Hoping someone can save me some money. I have a couple of rough draft scripts I just want to put out there. I don't want to put the time and effort to "polish" the scripts. Anybody have any suggestions?
You realize you're inviting people to abuse you?
(Never show anything but your best work. Always take the time and trouble to get it right. Then get feedback. But then you know this. You just wanted to start a fight. I hope.)
The best place to submit rough drafts is to.... (drumroll please)
Your internal editor. Immediately. If you don't want to put the time and effort then that tells me you don't care about your work.
If you don't care about your work, you're in the wrong field because writing has no guarantees, no promise of ever giving anything back but the satifaction of having created it.
Your internal editor. Immediately. If you don't want to put the time and effort then that tells me you don't care about your work.
If you don't care about your work, you're in the wrong field because writing has no guarantees, no promise of ever giving anything back but the satifaction of having created it.
My instinct tells me this:
I've seen post like this before, on various kinds of sites.
And, my instinct says someone is getting paid to post these. It's the only rational explanation (not that I claim to call myself rational).
I've seen post like this before, on various kinds of sites.
And, my instinct says someone is getting paid to post these. It's the only rational explanation (not that I claim to call myself rational).
Not joking
Sorry, guys. This is actually a serious question(somewhat). I already have a full time job and not looking for writing to take the place of that. Just had some ideas that I thought would look good on the big silver screen. Can anybody point me in the right direction instead of criticize?
Sorry, guys. This is actually a serious question(somewhat). I already have a full time job and not looking for writing to take the place of that. Just had some ideas that I thought would look good on the big silver screen. Can anybody point me in the right direction instead of criticize?
If you truly want to see these story ideas of yours made into movies for really real "on the big silver screen," the right direction is to polish it. But if you just wanna make a weekend hobby out of, the right direction is to toss it in a drawer and forget about it.
I personally do no less than 20 re-reads/tweakings on a completed script before I submit it to an interested party. "Rough drafts" don't go anywhere in Hollywood, unless they're written by Akiva Goldsmith or Charlie Kaufman.
Hoping someone can save me some money
I'm wondering what money has to do with this unless you were considering the professional services of an editing firm. To polish the manuscript.
In your line of work, that you don't want to give up for this work, would you do your job haphazardly or incompletely. I'll bet you keep your present job because you wish to improve and show precise skills.
Same thing with a script. Is screen writing any less professional than what you do for a living? I think not.
I don't even know why I aswered this. Mostly because I can't believe it. I have a headache in my eye.
Tri
I'm wondering what money has to do with this unless you were considering the professional services of an editing firm. To polish the manuscript.
In your line of work, that you don't want to give up for this work, would you do your job haphazardly or incompletely. I'll bet you keep your present job because you wish to improve and show precise skills.
Same thing with a script. Is screen writing any less professional than what you do for a living? I think not.
I don't even know why I aswered this. Mostly because I can't believe it. I have a headache in my eye.
Tri
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You asked for suggestions. You got some good ones. Perhaps not what you wanted, but good ones nonetheless.
I'm sorry you didn't see my response as serious because I am dead serious. If you don't care a bout your writing enough to polish it, it won't go anywhere. There are hundreds of thousands of writers out there who are putting in a better effort than you. If you want to see it truly go anywhere then you have to put in the sweat, dirt, and grime.
If you don't want to put any effort into your work, find a local kid who dreams of being a producer, buy him a camera and ask him to produce your stuff because that's as close as you'll get to the silver screen with your current attitude. Don't want to do it for a living? Fine, don't. Do your full time job, I have no problem with that, but don't kid yourself that your script is going anywhere without a whole lot of work on your part.
If you have no inclination to be an architect but you have some really swell ideas for skyscrapers, would you send in half-assed blueprints to contractors?
A screenplay is an invitation to eat $50 million and the success rate for unsolicited spec material in its most polished, crafted, well-written state is probably well below 1%. What chance do you think a rough draft has when you're not willing to make the time or effort?
Submitting anything less than your best just isn't going to work.
People here take the craft very seriously. Every answer so far has been in your best interest.
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Why don't you query production companies using loglines, same as everyone else does? Just don't tell them you're planning to submit rough drafts. Let it be a pleasant surprise for them. You're bound to stand out from the million or more aspiring screenwriters trying to break in at this very moment with scripts they've sweated over and polished until their fingertips bled.
If you haven't already, you might want to check out the screenwriting tips thread which lists potential contact links for agents, managers, prodcos, contests (msg #3, I think).
-Derek
If you haven't already, you might want to check out the screenwriting tips thread which lists potential contact links for agents, managers, prodcos, contests (msg #3, I think).
-Derek
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If your ideas are good enough, why not dedicate yourself on getting them on the big silver screen?
I agree with everyone here. Writing can be personal (dairies) or professional (published novel or TV series/film). They can't be both, since you're worried about your job. Stephen King, before writing "Carrie" and other works, had full time work, but he managed to write short stories and sell them.
Scribes, if they want fame and prestige, need to be rocks. If you can't criticism, you have no damn business being a writer exposed to the public.
Here's the kindest answer I can give:
Go to the forum here at AW called "Beta Readers, Writing Partners, And Advisors" and launch a new thread in which you solicit a writing partner. Explain in your post there that you wrote a rough draft of a feature-length screenplay, and NOW want to hand it over to ANOTHER writer who can clean it up. And (here's the rub!) you're willing to share a 50% writing credit with him/her for their labor. Be prepared for LOTS of (cautious and skeptical) questions about the script, its genre, its length, its intended audience, etc.
Here's the link to that other sub-forum.
http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=30
Good luck.
Go to the forum here at AW called "Beta Readers, Writing Partners, And Advisors" and launch a new thread in which you solicit a writing partner. Explain in your post there that you wrote a rough draft of a feature-length screenplay, and NOW want to hand it over to ANOTHER writer who can clean it up. And (here's the rub!) you're willing to share a 50% writing credit with him/her for their labor. Be prepared for LOTS of (cautious and skeptical) questions about the script, its genre, its length, its intended audience, etc.
Here's the link to that other sub-forum.
http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=30
Good luck.
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i'll do one of your scripts if you finish remodelling my bathroom (at your expense, of course).
alternately, write down each scene on your wife's naked body. while you're having sex with her, arrange the scenes around. she might even like the attempt at trying to see if left boob works out with right ass cheek. just a thought to help inspire you. that's what i'm here for ~ i'm *not* just another pretty face! (i can hear the moral pundits now: 'Preyer, you roman pig! spartan dog! spanish fly!' and happily a rep point for anyone who can name the movie i stole that joke from.)
alternately, write down each scene on your wife's naked body. while you're having sex with her, arrange the scenes around. she might even like the attempt at trying to see if left boob works out with right ass cheek. just a thought to help inspire you. that's what i'm here for ~ i'm *not* just another pretty face! (i can hear the moral pundits now: 'Preyer, you roman pig! spartan dog! spanish fly!' and happily a rep point for anyone who can name the movie i stole that joke from.)
nyjet - i got what you need right here: http://www.moviepitch.com/
bob kosberg is known as the pitch king. if you have a better than great idea and too lazy to write it first then he will take your pitch and get it out there. only a select few and seasoned pros (and a-list actors) can sell pitches so any newbie who wants to sell a pitch must go through them and he will if you have what it takes.
bob kosberg is known as the pitch king. if you have a better than great idea and too lazy to write it first then he will take your pitch and get it out there. only a select few and seasoned pros (and a-list actors) can sell pitches so any newbie who wants to sell a pitch must go through them and he will if you have what it takes.