Screenwriting Articles

I used to be a screenplay agent. That’s right! I was one of those elusive people that screenwriters sent their screenplay to in the hope that they would be able to get their big break in Hollywood. And for many screenwriters, I was able to help them realize their dreams. I worked at one of the larger screenwriting agencies. A …

http://youtu.be/dQXh8oC8RhM This video gives some nice tips on how to write a great movie script. The video shows you the hero’s journey and outlines the steps in detail. This is a nice video for any screenwriter who is interested in sending their script to an agent! *Jennifer Sloane has worked as a screenplay agent in Los Angeles and Nashville for …

A lot of screenwriting seminars and books and various other resources hardly every talk about the best way to get your screenplay out there and get it sold. This article helps to address some of the issues involved in selling a script, so, if you’re interested and that is your main objective, read on! Selling a screenplay is never easy …

Writing screenplays we sometimes forget how close success really is. We write and write and write some more and the day when we finally sell our script can feel so far away. So, for some much needed inspiration let’s take a look at some, I hesitate to say, overnight success stories! Despite the fact that the people in this list …

In a shameless act of self-promotion I have decided it’s time to talk about why I left my job as a screenplay agent and what I do now. Don’t get me wrong, working as an agent for a big screenwriting agency has its benefits. There’s the prestigious client roster. The endless benefits (although these have dwindled in recent years). Schmoozing …

The answer to this question is not so straight forward. But you can kind of get a rough estimate. How much a screenwriter can sell their screenplay for depends on several factors—primarily whether the screenplay they are writing is an original spec screenplay, an original non-spec screenplay, a non-original screenplay, a treatment, a first draft or a complete package. Is …

I’d like to take a minute to talk about the single greatest factor that will determine whether a screenwriter will be successful or not. Of course there are lots of qualities that a screenwriter must have. A screenwriter must be persistent. They must have self-belief. They must work at and practice their craft on a daily basis. A screenwriter must …

I thought I would write a quick, but useful little post today to reassure all you screenwriters out there that it’s okay to let go. What do I mean by “let go?” Many screenwriters will tell you that they become obsessed with their story. Indeed, they become perfectionists. They write their screenplay until they can get it as close to …

I was at a screenwriter’s seminar last week in New York and I thought I’d share some of the insights that came out of my conversations with some of the screenwriters there. The seminar was a wonderful night and it gave us agents a chance to mingle and speak with a whole bunch of professional screenwriters in a relaxed atmosphere. …

“How can I sell my screenplay?” Is a question I frequently get asked at screenwriting seminars and even in general day-to-day conversations. “Do you have an agent?” I typically respond. This is an important question for many reasons. First, without an agent, a screenwriter will have a hard time dealing with or even meeting the real power-brokers in Hollywood. Agents …