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This issue sponsored by
BreakingIn.net
~ Where Screenwriters Go to Break In! ~
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Dear Screenwriter:
Happy New Year! I hope one of your New Year's resolutions will be to take a more active role in promoting your film writing career.
This issue offers several different types of marketing opportunities as well as our choices for the best screenwriting books for emerging writers. These books can help you buff your scripts before you submit them to contests, agents and producers.
If you hope to jumpstart your writing career in 2003, get off to a great start by exploring some of the script marketing opportunities in this issue of
Script Market
News...
SCRIPT
MARKET
NEWS
January 10, 2003
IN THIS ISSUE...
WRITER Q + A => Scripts Online: Safe or Sorry?
TUTORIAL => Best Books for Emerging
Writers
MARKET TIP => More Winter Contests
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SCREENWRITER Q + A
QUESTION on Posting Scripts on the Web~~ Have you heard of this site WinningScripts.com? Is it a good, safe place to post a script?
~ Beezie
ANSWER: The Internet can be an effective way to market new scripts and to attract the attention of agents and producers, especially if you live outside the Hollywood loop.
WinningScripts.com is sponsored by MovieBytes.com (a great contest resource site) and Script Magazine. Both these companies are established, legitimate entities. You can post a logline or synopsis of your winning scripts for free on this site once you register. No cost to register.
If you have written a script that has won a contest, this might be good exposure for you. Even if you don't yet have a winning script to post, you can look over the storylines of scripts that have won established contests. Many contests are sponsored by film production companies, so this can be a fine way for aspiring screenwriters to educate themselves on the current film market.
Give it a shot and let me know what happens.
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Hot Writing Jobs
No more excuses...
Find out how YOU can get PAID to write!
www.breakingin.net/hot-jobs-for-writers.htm
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Tutorial:
BEST
BOOKS FOR EMERGING SCREENWRITERS
Copyright (c) 2003, Lenore Wright
All screenwriters, whether aspiring or experienced, benefit from the achievements of produced screenwriters by seeing their movies or by reading the shooting drafts of their produced screenplays.
How else can ambitious aspiring screenwriters buff their professional writing image? Some wily writers supplant their lack of professional writing experience by reading books about screenwriting. I applaud this. One caution: some writers would rather READ about writing, than actually WRITE. Don't fall into this trap. Keep writing.
Most screenwriters I know learned to write great screenplays by WRITING SCRIPT after SCRIPT; but many unproduced writers need input or helpful guidance. So I will cautiously recommend a few well-known books that might help you transform your story into a screenplay. Before I list these books, I want to offer a few heartfelt guidelines for you to consider as you explore the world of books on screenwriting:
=> READING IS NOT WRITING
Don't confuse reading about screenwriting with actually writing a screenplay.
=> SLAVES NEVER RULE
Many screenwriters today slavishly follow the structural guidelines in one of the scriptwriting books or lecture courses created by popular script gurus. The best of these script gurus are brilliant teachers with useful, provocative ideas. Many of them offer a very helpful system for focusing a writer's thinking on solving common storytelling problems. No system, no matter how helpful or popular, is foolproof.
=> USE WHAT WORKS (FOR YOU)
Reading ABOUT writing can be a confusing experience. You'll be bombarded with new terms like character arc, turning points, major crisis, pivotal motivation. Your own writing experience will help you sift through this information. The only way to truly digest the information is to write your own scripts. Through practical experience, you will gradually understand the concepts and learn how to use the techniques, principles and devices you've read about in these books.
=> EXPERIMENT, LET YOUR STORY LEAD YOU
Most successful writers believe they have taught themselves to write. Their hard-won writing experiences have educated them on what works and what does not work for them. Gradually you will discover how and where to use the helpful techniques these authors share. Nobody knows everything -- not even YOU!
=> LET WRITING ENHANCE YOUR READING
Emerging writers can benefit from writing several scripts on their own BEFORE they take on one of these strenuous scriptwriting systems.
=> LET THE FIRST DRAFT BE YOURS.
As you rewrite or polish, seek legitimate feedback from working film pros, published writers, trusted professors and movie lovers. For more info on generating feedback GO HERE =>
www.breakingin.net/tswfeedback.htm
Okay, here's the
BOOK LIST:
RECOMMENDED BOOKS FOR EMERGING SCREENWRITERS
From the dozens of screenwriting books on the market, I've chosen five books on movie writing and script marketing that will especially benefit emerging writers.
These popular books are not difficult to read, however they are challenging to absorb. There is so much to learn. Don't expect to polish them off in one rainy weekend.
~~ THE SCREENWRITERS BIBLE by DaveTrottier
This book is a complete guide to writing, formatting and marketing your first screenplays. Dave is an excellent teacher as well as a successful screenwriter, so this book is a great place to start.
MORE INFO =>
CLICK
HERE
~~ SCREENPLAY: Foundations of Screenwriting by Syd
Field.
Some successful Hollywood screenwriters swear by this little book. Crisp, succinct, pithy -- just like a good screenplay.
MORE INFO =>
CLICK
HERE
~~ WRITING SCREENPLAYS THAT SELL by Michael
Hauge
Michael explores the essential elements of a successful screenplay in a practical and helpful way. Reprinted 23 times!
MORE
INFO on Michael's book => CLICK
HERE
To read our 3-part interview with this popular script coach CLICK HERE =>
www.breakingin.net/hauge1.htm
~~ MAKING A GOOD SCRIPT GREAT by Linda Seger
This book explores rewriting in depth. Read this book AFTER you have completed a draft of your script.
MORE INFO =>
CLICK
HERE
~~ HOW TO BREAK INTO THE SCREENWRITING BUSINESS by Lenore Wright
Hey, I have to give my own book a plug now and then. This book focuses on MARKETING. It will NOT tell you how to write your script, it will give you an insider's overview of the steps necessary to get your scripts read by the right people and recommended to the movies.
To read a SAMPLE CHAPTER of this useful little e-book CLICK HERE=> www.breakingin.net/samplechapter.htm
For a complete list of reliable books on movie genres or marketing screenplays GO HERE =>
www.breakingin.net/books.htm
Good reading, good writing and good luck!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Selling Your Work to the Movies?
LET www.breakingin.net
HELP YOU BREAK IN!
Bombproof Query Letters =>
www.breakingin.net/tswquery.htm
Freebie
Script Format Tutorial =>
www.breakingin.net/format
_ tutorial.htm
++++++++++++++++++++++++
MARKET
TIP
Winter
Screenplay Contests
=>
FILMMAKERS MAGAZINE SCRIPT COMPETITION
Lots of promotion opportunity here:
~~ One of the sponsors - The Radmin Company - will read and consider the top fifty scripts.
~~ Top ten finalists will be submitted to production companies and literary agents. And they receive script notes, prizes and consideration for representation.
~~ Top five scripts will receive LIVE scene readings at The Screenwriting Conference in Santa Fe, New Mexico -- plus free tuition to the conference and dinner with the producers at The Radmin Company.
~~ $8,500. in cash and prizes to the finalists and winners.
DEADLINE: January 31, 2003
INFO => www.filmmakers.com/ (Click on Contest)
=> WINNER TAKE ALL SCRIPT CONTEST
The winning script goes through three levels of scoring in the interest of fairness. Open to anyone without produced feature film credits.
DEADLINE: January 31, 2003
INFO => www.winner-takeall.com/
=> SCRIPTWRITERS NETWORK/CARL SAUTER
MEMORIAL SCRIPTWRITING COMPETITION
Low entry fees for members of the Scriptwriters Network, a networking group that works to enhance writer awareness of the realities of the business. Several formats welcome: feature film, Movies of the Week, and TV scripts (both hour and half-hour).
DEADLINE: February 8, 2003
INFO => www.scriptwritersnetwork.com
=> IVY FILM FESTIVAL
STUDENTS ONLY -- graduate and undergraduate. This new contest is sponsored by Brown University (Providence, RI). Winners in short form (40 pages or less) or long form (70 pages or more). Cash prizes and agency recognition.
DEADLINE: February 1, 2003
INFO => www.ivyfilmfestival.com/
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Hot BOOKS for Emerging Writers
Wintry weather got you down?
Curl up with a good book.
Check out our BOOKLIST
for SCREENWRITERS:
www.breakingin.net/books.htm
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_______________________
Do a writing pal a favor and
FORWARD Script Market News to them.
Then FINISH THAT SCRIPT and get 2003
off to a great start.
Happy New Year to ALL!
Lenore Wright, Editor
Script Market News
+++++++++++++
Jumpstart YOUR writing career!
www.breakingin.net/benefits.htm
If
you haven't seen my site for screenwriters... GO NOW
=> www.breakingin.net/
******
Miss the last issue? You can read it ONLINE here => www.breakingin.net/script-market-news24.htm
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