Want to Write Interesting Screenplays? Get Out of Your Comfort Zone

Many people say write what you know.  But to write what you know that is also  interesting — that’s not so easy.  Because at the end of the day people want to be entertained — and to do that your own story needs to be interesting and engaging.

One obstacle to writing interesting stories is that it’s very easy, especially in LA, to settle into a lifestyle where you only talk to your small circle of friends, go to the same three bars, and never leave your neighborhood. Yet to really be interesting you have to get outside your comfort zone and constantly do new and interesting things.

For example, every weekend I will try to do something new and different. And it doesn’t have to be expensive or extravagant. Usually I will just type into Google “cheap/free events in Los Angeles” and see what turns up.  For example, last weekend I typed in “cheap great desserts in Los Angeles” and found a fabulous Thai bakery open until 2 a.m. Or I’ll see an art show downtown or go on a hike somewhere I have never been before. Having intellectual curiosity will enrich your life and your writing — and you never know what you might discover.

Also, I try to read as much as I possibly can.  Books, newspapers, blogs, magazines — the stranger the better. One of my favorite magazines is Texas Monthly — and everyone makes fun of me because why would a nice Jewish girl
born and raised in LA read Texas Monthly?  But I love the magazine’s stories, which expose me to information I wouldn’t know from living in LA.

You never know where a great idea will come from.  So the more you read, the more opportunites you have to discover interesting stories that could be the basis for a great script.

In fact, one of my favorite stories is that of the origins of the film PUNCH DRUNK LOVE. It came from a tiny article P.T. Anderson saw about a man who traded in a lot of Healthy Choice coupons. This little nugget ended up being on a tiny part of the movie but if he had never read that tiny article he might never have been inspired to write the movie.

Start right now to read, discover, travel and experience life so you can write interesting stories.

Top 5 Peeves about Query Letters and Submissions for Management Representation

Since I am looking at the gigantic stack of scripts designated for my weekend read, I thought it would be fun to put together a list of my top 5 peeves about query letters and submissions:

1.  If you list 12 scripts in a query letter. If I see 12 scripts listed on a query letter I am going to wonder why hasn’t anything happened with any of them?  Put one or at most two in the letter.

2. Saying this script will sell for millions of dollars!  Every script I have seen with a letter saying “it will sell for millions of dollars” has been a pass.  First, no one knows what scripts will sell and what won’t.  If you must say something, just say you believe it is a very commercial idea.

3.  X meets Y.  Don’t pick two movies that have nothing in common and put them together by saying your script is like X meets Y.  I have seen all kinds of ridiculous statements, such as Wall-E meets Schindler’s List. This means nothing.

4. Calling me up and saying I must read this asap. If you give it to me on a Monday and think I am going to read it by Friday, then you are mistaken. You are also mistaken if you give it to me on a Friday and call me on Monday to see if I have read it. Give everyone two weeks to read your script; we are all busy and we have a lot of work to do and are trying to get through everything.

5. Spelling and grammar mistakes. There should be none, ever — either in your letter or in your script.  If I am taking the time to read your script, you should have taken the time to go through your work and make sure there are no spelling and grammar mistakes.

Bonus tip. If you call me and say you would love to submit to me and I tell you to check out our submission policy on our web page and you tell me you don’t have a computer — that is a very bad sign.

However, the most important thing is to make sure you have the best script possible.  You only get one chance, and it is very very rare that, after I pass on someone, I will agree to read another script by that person.

So before you send your script to me make sure you have done everything in your power to make it the most professional and well-written script you can.

Check Out to Check Back In

I just came back from almost three weeks in Rio De Janeiro and it was life changing.  I feel refreshed, energized and ready to take on the world.

But let me back up a bit.  I had been feeling what is known as complete burn out — simply put, mental and physical exhaustion for having worked for seven years straight without a real vacation. Three of those years launching a company and once I did that - say good-bye to sleep. I was feeling discouraged by the two strikes (one of them de facto), the recession, and the fact that the number of movies being made are shrinking at an alarming rate.  And I was starting to seriously think that maybe I should go do something else.

Which is when I knew I had to take a break and get out of town. Entertainment is the only thing I have ever wanted to do, and I have been working since I was 16 (when I optioned my first novel).  So if I were having serious thoughts about leaving the business, it was time to take a vacation and clear my head.

And when I got the opportunity to go to Rio, I jumped on it — and immediately got a lot of flak. My business partner wanted to kill me, my parents didn’t understand, and my ex-boyfriend thought I was nuts.  And true it was pilot season and yes we had a client writing on the Oscars that I would be missing the performance for, and yes we had a client who was moving to LA, etc.  But I was leaving the company in my business partner’s safe hands and, as I told everyone, we aren’t curing cancer, surely no one would die (God forbid) if I left.

I went to Rio and had 2 1/2 weeks where I took time for myself, read (for fun!!), and explored a different culture . No cell phones, only checked email every couple of days and really relaxed.

When I came back, really good things started happening. Projects were moving forward, a client got two test offers for pilots, and the list goes on. I don’t know if it is just coincidental timing or the fact that I have been more focused and energized and have been able to think of new, interesting possibilities for my clients (I have my money on the latter).

I’ve now realized that it is easy to get wrapped up in this crazy business — I know I did. We all work so hard, and it often feels like there is never enough hours in the day (you could always read another script, watch a movie, go to a film festival) — that it’s easy to forget that there is a whole world out there to explore.  And that it’s okay to take a vacation and get away. And not only is it okay but it’s imperative for your mental health.  (Ironically enough, I fell so much in love with Rio that I am now trying to find a movie to shoot  there.)

If you are feeling stuck or burned out or uninspired, get out of town and take a vacation. Go somewhere where you can relax and clear your head.  (And yes, even in a recession - it’s a great time to find super-cheap deals!) Even if it’s somewhere nearby for a couple of days, it’s so worth it!

Happy Friday,