Screenwriting : "Yes, please send the screenplay..." by Tammy Taz Diaz

It's so awesome when all that work you put into crafting a tight log line and solid query letter pay off with a request for the screenplay from a respected development exec. Sure, it may be months before it gets read, and it may go no further than that, but it feels so good to be over that first hurdle!

So, how did it get there? Stage32 network member Noureddine Hifad approached me earlier this year with a story he wrote a while back. In my opinion, it was the foundation of a great action/thriller feature, so I wrote the screenplay as a feature. We submitted it for feedback, got some great notes, and I wrote a new draft based on those notes. More feedback, more tweaks. Finally, it was where we wanted it. Next: the query letter, which means a refined log line. We landed on "After a mission goes tragically wrong under suspicious circumstances, a former top C.I.A. agent and his new team must kidnap the U.S. President to find justice for his fallen comrades." We researched production companies who specialized in similar projects, crafted a short, to-the-point summary of the story and a professional query letter that was specific to their needs, created an image to convey the concept, and sent it out. Within the day, our first request for the screenplay came back. (Another request came the next day.) Others have yet to answer, and we've gotten one "no thanks." We'll keep sending them out until it's sold.

Whether or not any of these companies choose to option, buy or produce our spec remains to be seen. But the hardest part for us non-famous writers is just getting our work read. Make sure you put time into your query letters, and especially your log line. There are plenty of resources out there to provide guidance, but remember to make it your own and keep it personal to the people who will receive it.

By the way, if you happen to be an action/thriller producer, we'd love to send you "Achilles' Game: Stalemate."