Courier Coverage

Dear Scribes,

In an attempt to make my blog more relevant and active, I am going to start updating it with information about the writers group I organize and several other writer oriented events I'm affliated with.

So this is an email I sent out to my writers group tonight:


I just wanted to thank everyone who came out tonight. I had fantastic time and I hope you all did too. I'm so proud of the group and how far we've come in the short time we've been together.

If you didn't make it out tonight you missed a great night. We've got some major successes to report:

Vincent and Anthony shot a short film, inspired by one of our writing exercises, that has been accepted into a major film festival. More details to follow. Jeremy has just locked picture on a short that was also inspired by one of our of our writing exercises. Warren received a great reception at Wild Sounds last month for his feature PURPLE RINSE. I recently signed a Story Editing client. If you've got good news on the writing front send it to me and I'll send it out in the next bulliten.

Great things are coming out of this group.

So, if you would like your script read next month please submit it to me by Tuesday August 15ht at midnight.

I've also come up with a new writing assignment for next month. We are going to look at the art of the log line. For those of you who aren't familiar, a log line is your whole story in 1 to 2 sentences. That's right. So here's what I would like you to do for next month:

Come up with 1 to 3 (5 max) screenplay ideas. The write 1 to 2 sentences that describe the project and convey the following information:

Character
Conflict
Conclusion
Genre
Tone

Send them to me by Tuesday August 15th and we will discuss them at the next meeting.

Don't forget the next installment of LIFT Out Loud and Wild Sounds are comming up in the next few weeks. They've both got great programs lined up. Hopefully, I'll see you there.

The LIAISON OF INDEPENDENT FILMMAKERS OF TORONTO present August's LIFT OUT LOUD Feature Reading

SUNSHINE by Ryan Ward and Matt Heiti

Wednesday, August 9, 2006 7:00 p.m SharpAdmission: Pay-what-you-can (Suggested $5)

*NEW August LOCATION:XPACE303 Augusta Avenue (S off College, W of Spadina) Kensington Market

This month's moderator will be MAUREEN DOREY

Maureen Dorey is a free-lance analyst and story editor whose production credits include: A STONE'S THROW (writer/director Camelia Frieberg), MOCCASIN FLATS, SEASON II, RANDOM PASSAGE, as well as THE DARK HOURS, SIBLINGS, 19 MONTHS and SHOW ME for the Feature Film Project. She has been Story Editor in Residence to the Canadian Film Centre for the past four years.

*FREE PIZZA will be served at the event.

LIFT would like to thank PIZZA PIZZA for their generous donation.

SUNSHINE by Ryan Ward and Matt Heiti

**This script has recently been acquired by LOST HORSES PRODUCTIONS, with Michael Madsen (of RESERVOIR DOGS, KILL BILL etc) to star.**

Diagnosed at age 11 with tourette's syndrome, Sonny Johnns cries out to a world that he feels has left him by the wayside. Immersed in the dingy world of low-income housing with a drug addict mother, he takes part in an experimental surgery which promises to rid him of his violent outbursts. But as his symptoms vanish so too does a secret divine ability of which only he and his sister Meryl are aware.

Originally from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Ryan Ward received a BFA in Theatre Acting from Ryerson University. He wrote and directed 2 short films REBIRTH and THE FIGHTER which have screened at various film festivals in the US and Canada and has also written, performed and toured his own plays throughout Canada. This fall, Ryan will be appearing as the lead in the Off-Broadway production of EVIL DEAD 1&2: THE MUSICAL in New York.

A Ryerson Theatre School Graduate, most recently Matthew Heiti directed a production of his play PLACE TO BE: THE NICK DRAKE PROJECT in April of 2006, at Alumnae Theatre in Toronto. He is currently working on a one-woman surreal fantasy about the last flight of Amelia Earhart, to be presented at Squiggfest 2006 in August.

SUNSHINE marks the second time Matthew has collaborated with Ryan Ward

This is a special invitation to Toronto's premiere screenwriting event, WILDSOUND, Tuesday August 8th, 7pm.

We will be featuring live readings of scripts by Eugune Tange and Michelle Brightman. The event will be moderated by Toronto Casting Director Ron Leach.

Newly revamped and retooled, WILDSOUND picks up where the popular series LIFT OUT LOUD left off. Under the guidance of creator Matthew Toffolo, WILDSOUND matches experienced and not-so-experienced screenwriters with a cast of professional actors for full readings of short and feature scripts.

Audience discussion at the events is led by hosts from the industry. Past moderators include Bruce McDonald (Highway 61, Hard Core Logo), actor Julian Richings (X-Men: The Last Stand), and director David Weaver (Moon Palace, Siblings).

WHEN: Tuesday, August 8th. Bar open for drinks at 6:30; reading at 7 pm
COST: a meagre $4
WHERE: The Stealth Lounge above the Pilot Tavern, 22 Cumberland www.thepilot.ca (near Yonge & Bloor)
WHAT: Two short scripts: LETTING GO by Eugene Tang and WATER by Michelle Brightman

This piece first appeared in the December issue of FILMPRINT . Visit LIFT for more information.

With a deadline looming and no ideas in sight, I procrastinated further by attending CAN-ZINE-the annual uber-indie zine/publishing/video/craft/culture fest-at the Gladstone. Arriving later than planned, I missed a discussion panel hosted by JIM MUNROE, No Media Kings indie Blogger/DVD Zine/Small Press phenom, on the dangers of being too DIY (do-it-yourself) for your own good. The forum posed the question: "Are you indie to the point where you find yourself reinventing the wheel instead of asking people for help?" This question stayed with me as I sifted through the cut’n’paste culture on display. Writers are by their nature solitary creatures. Yet this solitary life can lead to a sort of artistic tunnel vision. Yes, you need a "room of one’s own" but you also need a view of the world around you. Do-it-yourself doesn’t mean do-it-alone.

The start of a writing career can be a very exciting time. As screenwriter Daren Foster points out: "You get to write exclusively for yourself. Your ideas, characters, dialogue and structure are all yours - undiluted, uncompromised." This same freedom presents a trap for neophytes, who underestimate the collaborative nature of filmmaking. "As soon as you’re on the road to production," says Foster, "everyone who comes in contact with your script will have an opinion they want to see in the final product. Directors, producers, actors, executives." The cold hard truth is that you don’t know it all. If you think you do, you’re in for some hard lessons. But how do you know when you are ready? You have to find or create effective feedback loops to see how other people are going to perceive your script. As Foster will attest, a script alone is incomplete: "Ultimately, scripts are meant to be seen and heard. It’s only then when the writer can get a real sense of what’s working and what’s got to go. Feedback at this point is crucial to the further development of your script."

For the emerging writer, getting into the development game - having an existing script optioned or being commissioned with a new work - is a catch-22. It’s like trying to get your first job all over again. You need to be read to get into development, but your script must be suitably developed to even get read. Only a few hundred new films are made each year. Yet thousands upon thousands of new scripts are written in the same time period. "On average I would say 30 to 40 scripts, outlines, treatments, books and manuscripts land here [each month]. Everything is read as quickly as possible, and responded to," states Rachel Rafelmen, Director of Development for Slanted Wheel Entertainment. That’s about 500 individual projects a year, and that’s just one production company here in Canada. How many books did you read last month? One or two? Three or four if your fast reader. Now multiply Slanted Wheel’s monthly traffic by the whole industry and you’ll start to see the big picture.

Don’t lose heart. Some producers will give newbies a chance if the work is up to scratch. "I try to give new writers the benefit of the doubt on the formatting front," says Rafelman. "And by-the-way, I finish every piece of material I start. There is the chance that things are rough in the beginning but the back half shows real promise. What I look for is any indication of talent in the script, even if the writing is uneven." If you are fortunate to get this break you must respect this opportunity and not waste it. Rachel looks for "a solid plot - even if unconventional - which provides the characters with context, motivation and some kind of conflict that is well-paced and provides some kind of resolution at the end." Show hints of this sort of brilliance and you’ve made a good start. Send out a half-baked plot with two-dimensional characters and it will be years before you are read again.

But there’s the rub. How do you develop that material enough to actually get into development? And most importantly, how do you do it without breaking the bank? Coverage services and story editors are great, but they don’t come cheap. At this stage in your career, a serious investment of your time will allow you to defer some of these hard costs.
First off, find or start a writers group. This will accelerate the process. "Being part of a writer's group allows you to skip that step where you put your script in a drawer for 5 months so you can read it again with perspective. You get that perspective from the peers [in the group]," states Jeremy Lalonde, who recently joined LIFT’s monthly screenwriting group. Foster agrees that a writers’ group can help give a struggling writer a new perspective on his script: "The beauty of this process is the wide-range of expertise within the group. From those with a lot of experience writing their own stuff to the novice just off a first reading of Robert McKee [Hollywood Script Guru and author of Story], everyone has an opinion to express and is encouraged to do so in an open forum, free of agendas or personal vendettas."

So now you’ve put your script through a writers group and you now have the respect and admiration of your peers. You’re ready to collect your Oscar for best original screenplay, right? Not even close. Films are screened for test audiences before they get a release, right? Why not try a test reading in front of a live audience? You’ll get a sneak peek at how an actual audience will take in your story. Daren has had several of his scripts read at LIFT Out Loud – twice monthly event where professional actors read unproduced scripts before an audience - and has found the experience equally inspirational and educational: "For a screenwriter to hear his characters come alive is the only way you can take your piece to the next level. You get to hear all the moments that work and don't work. Sometimes the actor won't get it right on their initial read, and sometimes they'll take it to places you couldn't even predict. Take that, plus the chance to get audience feedback and people who are experiencing the story for the first time, and you've got something pretty powerful." LIFT Out Loud also has the added value of guest moderators drawn directly from the industry who can tell you how your piece will be received by the business.

I won’t say that when I read a script I can definitively say that the writer has workshopped his script, but it is apparent when a script has been developed to the best of a writer’s ability. When writers don’t take the extra steps to develop his or her craft it quickly shows in the work. So take a step out of your room (so to speak) or, at the very least, look out of your window. It might just help you break through. Do-it-yourself doesn’t mean do-it-alone.

Five Golden Rules of Soliciting and Receiving Feedback

1. Never Forget You are writing for an audience – You may be trying to exorcise demons, you might be trying to change the world, but if you are writing a screenplay you are trying reach people. You do that by entertaining them and telling them a good story. Always remember and respect that.
2. Have an open mind (and leave your ego at the door) – You’d be surprised how many writers come out to the group or reading who don’t want to hear what people have to say. Or they take the criticism personally. If you think your work is perfect you are wasting everyone’s time. Take it to market and see what comes of it.
3. Respect other people’s opinions – Whether you agree with the people’s comments or not, they have taken time out of their busy lives to read your script or attend your reading. Graciously receive their comments and do what you will with it after the fact.
4. Give as good as you get - Any feedback loop is only as good as those who take part. Come out to subsequent readings that don’t feature your work. People put the time in for your script, it’s only that fair that you do the same.
5. Be on time – If you are going to be late, contact the organizer and let them know if at all possible. People are busy and waiting around is no fun. It’s only polite.

It may come as no surprise to many of you that I am working on my own scripts in addition to the analysis and coverage work. As such, I am always analyzing the films I watch to glean their meaning. I create log lines in my head to try and distill the story's essential conflict and meaning. Take the new Fiddy Cent move. Admittedly, I've only seen the trailer but I think it does a great job of summarizing the film:

A man struggles to over come his fear of being shot by finding the strength to take his bullet-proof vest off in public.

In other news, I have been rather neglectful in updating this site. I've written a new piece on the DIY (Do-it-yourself) development that will appear in the January issue of LIFT's magazine FILM PRINT. It will appear here shortly thereafter. In the interim, I plan to write ideas and opinions here more often. I have also registered a domain name where I will be launching a site for my script analyst/story editor services. Couriercoverage.ca will be up before Christmas.

cheers for now.

This piece first appeared in the May issue of the Liaison of Independant Filmmakers (LIFT) newly rebranded newsletter FILMPRINT. Visit their site for more information.

Hul-lo, it’s your friendly neighbourhood script reader back again. Last issue I introduced you to the concept of gatekeepers and allies and provided some tips to help you and your script get on my good side. I would like to take this one step further and explain how and why scripts fall apart. Screenwriting is like a tightrope walk - think of this column as extending the balancing pole of “craft” to you. After reading hundreds of scripts I have distilled the following five key elements that every aspiring screenwriter must keep in mind:

1. The First Five Pages - Setting the Stage
2. Premise – What am I Trying to Say?
3. Structure – Form v. Formula
4. Character and Dialogue – What
They Are Trying to Say?
5. Visuals and Action – Show, Don’t Tell.

The First 5 Pages - Setting the Stage

Cast your mind back to last issue. You may recall that I told you how I could suss out your amateur status in the first five pages. Not only do those pages establish your level of professionalism, but they must engage me by relating some key information. Who is the protagonist? What is her problem? What is she going to do about it? Who stands in her way? What is at stake? Basically, you need to tell me what this story is--without giving it all away. This is not the time to be overly coy or subtle. You are vulnerable but if you’ve done your job well it is damn compelling. Draw me in. Thrill me. Scare me. Endear yourself to me.

These pages are also where you establish your genre and set the tone. Is it a comedy? Horror? Action Adventure? Firmly planting your story in an established genre gives me some concrete expectations with which to evaluate your script. Is your narrative world dark and brooding or all sweetness and light? Whatever you establish here, you must not break. Nothing frustrates me more than inconsistency in writing. You can combine genres but don’t jump from one to another. Mucking about with tone also takes me out of the world you’ve created. So make a choice and stick to it. With these elements in place I’m set up for a big pay off at the end. Hopefully.

Premise – What are you trying to say?

Okay, so I’ve made it through the first few pages and I’m interested. But before Act One closes I need to know that this script is really about. Sure, it’s about a plucky young orphan whose quirky view of life drives her stodgy foster parents crazy but who will eventually win over their hearts and minds with her “never say die” attitude. But what is it really about? What is the writer trying to say about life and/or the world we live in? While some may disagree, I think the best scripts have a strong premise. Some, like Robert McKee, call this the controlling idea. Others, like William Goldman, call this the spine. Whatever you choose to call “it” it is what your script is really about. You should have something to prove. Man’s inhumanity to man? Too general. You always hurt the ones you love? Good, this implies growth. Blind faith in anything will get you killed? Even better, this indicates character, conflict and conclusion. These are Lajos Egri’s building blocks of drama. You’ve found your footing and are striding across that rope with confidence. Now that you have established your premise you must spend the rest of the second act confirming and contradicting it until you finally have to prove it in Act Three.

Structure/Pacing – Form not Formula

In screenwriting--unlike life--specific things happen at specific times. These events are structured in such a way that they take the audience on a journey. The structure becomes a map of that journey. Without this map the audience becomes lost, confused and will abandon the journey. I often hear neophytes mistake formula for form. Yes, most Hollywood moves are formulaic. Adam Sandler meets a girl (probably Drew Barrymore); they fall in love; something happens; they break up; then he gets her back and loses her as a many times as he can in 35 to 40 minutes. Before apparently losing her for good only to get her back with five minutes to spare. That’s formula. The three-act structure is form. Some say this is limiting. I think it is the limitation itself that forces us to be more creative. Think of it like a deadline. When you know you have to hand something in by Friday noon, you do it even if you stay up all night. The three-act structure forces the writer to make things happen by page 15, 26, 62, 85 and 100. Act One sets the scene and players. Act Two is the rising action where the protagonist experiences highs and lows, victories and defeats. Then comes a turning point and a resolution for better or worse in Act Three. If your story events (or plot points) seem to happen randomly or don’t happen at all you are making an obscure art house film (cue the pantomime horses) or you don’t get screenwriting. Either way, you are losing me.

Character/Dialogue – What are they sayin'?

I generally have two main problems with character in the scripts I read. First and foremost is the difference between character and characterization. Character is who the person is. Characterization is how the person is described. A maverick cop, with a chip on his shoulder because of a strawberry birthmark on his face, is characterization. A maverick cop who faces up to his feelings of inadequacy over losing his partner in a bizarre circus incident by saving a clown from being trampled by an elephant is character. As McKee says, conflict reveals character. Too many writers think it is enough to give their characters a funny hat and strange dialect. Adam Sandler in Mr. Deeds is characterization. Adam Sandler in Punch Drunk Love is character. I didn’t see Spanglish.

I encounter numerous problems with dialogue but the most obvious one is characters who say exactly what is on their mind. Sure, your character can be a brash iconoclast who says what everyone else just thinks, but even he will still have an internal censor. People as a whole are guarded and closed-off. We don’t sit down with people we barely know and start telling them all about our torturous love life. McKee calls this “California Conversation” because it only happens in California. Sure, we all know people who pour their heart out when you ask “how’s it goin’?”, but eventually we avoid them. Real, complex individuals hold things back, don’t say what they mean, communicate in subtext, force you to read between the lines. This is the stuff of great movie dialogue. So, look at what you have written. Is your character saying exactly what she feels or thinks? If so, you have some work to do.

Visuals/Action – Show, Don’t Tell

As Syd Field says, a screenplay is a story told with pictures. Dialogue is important but you want to show, not tell. I’ve read so many scripts that do not make their stories visual. It is just:

INT. EMPTY APARTMENT -- NIGHT

Two MEN sit in a room.

MAN 1
What’s your problem?

MAN 2
I was just about to ask you the same question.

And so on for five to seven pages…

Again this is a balancing act. Three pages of margin to margin text describing the gentle descent of a lotus blossom into the stream will put any reader to sleep. By the same token, 10 pages of non-stop dialogue is really hard to shoot while keeping the scene dynamic. Keep in mind that everything in a script must be integrated into the story. Nothing is arbitrary. Everything you show must have a purpose. It must advance the story or develop the character. Your descriptions of action and visuals should take the reader through a series of shots. Your pen or word processor is the camera lens. Give me, the reader, enough information to create your scene in my mind, but don’t dress the set for me.

The people you are sending your script to have read more than you will ever write. They’ve seen it all and then some. When you master the elements I have outline above and integrate them into your work you can convince me that you know what you are doing. You need to find that balance. If your story is good, then you dramatically improve your odds of nailing a “consider”. When you start introducing advanced techniques like image systems and dual character arcs you could even achieve a “recommend”. But I’ve already said enough. Like they say in show biz, always leave them wanting more.

READING BEGETS WRITING

Here are my top five all--time best screenwriting reference books. Or, at least the ones I’ve read to date on the subject.

1. STORY: Substance, Structure, Style, and the Principles of Screenwriting. by Robert McKee – Number #1 with a bullet, he’s the guru’s guru. He’s a little long-winded but the theory’s sound.

2. The Art of Dramatic Writing by Lajos Egri – This is building block stuff. A good foundation in premises and character arcs, Essential reading.

3. The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell – Not technically a screenwriting book but if George Lucas used it a template for Star Wars its good enough for me. (Too bad he seems to have lost his copy).

4. Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting by Syd Field – Old school and formulaic but excellent baby steps into screenwriting.

5. Which Lie Did I Tell by William Goldman – This is mostly an insider search-and-destroy mission, but the final screenwriter hack-and-slash on his semi-script/treatment is very insightful.

Do Your Home Work. Reading begets Writing. 

This piece first appeared in the March issue of the Liaison of Independant Filmmakers(LIFT) Newsletter. Visit their site for more information.

If you happened to tune into CIUT FM back in 2003, you may have caught me pontificating on the realm of words and images. I was fortunate enough to take part in LIFT’s short lived radio show, CinePHILE. At the time I was planning a semi-regular segment focusing on the trials and tribulations of the aspiring screenwriter. With virtually no outlet for my thoughts on writing and storytelling and in desperate need of volunteer hours, I’ve decided to write what I know and turn that defunct radio segment into a semi-regular column.

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about gatekeepers and allies. Life is full of them and the screenwriter knows this instinctively. He dreams up characters who thwart his protagonist’s dreams and desires or who will aid his hero in his quest. When he finally hits print he comes face to face with these characters’ real life counterparts. He is the hero of his own narrative entitled DEVELOPMENT. Here he encounters assistants, agents, development execs, producers, directors, actors and literally hundreds of “characters” who could negate or facilitate his existence. However, there's a hidden gatekeeper you might not even be aware of and I just happen to be one. I'm the dreaded freelance reader. You see if I'm reading your script it means that you have no reputation yet. Your script is from the slush pile. I will know you are an amateur in the first five pages and chances are I'm going to pass on your script. When you make amateur mistakes you prejudice my perception of your work. You can quickly tell the difference between a pro and an amateur. When I perceive quality I am immersed in the story's world. The techniques and mechanics become invisible. An amateur script has the opposite effect. The lack of subtly is glaringly obvious. Help me suspend my disbelief by handing over a script that looks like it was written by a pro.

I want to see your writing improve. So I am going give you a glimpse into my thought process when I read your script. I read every script cold, I judge the material solely on its own merits, I don't Google you or look at your CV (if one was attached) until after I've read the script. I've read hundreds of scripts at this point and I can name only a handful that got a "consider" (potential diamond in the rough) and fewer still that got the Holy Grail of a "recommend” (i.e. drop Anne of Green Gables 5 and make this movie immediately).

I would say that most of the scripts I've passed on were rushed and the writer didn't fully commit to the work. I think screenwriting is as hard if not harder than any other genre of writing. You have to do so much with so little and every word counts. Respect the craft. Sure you can bang out 25,000 words over a weekend, but do they really say anything. You do yourself no favours by sending out a script that isn’t fully developed. It will only be read once. Nailing that first read is the first step to making your film. I am not advocating that you contemplate your navel for five years but you probably have a day job that's paying the rent so what’s another couple of weeks?

There are some simple steps you can take to improve the quality of your writing. Read screenplays by the writers you admire. Find as many as you can get your hands on. There are thousands on the net and some really nice published versions (I highly recommend Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, it has a great Q&A section) Play the film and read the script at the same time. It's kind of tough but you'll get the hang of it. See how the pros do it and emulate them. Find yourself competent readers. Not your girlfriend with an MA in English Lit or your best friend who teaches at that Montessori schools. An unskilled reader can put you back years. Writers are everywhere so find them. Someone writing in a similar genre is ideal. They will understand its conventions. Take courses if you can afford it. Go to LIFT OUT LOUD and schmooze at the intermission. Find or start a writers’ group. Hook up with people who live, breath eat and sleep storytelling. Give them your script and find something else to do for a few weeks. Take your ego out of the picture when you finally get their notes. Listen to what they have to tell you. The right readers will ask the hard question, "why?" When you can answer this question unequivocally you are on your way. If you commit to what is best for the writing, I believe the universe will conspire to make your script happen.
Now that you've spent those extra weeks reading scripts, finding good readers and getting constructive and inspiring feedback you're ready to shop your script around, right? Wrong. Presentation is everything and remember that your script will only be read once. Before you print off that final draft find a fascist grammarian and/or a spelling bee champion and have them proof the script to within an inch of its life. This is common sense but every second or third script I get has typos and/or grammatical errors.

While presentation is everything, screenwriting is minimalism at its finest. This aesthetic must be continuous from cover page to FADE OUT. There are very specific rules about script format and style and your script is no exception. Format errors will instantly tip me off. If you're using a screenwriting program like Movie Magic or Final Draft most of this is done for you. If you are using Word or some other word processor be sure to use 12 point Courier font and I highly recommend you find a script format template. It will make your writing life a lot easier. There are a few good shareware versions out there and some great web sites that deal with format. Reading countless screenplays will also provide answers to a lot of format questions. This sounds pretty obvious but you'd be surprised at how many scripts I've received in Helvetica or Times New Roman. Print it off on 3 holed WHITE paper and fasten it with at least two brads (brass thingies that hold the script together). Card stock covers are acceptable. The title pages should be simple and to the point just a title, name and contact info. Do not take it to Kinkos to have it bound. Do not under, any circumstance, provide an illustrated cover page or the Photoshopped movie poster you made. What is clever to you is unprofessional to me.
While individual styles can be open to interpretation, detailed and elaborate technical directions such as camera moves or editing cues are virtually verboten unless the story cannot be told otherwise. Your job is to use words to create images. When I read "The camera PUSHES out of the window and CRANES up to a SWISH PAN of the country side..." too often I know you are a newbie. Do not tell the director or editor how to do his or her job. Your scene descriptions should be simple and visual. If you've done it right the reader will take himself through a shot list of the images you are conveying.

I know, you are looking for some more concrete tips to improve your writing or you wouldn't still be reading. Well, I'm going to deliver, but probably not today. Discussions of the mechanics, techniques and craft of screenwriting are infinite. There is cottage industry of book, magazine and internet publishers dedicated to it. My name is not Robert McKee, William Goldman or Lajos Egri, but I'm constantly reading them and others. I don’t have all of the answers but I’m looking for them and I promise to share them with you. In part two I will get into the more esoteric elements of screenwriting, like tone, voice, California conversation-style dialogue and character v. characterization, that can hamper the quality of your writing and turn a reader off.

As I said near the beginning, there are gatekeepers and allies. I want to like your script. If I give it favourable coverage and the producer I'm reading for agrees and options your script well guess what? I might get us both a gig. Our relationship should not be adversarial. I am a gatekeeper and an ally. It is in our mutual interests to like each other. When I get a properly formatted script that is free of spelling and grammatical errors I take it seriously. A few pages into your script I will know if you have invested the necessary amount of time developing your story and I will immerse myself in your world. You've fooled me. I think you are a pro, now tell a story like one.