Screenwriting : Help! I Wanna Be a Screenwriter! by Mike Thompson

Great to meet you, Mike Thompson. Welcome to the community. Here's a blog that'll help you navigate Stage 32 and connect with other creatives and industry pros: www.stage32.com/blog/how-to-successfully-navigate-the-stage-32-platform-...

Impressive resume! Congratulations on all your success! Denzel Washington is tied with Jim Carrey as my favorite actor. A "I Wanna Be a Screenwriter" post is a great idea!

Hello Mike Thompson Quite the list of collaborators!

It's been a fun ride so far!

And hello to you Jack Binder

Hi Mike, incredible

Hi Mike, Impressive that you asked how you can help us. Thinking…….

Consultations on format and adding dialog.

Finding representation and selling my scripts

Hi, my script has won or placed in 32+ competitions (some prominent) in the past year, and is on Coverfly's RedList (top 9% of family friendly screenplays) but it has not attracted any attention from the industry. I had hoped someone would request a read, but that hasn't happened (yet?) so I'm not sure what my next step should be. It seems pointless to keep entering contests -- apparently the 6 or 7 "Big" competitions are the only ones that matter. I'd like a manager but since I'm not really aiming to get hired as a screenwriter (I just want to sell THIS script) I've been told I wouldn't be the kind of writer a manager is looking for. Any advice?

Hi Mike Thompson ! I am showing 5 of my completed scripts through Stage 32. I've watched some of your interview segments on YouTube from Film Courage. Lots of interesting stuff there. Here at Stage 32 I have mainly done written pitching and Open Writing Assignment submissions. I'd like to find a manager who will look at more than a single project's pitch. I wish that if they found a pitch worthy but passed on it, that there would be a mechanism to follow up with other pitches. And this is especially true for the managers to whom I pitch. In my case, I feel I have a strong "bench," so that if they don't want to pull the trigger on one thing, they'd be open to seeing others. So, do you recommend focusing on management when one has a portfolio of projects, or doesn't it matter?

Finding representation. What is the best way for writers to acquire an agent ? I can’t believe that entering screenplay contests to gain visibility is the only way.

Mike Thompson I’m an Award-winning filmmaker trying to seek representation for my debut feature script, a romantic drama that will challenge people’s perspectives and potentially create controversy.

Great to meet you, Mike Thompson. Welcome to the community.

Hi Mike Thompson

I really appreciate your insights on this! You brought up a great point about focusing on management with a portfolio. I think many writers struggle with exactly that—how to get a manager to see the bigger picture rather than making a yes/no decision on a single pitch. It would be great if there were a more structured way to showcase multiple projects, especially for those of us who build a strong "bench," as you put it.

Also, as a screenwriter outside the U.S. (I’m from Iran), I’d love to hear your thoughts on something. What do you think is the best way for international writers to present their projects on a global scale? Platforms like Stage 32 are a great resource, but are there specific strategies that help writers break into the industry when they’re not based in Hollywood?

I truly appreciate any insight you can share!

welcome.

Karen Shaver thank you!

Asif Balouch appreciate it!

Linda Federico-O'Murchu congrats on your success. as for advice, I wouldn't wait around for potential reps to reach out to you in response to competition wins. rather, I'd encourage you to pound the pavement seeking them. The good news is, you have competition wins to grab their attention, making it a bit more likely you'll get some reads. And if you're truly a one and done writer, then I'd encourage you to reach out to producers of films similar to your own. If it's more suited to the indie marketplace than studios, you should be able to get some reads based on your competition wins. best of luck!

HI Mike! Thanks for being willing to offer advice with us. I have a few questions.

The first being, what is one thing you wish you'd known when you were starting out?

The second is that you mention that you seek out agencies. How would you best approach this if you don't have the contest wins that others may have? Unfortunately, due to financial difficulties, I haven't been able to submit to many contests and haven't had a lot of luck yet.

Third, what do you see starting writers do that may hurt them in the long run?

Mike Thompson okay Mike, here goes. My basic need is money to make a film. How do I prefer to receive the help? In the production bank account. Sorry, my needs are pretty simple, at this stage of my life! Have a great evening.

Lee Matthias thanks for checking out my Film Courage segments! As for management, it depends on the nature of your material. if your scripts are suited to studio and streamer sales, you'll definitely need a manager or agent, and the process for obtaining one is a bit more protracted than what room allows for here. however, if your material is more suited to the indie market, it frees you up to approach producers and production companies more directly without a rep. admittedly, it is tricky when you want to pitch several ideas to hedge your bets because, in the interest of time and bandwidth, folks generally want to hear the best you've got. I've always found that once I am in a room/Zoom with a producer or executive, that it is then appropriate and even welcomed to have a handful of loglines/ideas to throw at them.

Mark Baran thanks, Mark -- and yes, I agree -- competitions are a quite limited method of obtaining representation

Ryan Orizabal nice to meet you!

Ana Castro great to meet you, too -- thanks for the kind welcome!

Gregory Barone thank you!

Geoff Hall duly noted -- thanks for the feedback!

Representation. About to have a pitch meeting.

Mary Helen Norris my pleasure. as for your questions, I have made my career by selling scripts and pitches to the Hollywood studios primarily (as opposed to the indie market). so for those seeking to do the same, the biggest "mistake" if you will, that I see new writers making is that they don't think big enough. studio and streamers are looking for ideas that have mass appeal, as opposed to the indie market where smaller, more intimate stories can thrive. as for representation, I wouldn't rely on competitions as the primary path to finding a manager or agent. instead, it's a rather detailed process of due diligence research, targeted outreach and immunity to rejection -- but it can be done. when i was starting out, i was ignored or passed on by dozens and dozens of reps -- but all it takes is one!

Wow- a MAJOR figure! But if you try to break in to write for high budget films, it seems that it is almost a pipe dream. WGA is an issue. Low budget doesn't require WGA, and at least you have achance at SOME sort of pay. How many big budget films get made now? Just MHO. How many WGA writers are making a good living right now? Please-no one get upset by my comment. No intent to ruffle feathers here.

Herculano Espinoza thank you!

Jon Shallit there's no doubt that this is a difficult business to break into, but all I can impart to those who might be interested is what my experience has been and continues to be. in some ways, outcomes are determined by the kind of material writers are drawn to write. in my case, i've always been drawn to big Hollywood movies as a viewer, so my tastes and passions have usually led to me to write and sell such conceptual fare. that said, as challenging as the studio/streamer market might be right now, the indie financing world is thriving and avails itself to all kinds of interesting and alternative fare -- some of which pays at WGA scale and some not. my point being, depending on your personal tastes, talents and persistence, i believe there's a path for everyone to break in.

Hey Mike Thompson what are the keys to a pitch that sells? Both written and verbal?

Pat Alexander in the briefest sense, imho -- simplicity, relatability and spontaneous epiphany

"spontaneous epiphany" love it

Mike Thompson Thanks, Mike. I write movies, mass appeal stuff, genre stories. Horror, SF, Psychological Thrillers, and Dark Comedy with high concept loglines (see my Profile). So, a rep is the target. Thanks, again.

be ok with failure, this biz is a monster! but you never know how things will go if you don't at lest try.

Hi Mike Thompson nice to meet you! One thing that I see a lot of people have trouble with, including some of my earlier scripts, is figuring out the right balance between writing cinematically and not being overly descriptive.

Lisa Lee yeah that can be tricky -- one rule of thumb I use is to never mention a camera or camera moves in description, as that tends to step on a director's sensibilities and can be off-putting in a read. rather, I focus on "shots" instead of sluglines to show us what we're seeing, and I'll write that "we move to" or "arrive on" something or someone to convey cinematic flow.

I am right now writing to tens of production companies. I have written a spec script which can be produced on a shoestring budget. Just 5 actors. Earlier, I have produced 22 hours of no-budget films, including 3 TV-movies. So far, no company has asked me to send the script, so one alternative is that I once again film myself. Since I don't live in USA, any idea how I collaborate with filmworkers in your country? For example, there are some immigrants from my country in Hollywood.

Göran Johansson your output is inspiring -- stay the course! have you tried entering any of your produced work in film festivals, international or US?

Hey Mike Thompson. Thanks for visiting! One thing that dogs me is, "How can I know my idea is worth investing months of effort into it? I don't follow trends. That seems like a bad idea. I write what grabs my fancy. But sometimes, I wonder if my idea just appeals to me alone.

Normann Pokorny that's why I always run all my ideas past people whose opinions I think I can trust. everyone has an opinion about movies, whether they work in the business or not, so the more you can gain a consensus of intrigue and enthusiasm from folks around an idea, the better. I also offer a free Idea Vetting service on my consulting site where I rate what I believe to be the commercial viability of your idea from a sales standpoint

Hey Mike. That's a cool service. I'm sure it's appreciated.

Normann Pokorny thanks! I look at it as a little invitation of sorts to provide some value to folks as I welcome them to take at look at my site and consider some of the services I offer! I also offer a free 7 Logline Essentials guide to help people master the crafting of a great logline for their projects

Nice to meet you Mike Thompson and congratulations on living the dream. What I need most as a ScreenWriter would be a Managing Team Partner. Cheers!

Mike Thompson I need more connections! I hustle like a mad dog, and I would LOVE an agent who doesn't pigeonhole me to a genre, understands I can write in several, and is as energetic and as hungry as me to sell my work. I'm on a roll! So now I need help with making the moolah.

Dear Mike, no part of my production has been shown at any festival. I learned filmmaking at a public access television studio, so I have sent my films to such places. Has given me tens of thousands of viewers per film, I think, for a very limited cost in time and money. I have also uploaded, but since so many others put their videos on the internet, the number of viewers has been very limited. I would had loved to have my 3 TV-movies in some cinema, but the Swedish Film Institute supports cinemas in such a way that they avoid movies by people like me.

good question, Mike. Thank you for asking! Me, I just need to keep pitching, revising my existing work, and holding faith that my work will get picked up when the time is right.

Mike Thompson Don’t do it Mike. Seek professional help. a good therapist could help you with this obsession.

Mark Deuce thank you, sir -- appreciate the feedback!

Susan Kelejian thank you -- believe me, I understand the struggle!

Sarah Gabrielle Baron thank you -- you've got the right attitude!

Geoff Hall ha -- good advice!

Hi Mike, I met a screenwriter through this chat thread who has won many contests, similar to the ones I've won. We have a lot in common, and started chatting about exchanging our work. Do you recommend this? I was going to send him my script but then started wondering if there's some reason why I shouldn't. Thanks for any advice you might have.

Linda Federico-O'Murchu I'm a big believer in sharing one's work with whomever might be interested (unless of course you're just about to go out to market with a particular script and have a specific sales plan, etc.). if you're worried about folks stealing ideas, register your work with the WGA or US Copyright office. Beyond that, I see no reason not to share one's work far and wide -- especially if someone truly expresses an interest in reading it. after all, isn't that why we write? for others to read/eventually see our words on a screen? You never know what might come of it -- best case, somebody gets your work in front of somebody that can make a difference. Worst case, you have a new sounding board and writing colleague to share your work with/network with. My two cents :)

Thanks so much for the advice, Mike Thompson! My work is copyrighted, I just didn't know if this was something professional screenwriters do. I love the idea of sharing my work with other writers, and I'm so happy to read theirs :)

Linda Federico-O'Murchu my pleasure -- I know for me personally, I can't have enough reads and always wish I had more :)

Mike Thompson Thanks so much for igniting this discussion. Obviously, there are many of us confronting similar issues. I'm very similar to others in that I have a script that has done well enough in many contests (which I also used to solicit feedback and gauge interest) but no nibbles yet. What do I need? I'm a writer, so I always need more feedback. For that reason I'm also a sales person so I need more connections. And for both of those reasons a Manager / Agent would be an enromous help in moving things along. But...well, Chicken and Egg. So I keep writing, building out a quiver so I can more effectively answer the "What have you Got?" question. And, because, well, (foolishly enough) I really enjoy writing. And dreaming.

Bill Jordan thanks for the feedback! and yes, you can never have enough material as you build out your quiver, on a daily basis -- because the truth is, one of the many is the best -- and you won't know it until you have some volume/creative perspective on your own work, whereby you can clearly delineate the ideas that, for whatever reason, are just quite simply superior to the rest -- and those are the ones to submit.

I have an agent who sends out query letters. I had one major name request a script, Paul Gr........, won't finish this but you know who, but we never heard anything back. Crickets. Likely gatekeepers threw it out. I'm sure he never saw it. Maybe an 'ing" that offends the scriptwriting gods/readers. Or too much black on the page. Or who knows?

Jon Shallit yes, I'm afraid "crickets" is a common refrain, at all levels of this business. It's easy to get insulted by it -- and from my standpoint, I view as a simple matter of displaying manners -- but the fact is that it's almost never personal, and also not worth your time giving it another thought, imho. onto the next is my motto!

I loved Dragonfly!

Thank you for the timely and great logline advice Mike Thompson

Art Arutyunyan thank you, sir!

Mark Deuce my pleasure -- glad you found it valuable!

Have a great weekend Mike Thompson