Screenwriting : New at Screenwriting. by Jomana Miller

Bite that bullet and let people read it so you can get some feedback . You won't progress if you keep your work hidden away.

If you'd feel more comfortable having someone do it privately than doing it publicly I'm sure there are some people on here that would do it at an affordable rate.

Pitch until the sting of rejection feels like the bitter pick-me-up in your morning coffee. You must be willing to let someone rip apart your story and suggest/demand changes, because that’s a major part of being a paid screenwriter. You must be a good collaborator in addition to a good writer, because every successful movie is a group effort.

Since you're brand new to screenwriting and working on your first pilot script, I wouldn't wade into the deep end of pitching to execs just yet. Fine tune your concept and craft first. Give yourself the best chance you can of getting a good response from people who can make a difference in your career. If you start pitching a half-baked effort, the brutal feedback could be overwhelming and discouraging at this early stage.

Instead, try 'pitching' your concept to people who have no skin in the game. If you pitch it to a friend, do it in person so you can see if their eyes genuinely light up. If you have the courage, and you need to, pitch it to strangers either in person or in a forum like S32, in a FB screenwriting forum, or a logline contest somewhere.

Once you've collected feedback on your concept, noticed some commonalities amongst the different sources, and tweaked your idea accordingly, you need feedback on the actual script. If you're not a member of an informal writer's group (who swap scripts with one another), you'll need pro feedback. There are several script consultants in this forum who have good reputations, or you could use S32 or WeScreenplay's services.

Best of luck. Don't get discouraged. Keep writing; keep studying. We're all various degrees of shait when we begin. :)

Yeah, what Phil said. Pitching at this stage is a waste of money.

I’ve found pitching to friends is far less helpful than pitching to someone with no skin in the game, because friends like to soften the blow and have no frame of reference to say what was done well or how to improve. Pitching sessions such as what’s offered on this website help more because you get feedback from pros who don’t care to pull punches, and as educational opportunities there’s less pressure to put your best work on the line.

Stick it in a few competitions that give notes. The Austin, Page and Nicol. I am not sure if they all do pilots, but look around. Notes are your friend at the moment. Competition get so many entries no one will remember you (unless you are a writing god) which is great in the early days.

Thank you everyone who has offered me some insight. You have all been a great help to me. I'm still at that point where I think my story idea is "silly" and that people won't like it. But I know that comes with the business and I know that someone will eventually like it.

Hi Jomana Miller Glad to have you along on this creative journey with us all. I can relate to your nervousness, but...you just have to go for it. Put yourself out there. Even if you get tough feedback, it's that said tough feedback which will push you to work harder and perfect the craft.And being present on stage32 is a great step to stay inspired and learn a lot. I can attest to this.I probably would have already become lost if not for the helpful and knowledgeable people here. Gain knowledge, interact, and also pass on the knowledge you've gained to others.

Don't be scared to reach out if anything. Anyway I can assist, I'll be glad to. Good luck Jomana ^_^

Jomana Miller silly as in Teenage Girl Vampire Slayer (Buffy) or birth rates drop so part of American is partitioned off be religious zealots (Handmaids Tale) or a cop wakes up from a coma and there has been a zombie outbreak (Walking Dead)?

There are no silly ideas. Just less than great ways of telling them.

I thought you weren't ready to share it. Are people telling you it's silly or are you telling yourself that people will say it's silly? Choose your audience carefully and they won't tell you it's silly, instead they'll offer suggestions to improve it.

Hi Jomana. Welcome! It's natural to be nervous, but over time you need to learn to shake off that anxiety. If you ever want to come and chat, feel free to message me any time. Regards, Phil www.philmscribe.com

Move to a large film & tv community, learn an industry trade (make coffee, grip, drive a truck), stay physically healthy, write on the side.

Jomana, all I can say is: If you haven't submitted your TV pilot here to Stage 32, go for it, by all means!

I joined Stage 32 this past January and started submitting my own screenplays to the site not long afterwards. (Most of what I've turned in thus far was material I'd written during my previous attempt at breaking into TV writing/screenwriting: The 1980-1994 period.)

Thanks to all the tricks I've learned here at 32, I've gotten more out of the process these last six months than I ever did during the previous 38 years...including that 1980-1994 period!)

If everything 32 has to offer can help me, it can sure help you, too.

Welcome to Stage 32, Jomana...and all the VERY BEST to you!