So I'm new here. I know any number of people will read a script for a fee and have varying qualifications for doing so, but what I'm wondering is, are there screenwriters who are willing to read another's work in exchange for that other screenwriter's reading theirs? Obviously, you'd want notes, and thoughtful, meaningful notes take time and effort on top of the time it takes just to read. It may just be that you get what you pay for, but no one wants to not get what they paid for and it can be hard to tell this in advance. (Friends/relatives aren't good readers, imho, because they are going to look only for good stuff to say.) It seems to me a quid pro quo on this type of thing could be valuable for each screenwriter who agreed to be involved. Has anyone done this on Stage 32 and what were your results?
Screenwriting : Read for a read. by Liz Warner
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What Lisa said. BUT there are readers that would swap read for read via email (like me). The problem is they would most likely want to know the quality in your writing before agreeing. And the only way you can show them that is by uploading something on the site.
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Makes sense to me! Appreciate the thoughts.
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The idea wasn't to try to force other people to read something against their wills, but rather, for willing writers to engage in a mutually beneficial quid pro quo. Hope this clarifies!
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@Larry, I have no doubt you know what you're talking about and I don't think you're being unfair or brutal at all. I've heard the first 10, the first 3, and the first only--the idea being to get the reader to want to flip the page and want to read more. I also don't doubt you've received unwanted/unsolicited entire scripts! That said, though, someone might want to know, for instance, if the middle is, say, dragging, or the ending is perhaps too abrupt, or something like that--in which case, that can't really be answered on the first page. When I write, I want all of it to work, not only the first page. The idea may not be necessarily to sell it but to try to use it to try to master the craft, though ideally, we'd probably all like to do both! I wasn't trying to be controversial in my original post asking if other writers might want to do an earnest script/note exchange, and I do sincerely appreciate your offer to read the first page. Thanks! --Liz
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@Larry. What do you look for in the first page?
Thank you, Larry, I appreciate that. You must do a dynamite pitch if you spend more time on the loglines than on the scripts! I'm envious!
Or "show" business, depending on your p.o.v. (and said with a smile.)
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I'm always willing to exchange material.