Screenwriting : I kinda sold a script, what do I do now? by Christian Canterbury

Off to the next script...and possible sale. Scripts ain't merch. Nobody coming to the store, saying

- Hey, you've got them liquid cleaners?

- Yes.

- Well, give me a couple dozens...

All between two sales or two productions is a waiting game...do your best to survive.

I agree with Kiril, scripts get held up in development all the time. Sometimes they completely fall apart due unforeseen scheduling conflicts and changes in management. Always best to have one or two other scripts in the works while you wait.

You're in a tough place, one that isn't talked about much within forums like these but a very common circumstance for today's working screenwriters. It's a frustrating purgatory to live in.

The advice you have been given is reasonable, but a little puritanical.

What you have now, and is very typical, is this sort of spectre of a project which, to anyone going through it for the first time, will feel like a done deal they want to scream from the rooftops about. However, until that greenlight is there, all you really have little more than intent, valuable intent, but intent nonetheless. Now is not the time to make a scene because it can all just fizzle out. Take it from someone who's been there many times. Hell, even only this holiday season, I spent it being told payment was due any day to start on a project that was definitely going ahead. Then, one day, an email to say it was all being canned. They call it being "seduced and abandoned" over and over.

I say the comment about representation is puritanical because, yes, that's what should happen. But, from my experience, the reps just aren't proactive at all. They don't really need to be. I'm very open about the fact that, three films in, one of which has been an Amazon Prime #4 and another has been a Hulu #1, I can't even get the agencies to respond to an email - other to auto reply that their books are full. It's brutal, and disheartening to say the least.

What I suggest you do with your energy now is to take on as much mentoring as you can when it comes to producing. Talk with your collaborators. Take on tasks like seeking out talent. Learn about budgeting. Look at how your writing impacts production logistics. Basically, learn as much about producing as you can, as that knowledge is incredibly valuable. It will also bond you with your producer, which means a greater potential for collaboration in the future. The last thing I'd be doing is hiding away writing something else.

Some are going to tell you the script should be optioned and you should be paid healthily already, and I honestly don't have answers for that anymore. The indie worlds and studio worlds are just so juxtaposed right now, and feed two completely contrasting mindsets. The important thing is that you are happy above all else.

Here's a huge congratulations anyway. Well done to you. You're in a position only a tiny percentile get into, and hopefully you'll get that call sometime soon to say the funding is locked in and it's time to start telling the world what's happening.

If you 'sold' a script, congrats. Move on to the next one and let the producers twiddle their thumbs while they try to secure name cast or money. If you 'optioned' a script for a smaller sum, I'd still move on to the next one, until your option agreement expires.

You may be the writer, but you should also be a producer. Get involved in making it happen. Be proactive and take initiative to secure the attached talent. You’re leaving your fate in the hands of others which is risky business. Take the wheel!

Kiril Maksimoski A PERFECT analogy, Kiril. Well played!

Query managers/agents using the sale of your script, the producer's name, the studio and the director. You have ammunition, especially with "the amazing director", to pitch yourself to management companies and agencies.

Christian Canterbury With all due respect, "Kinda" is not a good place to be. It's like, when you were a kid, and you requested that Mom stop the car for ice cream cones. Mom would say, "We'll See," which always meant no. It was her version of "Kinda."

Congratulations! That is a huge win :) Allow for the process. Keep in touch with the producer for updates. It takes time, the fact that you have a Director and Producer and a studio, is amazing. My advice is to get to work on your next project, have another well written script in hand. Check out this Stage32 article to keep you motivated https://www.stage32.com/blog/3629 Best of luck!

For what it's worth, the producers of Gridiron Gang waited ten years for their greenlight, but stuck with Neal Moritz for the duration. Contact was a real pilgrimage for Lynda Obst. A lot of people succeed in this business through stamina, patience, and belief.

You can respond directly to someone by putting @ in front of their name, Christian Canterbury.

CJ Walley Agreed, CJ. Here are a few more examples. Both scripts were kicking around Hollywood for 20 years in search of a home. And both were critical and financial winners: I AM LEGEND (2007) and multi-Oscar winner, DALLAS BUYERS CLUB (2013). Plus, let's not forget that the iconic BACK TO THE FUTURE (1985) was rejected by ALL the studios repeatedly at the rate of 40 times.

Great advice throughout this thread (especially about the time it takes for these things to come together and the rhetorical mantra to keep writing), so I won't repeat what's already been said. But I do want to throw massive weight behind CJ Walley's post. The thinking of waiting is not only puritanical, it's passive. You have some heat with this project. If you truly feel you need a rep at this point, be proactive about it. Your wants, your career, your action.

Thank you ALL for the advice. @franciscocastro, I didn't know Query letters were still a "thing". Is it through e-mail now or social media? I'm nervous about spilling all the "deets" of the studio/director/producers etc. involved in my script because the project is still ongoing. I have other scripts but I'ms sure they'd want a look at the one I sold (which I can't do)

I also want to thank @cjwalley for the detailed post. Amazing advice. I actually worked with Lynda on a pilot that almost got greenlit. We're still friends now. She's a powerhouse.

The @ before a name thing doesn't seem to be working for me @mauricevaughan

Sometimes you have to refresh the post for @ to work, Christian Canterbury.

Christian Canterbury, sometimes the @ will stop working. Probably related to the number of people on the site.

Christian Canterbury, what an incredible collaborator and friend to have. I'm a huge fan of Lynda's after reading her books. A powerhouse indeed.

Yeah, it's a tough catch-22 you find yourself in. On one hand, you want to use the momentum you have to try and land representation because that obviously increases the chances of more showcases of your work. On the other, patience is a virtue and these things always work themselves out in the end the way they were meant to be. It sounds like where you're at, you're in kind of a holding pattern in terms of the production. But you're not in a holding pattern in your career or development as a writer. Go to reps and tell them directly something along the lines of what you told us. That you have a movie set up at XYZ with amazing director attached that is actively casting. Be proactive, but don't pressure anyone or demand anything or try to use your leverage to throw your weight around. Just present your present circumstance, see if you vibe with anyone who responds, and have samples they can view upon request of your best scripts. If the vibe is there, roll with it. If the vibe ain't there, it's okay also, move on.

Pat Alexander Sorry if this is such a basic question, but how do I do that? My experience with this script is that I won a contest which led to a producer, which led me to a studio and after a few moths of rewrites, we're casting. I HAVE been waiting for my script to be greenlit and announced in the trades because I assume the representation that comes to ME after I sold a script would be better than the ones I could get on my own. But like I said in my first post, I don't want to loose this momentum. So, how does someone in my position even find representation? Query emails through agents and managers websites? would that even work? How would I do that? I'm sorry to sound so daft but I've never been in this position before. Thanks.

Christian Canterbury Stage32 offers many ways to meet lit agents and representation. Check out pitch sessions or the writers room. I do know of 1 person who got a lit agent right here through a pitch session. I'm sure others can share their stories.

Christian, when you say "Kinda" I'm left to assume you have no confidence with the sale of your script. Did you sign an Option agreement, with a specific opt-out deadline? Or at least a way to leave if things go sour? A good contract for both parties is the key to success. Most A-listers sign a contract which assures they get paid and that the producer will keep to his schedule and timeline. Finally, knowing when to end a relationship is difficult but necessary at times.

I gotta ASSUME you have an option agreement in place? That should specify all the details of time period, pay, force majeures, etc. So I'm not entirely sure what you're asking here...

First off, congrats. You've achieved something many writers here are striving for. In the meantime, writers WRITE! Get your mind off things and work on other projects. If you have any ideas for another screenplay, now is the time to start jotting down notes, and putting together your next big script. You can also query agents that take on screenwriters. Just in your situation alone, someone may want to take you on as a client. The key thing in all of this is, you've done the hardest part already. Be patient and good luck! Way to go