The Script-Selling Advice I Wish I'd Had

Writing screenplays is a funny business, because a screenplay isn't a work of art in itself; it's just the blueprint for one. You can spend years working on a script and be proud of every line and moment of it, but unless it's made into a film, the whole endeavor is academic. The way it stands, the general public doesn't read screenplays for fun. The only people who have any interest in them are filmmakers and other screenwriters, and even then they are mostly read for a purpose (i.e., because a screenwriter wants to learn or a director is considering making the script into a film).

For every film that gets made, there are at least a dozen screenplays that don't, and it's not necessarily because they aren't any good. It's a kind of miracle that any film gets made, ever, and as a screenwriter, if your words end up on the big screen, you've won, big time.

When I started teaching screenwriting at Lighthouse, I thought about what would have helped me most when I was starting out. I created Draft a Screenplay in 8 Weeks, because a class like that would have saved me the three years it took to write my first screenplay! After I drafted that screenplay, I would have needed somewhere to workshop the draft, get feedback, and hone it until it was ready to meet the world, which is what's covered in Michael Catlin's class, The Table. Finally, I would have loved assistance in planning and preparing to get it out. This is where my new class, Selling Your Script, comes in. 

In this class, we'll cover everything from the industry standards of printed copies to how to write a query letter and who to send it to. You'll have the chance to test your logline out on the group and practice your elevator pitch. You'll finish the class with a realistic plan for getting your film made, and the tools you need to make it happen. 

My dream is that every one of our screenwriters gets their film made. If you've got a screenplay that you think is ready to meet the world, join us in this journey toward production.