subject: Tips On How To Become The Best Screenwriter [print this page] If you think you could get past all the secretaries and assistants with no Hollywood guru then subscribe to the crowd over there in the discouragement line. They all thought they can go it alone and look where they are now. Don't give up. It is all worth it.
No one gets discovered in an ice cream shop anymore. If you want to break into Hollywood you are going to need a mentor, a guide.
Every single day a huge number of would-be scriptwriters are attracted by the bright lights and glitz and glitter of Hollywood and every single day those dreams get squashed by ignorance. The rivalry is intense and that whole 'survival of the fittest' thing is honored to those who make connections and get support.
You know the old saying, "It's who you know?" That saying started out in Hollywood! Screenwriters absolutely need a coach more than any other group in this business.
Until your name is flashing up there on the Giant screen, you're an unknown - a nobody. You won't even be capable of getting your foot on the door - just forget about your script.
Here's how a coach can help you get your first screenplay sold in Hollywood:
Script Proofreading: Writing a script is completely unique than writing a novel. Movie script format is limited and formulaic with a limited amount of words, characters, places, and scenes.
Novel writers DO NOT make fine scriptwriters (movie scripts are NOT stories). You can't evaluate your own work and a tutor knows exactly what the studio executives expect to see on the page. Mentors are worth every penny you pay them.
Script Format: Executives receive hundreds of scripts per week. If you want yours to be noticed and read then it has to be shipped and shine like a professional's script. Software packages will do formatting for you, but only as a guideline.
A mentor will fill out the missing factors to formatting for you and you'll learn with the one-on-one guidance and comments. A great mentor knows what the studio execs expect to see on the page.
Query letters: A good mentor can expose you to an agent and can even handle you once you've finished (not completed - completing a script is NOT finishing a script) an excellent item (script) to sell so you won't need query letters.
