screenplays or should I keep polishing up the ones I have? Should I try and do both?Yes.

Rewriting, reworking, improving the product, is a big part of screenwriting. A screenplay is never finished until you cash the check. And not even then...

As you're writing you're also learning, and what you learn from writing your current screenplay can be applied to your earlier screenplays too. (I'm assuming you're reading the best screenwriting books and reading numerous screenplays to assist your learning curve.)

PS welcome. :)

-Derek
Derek's Web Page - stories, screenplays, novels, insanity. (http://hometown.aol.co.uk/DPaterson57/scripts.htm)

[NikeeGoddess]

agents only want to sign writers with the possiblity of multiple sales and assignments. it does them little good to sign a contract with a writer with only one great script.

producers on the other hand don't care how many scripts you've written. if you have the one they want they'll take it no matter who you are.

however, you usually need to be somebody (one w/an agent, an already produced flick, a contest winner, etc...) before they'll even consider reading your script.

[IWrite]

agents only want to sign writers with the possiblity of multiple sales and assignments. it does them little good to sign a contract with a writer with only one great script.
You do not have to have multiple completed scripts to illustrate you have more than one good idea. One solid spec and a couple of loglines is really all you need. The spec shows your ability to write - the loglines show your ability to come up with commercial ideas.

Being prolific does not mean you have talent. The truly talented writers are few and far between when an agent spots one - they jump on them. One script is all it takes to spot one.

Pretty much every writer I know who has representation - has been signed based on one really strong spec script (including myself).