Screenwriting : Catch 22 by Wendy Jones

You can send your script into a competition anytime you like, and there is no need to have more scripts just because you want to enter a competition. Obviously, your chances of progressing in a competition hinge on how good that script is but you should know that even a single script that you have is okay to send to a comp.

When people say, "don't send your material out until it's really ready", they're referring to sending it to a producer or an agent. That is when it's got to be the best thing you can write and you should have more scripts in your draw to offer, should a request come through.

Scripts should go to competitions when they've already received reader comments. There's lots of good readers available. It'll cost, but you're paying to enter a comp anyway. A good one reader package costs about $100. I get a three pack for about $325 with rush. A reader's notes will have far more detail than a comp judge.

The way it was explained to me: Agents are interested in selling one script; Managers in your career, i.e. a stable of scripts.

One doesn't need a stable to enter comps, however, as you stated, a one-hit wonder won't have longevity or a career. Just get your best, pro-commented works out there.

An effective way I use is to build relationships with other writers whose material you find competently crafted, then offer to trade notes with them.

Personally, I would never waste my time asking for feedback from people you don’t know on the internet.

Thank you all for your feedback and thanks, Dan, for the kind offer. My first I sent to a script consultant for a broad opinion, to make sure I was on the right path. It was one of my novels I adapted as a first attempt. Just coming to the end of a first draft of my next one now, so nothing ready to go out yet, but I'm thinking forward. Useful info. Thanks again.

Hi Dan Guardino.......would you be kind enough to read my script? I am always ready to learn and I also do not believe in the contests. Nor can I afford them. Though, the one I did enter I was a finalist on.

Tony S. so you'd rather she pay a stranger from a hundred to hundreds of dollars to read it?

Don't get me wrong, I've used coverage services before myself but what's the problem with a free opinion? As long as you take from it what you want and ignore the rest, who cares? It's free.

My advice Wendy Jones is if you're going to use a coverage service for your script, which as long as you're using someone reputable who's been around a while, it can be a very handy tool for you to figure out where you are as a writer. As I said previously, I've used them before and found a mixed bag, 80% good 20% complete waste of my cash, but there's no harm in getting a free opinion. Just never take anyone's opinion on your script as gospel and feel compelled to re-write your script countless times to satisfy other's opinions of it. I got stuck in that cycle once with a few people and it was terrible.

My good experiences with coverage were logic flaws pointed out, plot holes exposed, learning how to kill my darlings and cut the fat. My bad were vague or very generalized notes or for another example, receiving a low score on dialogue but with no comments as to why or what they believe would have improved it.

I found the notes told me what deep down I feared was wrong, Matthew. You know, that deep deep down inner critic you try to ignore and hope they're just paranoia, secretly hoping it's not true... Yeah, she knew more than I gave her credit for. On the flip side, it made me realise I knew what I needed to do.

By the way, how do you tag people in these comments?

Put an @ immediately before you start typing their name

Matthew Corry It was a joke. I cut and pasted Dan's text from another post,

But, yes. Let's say I golf and want to improve. I go to a golf pro, not a fellow duffer with a similar handicap.

It's my experience on a well known peer review site that the peer feedback is, minimally, 80% a waste of time and mostly leads to, as you mentioned, rewriting a hundred times. I've seen it happen time and again. Honestly, if a writer incorporates other's thoughts into their work, they haven't given the story enough thought, or lack confidence in themselves. I'm firmly convinced that confidence comes from using a pro reader with education and cred.

Also, when a new screenwriter needs guidance, such peer review can be very harmful either in discouragement by trashing a work or false inflation by overly praising.

I like the purity of commerce. A three pack shows me common problems. I also use expensive analysts as the next step. I only received one set of really bad feedback from a comp judge who trashed the work mercilessly without stating a reason.

Here's a peer example from Masterclass: "Love the intensity with which you’ve potrayed the scene. Perhaps adding camera angles, such as close ups on the ongoing action would be better?" Aren't Specs, and in general, camera directions verboten?

Maybe you can volunteer to read Wendy.

Hi Wendy, In my limited experience, I just went for it. I wrote a draft and sent it out to contests and received more praise than I should have . Now, a lot of people, including myself, would say wait until your material is professionally "vetted" before entering it into contests. "Vetted" meaning you pay for a recognized industry feedback. But in the same breath, you have to get the material out in the world and people are expecting new writers to make mistakes. Push to get more material out of yourself and constantly polish what you have already written.

Very noble. I'm sure she appreciates the offer.

My dentist loves the scripts I've shown him.

If you are happy to splash hundreds of bucks, and can afford to, on readers who may very well be educated and know what they're talking about that doesn't mean that a peer review can't be useful. You just need to find those whose opinions you trust. You seem to be quite offended at the thought, which to me is strange.

Competitions are a lottery anyway. If you think they're all professional readers I have a bridge I could sell you nice and cheap.

Dan Guardino How does, "Very noble. I'm sure she appreciates the offer." lead to, "...why do you keep suggesting I’m not qualified to give an aspiring screenwriter useful feedback?"

It began as a J-O-K-E. Read the thread and chill.

Matthew Corry I'm whatever your, and others, fantasy creates Re: splashing bux and nonexistent offense .

It's simple: We agree to disagree.

Dan Guardino Are you kidding?

Congrats. If you say you're the Grand High Pooba of script feedback then you are. Plainly, I have no personal experience of that along with no reason to doubt it. Sweet neutrality.

I hate explaining jokes, but as your panties are in a twist:

You: "... Someone doesn’t have to be a professional reader or a script consultant..."

Me: "My dentist loves the scripts I've shown him."

You: "Personally, I would never waste my time asking for feedback from people you don’t know on the internet."

Me: Re-posted after your offer to Wendy.

Okay. Feel better? All calm? Your indignation been assuaged? Blood pressure normalizing? Spittle wiped from your screen?

BTW, direct your anger for crimes not committed in some other direction than mine. As such, let's see who you are in offering an apology for being an unnecessary ass.

Me? I'm a nobody.

Dan Guardino, thank you for offering to read Wendy's script. Very kind of you. Wendy Jones, I'm happy to read it as well. I just sent you a network request. ;)

I agree. Very noble. I'm sure she appreciates the offer.