Screenwriting : Any free script coverage out there? by Alden Tan

Don't know of any places that do free coverage (reputable anyway) but there are a few contests offering free coverage w your entry fee. Bluecat is one of them and I believe they are still open for entries. Price isn't too exorbitant and the free feedback really makes it worth it.

I've been able to get great notes from simplyscripts and even screenplayfest.com. The catch is to be willing to do the same for other people's stuff.

Agree with Steve, you can get notes from other writers in various places (SimplyScripts for me), but it isn't coverage and other writers won't give you what a Producer or Exec would...

The reddit screenwriters forum often has people offering discounted feedback/coverage/notes... but guess it's buyer beware.

Perhaps the better option is to save up!

Why have someone inexperienced offer you advice? A bad read can set you back months if not years. Know who is reading your script. Make sure they're qualified to give you feedback.

Free would be to have fellow writers like you that whole heartedly want to advance your process as you do for them. It has to be genuine!

Free? Free??? Maybe in North Korea...or China. Canada and France might have some, too....and maybe Finland and Norway.....

Hi Alden. Are you looking for "coverage" or are you looking for fellow writers to give you their opinion?

Raymond J. Negron but if they are not qualified, it doesn't matter how generous or well intended they are

Agree with James. I don't let anyone read my scripts unless they are qualified professionals. Not into script swapping just for the read.

Try script-swapping, or ask a friend to read it. You won't get professional coverage, but a sincere opinion, even from a child, is always a useful feedback. Good luck,

Completely agree with all the points made in this thread (especially Jody, James and Dan). I've said this a million times before, but worth repeating - when I was starting out, I made many sacrifices. I cut down on dinners out, a couple of Starbucks a day, a night out with the boys here and there. All in an effort to build up a screenwriting nest egg of sorts so that when I was ready, I would have the capital to invest in myself by getting proper notes and positioning my scripts in places where I had the most to gain (contests that provided access, for example). That approach paid massive dividends.

Not to be contrarian but I see value in both paid coverage AND script swapping with other screenwriters IF you are familiar with their work and/or value their opinions. I have also found it to be a great way to network with other screenwriters and has has been a benefit to my writing because it's from another perspective (although amateur) that forces me to see things outside the box. As an example I recently sent my almost completed sci-fi script to a friend who doesn't like sci-fi. One would think that would be a waste of time. However this person gave me great feedback completely unrelated to the plot, etc. but that was great for dialogue assessment, addressing lulls (I had a couple of scenes where the action started with the scene and I could have actually started the scene in the middle of the action. Made them less passive.) and was invaluable in getting me to think outside the box and approach my own writing from a different third person perspective.

I'll still read people's scripts, given time which is very lacking right now, and give feedback of my own amateur opinion prefaced as such, because I think it can be just as valuable as someone "qualified" that I pay to review my script and tell me what needs changing (not dogging paid coverage in any way).

So yes seek paid coverage from a "qualified" individual or company but I think there is also value to seek opinions of people around you who you trust even if it's in the general sense.

The qualifier makes the difference. As does the honesty (self and other) as to the trustworthiness.

There comes a point. If you think your script is ready, put some chips down and spin the wheel. Invest a few bucks in your own career - you're worth it aren't you?

RB Botto: Welcome to the Stage32 Forums! Heh-heh.

Thanks all.

Guess I should specify: I asked for free script coverage because I am wary of services who offer script coverage for a price when they aren't really good at all.

But yeah, getting freebies from inexperienced people isn't good either.

So..... this thread was innocently hoping for a super good free one lol.

Thanks anyway! Will look around.