Your script is finished! And I’m pleased to announce that you are the most talented screenwriter in the world! Huzzah! Yes, it’s true. The word just came over the wire this morning. Your certificate is on the way, so you … Read More
The 5 Quick Questions That Will Make Any Script Tighter
If you’ve written a script, open up your script right now and turn to any page in the script. Read the scene. Then answer these questions below. This is the Scene-By-Scene Litmus Test you should run EVERY SCENE of your … Read More
How screenwriting at Starbucks can completely ruin your life
Recently Starbucks Coffee started offering free wi-fi to all its customers, with no strings attached. You don’t have to sign up, register a credit card, or anything silly like that anymore. And also recently, I started drinking coffee. (Yeah, I … Read More
Script Page Count – Why the 120 page limit is a good thing
We’ve all heard it time and again about script page count, whether in film school, or just as an anecdotal whisper on the screenwriter wind: “A screenplay should be no more than 120 pages.” 120 pages? Maximum? Isn’t that just a bit … Read More
Screenwriting Critique – How to Handle Script Notes Like a Pro
A screenwriting critique – It can be fun to do one, but it’s not always fun when it’s your script that’s being critiqued. If you’ve ever received script notes on one of your screenplays, you know how frustrating it can be if the reader … Read More
6 ways to get paid for your screenwriting, even on a small film
I’ve written 5 features that have gotten made into films, and have been compensated as a screenwriter on all of them, even if it was just a small amount of cash, or even just a net points deal (a percentage of … Read More
The 7 Script Readers to Avoid When Getting Script Coverage
My company Screenplay Readers has been reading scripts and providing script coverage since 1999, and we’ve run across all types of script readers who have been a part of our team, or who have applied to be part of our … Read More
Agency Script Coverage – Do agents even read it?
So you’ve gone to all the trouble of writing a script, which you happen to think is the greatest little romantic comedy since they invented Romantic Comedies in 2010. And you’ve gone to all the trouble of getting feedback on … Read More
Paid Script Coverage – How to Get the Most Out of It
“Paid script coverage is another tool in a screenwriter’s toolbox,” as I explain in detail on the Unknown Screenwriter’s blog here, I’ve been reading scripts and providing coverage for over a decade now, and I’ve seen a few screenwriters come and … Read More
Screenplay Feedback – When too much can be unhelpful
Screenplay feedback is nice. But at what point does a screenwriter stop writing her script and start pitching it? That is, how is the screenwriter supposed to know when the script is finally, truly ready? When is that script, at … Read More
