sell your screenplay Archives - Addicted to Writing

I write, therefore I am. :D — I write, therefore I am. 😀

Nope, I haven’t gone stark raving mad.

I haven’t lost it during the process of trying to getting my fiction published.

I’m just reacting to (and kind of celebrating) two interesting pieces of writing:

This The Billfold post: Calling All Literary Agents, Via Your Blog where Meaghan O’Connell wrote about Miles Klee, a writer who posted about his agent needs on his Tumblr.

Writer and writing coach Angela Booth mentions in one of her free e-books (I think it was called Blogging for Dollars) where a client of hers mentioned she was looking for an agent. Lo and behold, the agent found her through the description of her work online.

(I also reached out to Miles Klee to find out if he found the new agent he was looking for via his TUMBLR blog. I’ll update if I get an answer.)

Established writer and coach Marilyn Horowitz also encourages you talk about your writing and keeping a presence online.

So why not?
There are no guarantees. In fact, it probably won’t work. I. And yet, here I roll:

1 novel, 1 one-hour TV drama pilot, 1 feature drama

– They are low(er) budget, mainstream yet different enough. And they are similar in genre(s), even though the weight of romance, comedy and drama differs.

So I won’t be pissing off any producer or agent by saying I have one period drama, one CGI-heavy sci-fi and one gory horror. (Although I don’t promise never to write these, except from the gory horror.)

– I’ve a niche. I’ve specialized. I’ve been doing this for a while.

– None of the (manu)scripts are their first (or fourth, for that matter) drafts.

And they will each get their individual posts, detailing each project without spoiling anything. I have query letters and synopses for that (you know, those thing where you actually have to give away the ending and twists and all.)

– Oh, and the best of all, their medium can be easily converted into another.

My novel would work as a script, and my scripts could be turned into a novel.

So there you go, agents and producers.

And again, as Marilyn Horowitz points out in her book Sell Your Screenplay in 30 Days Using New Media (aff. link), I’m my own agent until I get one, so here I am. Letting the world know. I have stories I can’t wait to share.

In case you are in the market for contemporary romantic dramas with a sense of humor. The TV pilot placed as a semi-finalist in 2014’s Creative Writing Awards.

What do you guys have? Share away in the comments, including links to your blogs and Twitter accounts. And do read each other, follow up on the people whose work/comment you enjoyed.

That’s how communities are built upon.

And if you like what I create for you, please share the post on Twitter and wherever else you hang out on!

Where else to find me:

Stage 32

Twitter: @zoeyclark

I’m also a member of Ashley Scott Meyers’ SYS Select. (not an affiliate link.)

OK, you don't literally have to make them more active, though, depending on the genre, you might have to. :D — OK, you don’t literally have to make them more active, though, depending on the genre, you might have to. 😀

It’s a rational idea, isn’t it? Make your protagonists active, and the audience will be more engaged.

Generally, it’s not a problem for me. My characters tend to be lively, ambitious and passionate. Even the ones who aren’t ambitious about their career, they’re big on their right to party, live and love freely and to the fullest.

But some characters aren’t that easy. What if there are mental or physical blocks? What if they are in a place in their lives where they lack the energy or the will to live more ferociously? What if it’s more natural for them to just react?

I hear you.

I was recently (rightfully) challenged by several readers to make my protagonist more active. And even though she did a lot of major things, most of those happened off screen, making her seem passive.

So I rose to the challenge and realized there are many scenes where I can shake things up, without going against the heart of the story.

Making my severely depressed character more active (from another story) is, however, more difficult because he already does something huge that affects everyone, but I’m brainstorming ways to increase his activeness.

As much as I resisted this after I first read the notes, when I imagined him pursuing things, I was more hooked by the story as well.

So while you don’t literally have to make your protagonist run toward things (or escape from things by running), it makes sense to show them as taking charge.

What can you do to make your protagonists more active?

Don’t worry, though. If you have already created a Bryan Mills-type character (Taken) who starts getting active even during his conversation with his about-to-be-kidnapped daughter, you just might be okay.

Literary Agent/Manager Needed for 1 Novel, 1 Feature Film Script and 1 Pilot

1 novel, 1 one-hour TV drama pilot, 1 feature drama

A Brainstorming Activity That’ll Help You Sell Your Screenplay: Make Your Protagonists More Active