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New writers often think the industry is biased against them.
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In some ways that’s true. Film executives are risk averse and love the comfort of banking on a scribe who already has a hit at the box office.
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But new writers have one big advantage that pros often find unavailable:
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Time.
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Writers on assignment don’t get nearly as much time to write.
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But You Get At Least Fourteen Weeks To Write A Screenplay On Assignment, Right?
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Sometimes you do and sometimes you don’t.
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On several low-budget assignments for Lionsgate, I was asked to turn around an entire feature film script in less than a month. I’m not talking about the first draft. I’m talking about done – “heading into production” done. That’s barely time to come up with one viable storyline and execute as quickly as possible.
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It’s not even close to the ideal way to write a screenplay.
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Ideally, you take a month or more just to brainstorm ideas, and then you carefully construct a treatment, and then you get feedback on that treatment and revise, and then you take your time crafting a first draft, and then you get feedback on that draft, and you revise, and you rinse and repeat and repeat, until you have a finely polished feedback-vetted gem.
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This process takes months and months, so when you see a movie written on assignment and think “that could have been better” spend a moment wondering if the credited writer was given even close to enough time.
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A few years back, I was working with a very successful and influential producer and was asked to rewrite the outline for half a feature film in one night and then walk into a studio the next day to pitch it. It was nuts, but I wasn’t about to say no to that request. There’s no saying no.
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And That’s The Great News For New Screenwriters
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You’ve got all the time in the world to write your spec.
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You can go through every step of the creative process.
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You can get feedback on your story so you know what’s working and what isn’t.
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You can take the time to remove a story element that just isn’t playing to readers.
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You can revise again and again until every moment is perfect.
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Revision Isn’t Easy
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It takes a ton of time. But if you’re willing to put in the effort, you can put together a compelling script, and that achievement will be your key to the industry.
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All it takes is one writing sample that really works.
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And you can get representation.
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And you can actually make your way in.
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And Once You Make It:
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You’re going to have to write a lot faster, but that’s a great problem to have.
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