Selling a spec script as a Hollywood outsider has its advantages. One of the great things about being an outsider in Hollywood is the fact that you can write screenplays that interest you.
This can give you a serious advantage when writing a spec screenplay. Often, a screenwriter who is on contract to Hollywood is commissioned to write stories that studios and producers want turned into movies.
While this can be a lot of fun and pay a lot of money, it doesn’t always afford you the most creative freedom.
Having represented dozens of writers in my previous role as an agent, I was often amazed by the quality of writing that screenwriters were able to produce on their spec screenplays as opposed to the screenplays they were commissioned to write.
Why were their spec screenplays so good?
It all comes down to this: these writers were writing what they were passionate about.
Now, I’m a firm believer that a screenwriter can develop passion for any type of story as long as they can relate to the characters they’re writing about.
If a writer knows their characters and loves their story, it’s usually the case that they can write with passion, focus and flare.
This often makes spec screenplays much more engaging and readable than the commissioned screenplay.
That’s why spec screenplays get pushed around Hollywood like hot cakes. They showcase a writer’s talent and often tell wonderful, unique stories.
It is common for spec screenplays to be used as showcase pieces. And, if an agent loves a writer’s style of writing, they’ll pass the writer’s spec script around Hollywood and lo and behold, the writer will either sell their screenplay or get hired to write another script.
In situations where screenwriters are hired to work on projects, their writing often suffers as a result. Don’t get me wrong, these screenwriters can still write good screenplays, sometimes even great scripts. But the passion that shone trough in their spec script is gone.
Often, this is not the writers fault. They find themselves shackled by the story they are hired to work on
So, I’d like to propose the following.
If you’re an unknown screenwriter or a working screenwriter, by all means work on projects for other people, write for a studio or production company, but don’t stop writing your spec script. Because these are the stories you’re most likely to be passionate about, and, more often than not, these are the stories you’ll be remembered for.
*Jennifer Sloane has worked as a screenplay agent in Los Angeles and Nashville for the last five years. Jennifer loves good movies, music and animals. A former television and movie executive, Jennifer currently heads business development at Script Mailer (a company that connects screenwriters with agents and producers in Hollywood).