Justin Smith's Lounge Discussions

Step by step, brick by brick, Justin. It'll happen, no doubt. Great to have you here.

I haven't written a novel, but through one of the biggest photography book publishers, Amherst Media, I published four "how-to" photography books with them and also have self-published a few other books of various subjects. I've also written for newspapers nationwide and my largest tear sheet as a photojournalist was a cover-story for "Parade" magazine, 32 million printed copies that was co-illustrated with the late Pulitzer Prize winner Eddie Adams. I also write photography tips for SunbouncePro.com and was a Quora 2016, 2017 and 2018 Top Writer.

That said, screenwriting is totally different and I started doing that in Sept. 2017. I've written two TV pilots, one based on my memoirs which I'm writing as a book, "Lens Diaries." The other pilot, "Dagger" I was asked to write the feature version of it and I've completed a first draft and I'm probably at version 20 of it now as I rewrite it because in this learning process of screen writing, I now know my mistakes.

My fourth script came about from my memoirs when I stumbled onto a true story that happened to someone I once worked with and in the past month it's received four script requests by major industry players and now I wait the notes. Currently I'm working on my fifth script, also a feature.

As a self-employed writer and photographer now for about 15-years, I make time to write as much as possible, the hard part is the motivation. When I wrote blogs, books, and articles for publications, I always procrastinated as it felt like homework, with screenwriting it's something I want to do, so I enjoy more than anything I've ever written and I'm even liking it more than photography. Just my two centavos worth. :)

I'd written two novels when I turned my hand to screenwriting. Now I'm having a difficult time switching back to the slower, more in depth style of internal dialogue. Does that make sense? For me screenwriting is rapid, and straight forward with no literary finesse. I just wrote a book and my husband complained that it was like reading a screenplay! Arhg. Plus the whole present tense thing is hard to switch back and forth with.

I tried writing a novel once. I got bored and when I saw my writing was rambling and all over the place, I shut it down. I found that Screenwriting comes much more easily to me. Its straight forward and gets right to the point.

Outline your entire story and make a list of conflicts going on in the protagonist's life and you won't have writer's block.

All of my screenplays are adaptations of my novels.

Feedback can be so valuable. I think it's good to see how the experience of a story comes across, as a whole, to someone who hasn't spent hours immersed in writing and revising the little pieces of it. I would find at least another writer I could lean on for honest and constructive feedback. I think it's worthwhile to use an editor to give it a quick proof before sending a script out to managers.

Also, I thought this was a helpful article! A few years old, but still relevant. A checklist of criteria that production companies are thinking when reading your script: https://screencraft.org/2014/04/04/script-readers-checklist/

Feel free to send it my way if your just looking for someone to read it. I'm in the habit of reading all the scripts I can get my hands on. I can help you confirm any issues you may have or simply contribute feedback that will help you decide if it is ready.

My opinion is the more readers you have the better. It can help you find the issues that keep popping up! I'm happy to help in any way I can!

Me three, with Pierre. I did coverage on my very first script, with the intention though to get my flaws pointed out by a professional as I knew I was green...but by the time I got the feedback I had already learned what my flaws were from interacting here lol So most of what I was told I already began working on in the interim.

As newer writers we're normally eager to rush out there, but continued writing and reading scripts and interacting with more knowledgeable creatives garners a lot of growth. And you're in the right community here. There are those who have experience in the industry that will read your script, even if just a portion, and give feedback,. Go with that route first and hone your craft.

Best wishes bro!

I'll second or third or nth the strategy of getting fellow writers, who are willing, to give your material a read and let you know their thoughts. Then build up to opting into evaluations for contests you might enter. Then see if you can do the same for others, then volunteer for contests/festival where you yourself can evaluate, working up to writing coverage for independent production companies. Eventually though you might find writing coverage tiring but by then, hopefully, you'll be at the writing level to submitting to producers in full confidence that your material holds it own against anything else that's getting produced by even major studios. Good luck!

I'd take a 6! Congratulations!! That's an accomplishment!

To echo Christine Capone, how did you find that out? My email just said I didn't advance to the quarterfinals.

Justin they would have told you in the letter if you made it the top 20. If you didn't, then they don't say anything but "Regretfully,...."

Forgot in my message - congrats. It’s really a big accomplishment given the number

They're a little cagey with the emails, leaving most people to wonder where they'd placed if they weren't in the top 20 percent. I was told that 365 entries had advanced to the quarterfinals, that mine had placed somewhere in the top 100 of those who hadn't advanced, that it'd "just missed advancing" and fell short "by a thin margin," which I interpret as an attempt to soften the blow that I was Mr. Unlucky 366!