How do I protect myself and my script once it’s written!

First know, you can only take 'precautions' against piracy & creative 
theft - especially now that we live and WRITE in the world of the 
internet. But here are some precautions you can take.... particularly regarding 
screenwriting:

1) REGISTER your screenplay as soon as it's completed. WGA (writer's 
guild America is recognized world-wide, can be done in 10 minutes via 
the internet). There is a list on my website (http://wordsmythe.ca ) LINKS section to find others around the world. 


2) ALWAYS sign your work. You would be surprised how many scripts I 
receive for critiques that DO NOT have the writers name on every page 
(in the header at the top alongside the title and just before the page 
#). You may have to remove this for competitions.... but in every other case - SIGN YOUR WORK.

3) NEVER transmit a file in anything other than an unalterable PDF or 
similar incorruptible file.


4) SEND files to people you know via reputation or, if they are friends, make sure they understand they should request permission before 
forwarding the file elsewhere. 


5) Don't write OVER your old drafts of a screenplay - but create a 
new numbered 'version' each time you do a rewrite to ensure you have a 
traceable chain of creation. (draft #1, draft #2, draft #3..... DO NOT 
send out scripts with the draft #'s on them; but keep the files on 
your computer for proof)


And know, too - that like seat belts in an automobile - these can't 
prevent a big, serious accident; but can help minimize problems with 
little fender-benders. Creative theft is really hard to prove; make 
sure you do all you can to minimize the possibility from your end and 
keep writing. Don't pin all your hopes and dreams on one single piece 
of writing. The more you have in your writing portfolio; the less it 
will hurt if one thing goes astray.

I hope this helps. And I do wish you luck with your screenplay . Let me know when you’ve completed your script. I’d love to read your work!

I just finished my first screenplay and am going to start looking for an agent. Do you have any advice?

Congratulations on completing your script. So few people finish, you should be proud! Make sure you register it with an internationally recognized body and good luck with the next step. Getting your work noticed by a producer with a track record can be tough. New writers inhabit a 'no-man's land' of needing a track record to get an agent; but not having a track record to attract an agent in order to submit to a producer. Yikes!

Agents for the most part work on commission; and they work darn hard, too I might add. And an agent who has been in the business long enough to be useful, has a vast network of connections that rival many producers or lawyers. They've spent years building their reputations and connections, not to mention the money it's taken. Often their return on any contract is a meager 10% to offset the effort it's taken to create this infrastructure and the daily expenses that go with it. It's not cheap to live in Hollywood; nor to employ people there either.

So, I ask you (just as they are probably asking themselves) - What's in it, for them? What can you give them in return for the vast amount of time and energy they've already put on the table by simply taking your call? The thrill an agent gets in making a really talented discovery probably won't pay many bills for years to come. What's an aspiring screenwriter to do?

First of all, polish the script that you have. Every scene needs to be solid as a house and ring with the truth of conviction. Second, start ANOTHER SCREENPLAY. No artist approaches a gallery for a show with ONE painting. In your writing portfolio you should have a variety of scripts that show the breadth of your talent; various genres, various characters and all bright as new pennies. And third, enter competitions. Do some of the agent's work for them... get your name out there!

But be smart about what you enter; you can spend a small fortune there are so many competitions now. Pick several that offer significant prizes (Final Draft, Disney) or recognition (Nicholls, or big Film Festival) or both. And then enter a number of smaller competitions too - where the odds aren't so tough. A win in Topeka still prints out FIRST PLACE on your script resume.

And finally, KEEP WRITING. Don't let yourself fall prey to discouragement! Keep writing and perfecting your craft; keep hoping and keep marketing yourself and your writing so one day an agent will pick up the phone with enthusiasm when you call.

I hope this helps. I wish you every luck with your screenplay and would love to read what's next!

I read this all the time: a screenwriter should SHOW not TELL a story - but what does it really mean?

Next to 'write what you know' SHOW don't TELL is one of the oldest pieces of advice in screenwriting; and rightly so! A Screenplay is the text basis for what will become a visual final product. It's that eventual translation to film that makes screenwriting so tricky and yet so interesting too. IF it were only going to remain as words - it would be a novel or short story.

So the first thing you need to do is figure out what your character is feeling in every single scene that you write. And then you need to figure out an action - that is true to your character - that SHOWS or demonstrates or telegraphs that feeling. This can sometimes be hard! Let's try one simple, basic emotion as an example and see what happens.

Anger is one of our most basic human emotions, but everyone presents or displays their anger in different ways. One character might blow up, lose their cool, or even clobber someone in anger. This is very straightforward mechanism for SHOWING a character's anger response in a situation.

Now, what if instead of blowing up when provoked to anger - you create a character that cries as a response. How does that change our understanding of WHO your character is? Does it make your character more childlike in our eyes; or more female perhaps? Does it change our understanding of the quality or depth of their anger?

Are you starting to get the picture as a writer. The basic emotion your character feels in every scene is conveyed to the audience through an action. That is how we read what is going on inside your characters heart & mind. You can radically influence our perception of your character by choosing an action different than what's expected or normal as a response.

And then, to add to the mix.... an actor will read the part you've written and add their own interpretation to it. Perhaps the actor decides that the character then gets the SHAKES after a really tumultuous experience and that will color our perception of the character's inner emotions too. It certainly adds a new dimension to what we've written and expands the VISUAL language of the character on film.

I hope this helps. I wish you luck with your writing.... and would love to read your work when you've finished a draft.