Q&A: What Are My Chances?
I’m two months away from getting my BA in Creative Writing for Entertainment. Throughout the two and half years in this program…
Q&A: Writing Remakes and Sequels
Q: What do you think about remaking old movies from the 60’s and 70’s and giving them a contemporary setting?
Q&A: Old Movies and Books as Antecedents
Q: In Selling Your Story In 60 Seconds, you repeatedly stress the value of including antecedents — previously successful movies or novels that give agents…
Q&A: Quality vs Commerciality
Q: A couple months have gone by since I completed my two screenplays. I have queried multiple agencies through the proper channels and have not gotten any success.
COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL
One of the biggest mistakes screenwriters make is giving too little importance to commercial appeal of their story. Before putting words on the page, a writer should always ask…
MULTIPLE WRITING SAMPLES
Screenwriters and novelists are frequently told that before pursuing representation, they should have at least two completed screenplays or manuscripts.
COMPOSING EFFECTIVE QUERY LETTERS
I often receive desperate letters from writers who say they can’t get anyone to respond to their query letters. If your letters, faxes or emails aren’t resulting in requests…
PITCHING: Antecedents
In any pitch, the buyer wants to know two seemingly contradictory elements of your novel or screenplay: its familiarity and its originality.
THE #1 QUALITY OF SUCCESSFUL STORYTELLERS
Every successful screenwriter or novelist I know possesses one outstanding quality: tenacity. The difference between working writers and wannabes isn’t talent or age.
Q&A: I Don’t Want to Pitch
Q: What if I love writing, but really struggle with the sales part, and hate the thought of pitching?