Screenwriting : Do it like the Actors do by Ronika Merl

You are absolutely right, the authors should treat creativity as a creation of a startup, in which they are the main leaders. The mistake of many is that they are too passive and hope that someone else will find investments for their project and implement it. To show their projects, they use contests, and contests use them as statistics of losers. The head of a startup must promote his own project and look for financing, as well as engage in the creation of a personal brand. Because investors do not invest money in projects, but in people whom they trust. This means that the author must work on their image to appear as someone who can be trusted.

Great points, Ronika Merl! I picked my brand a while ago, and it's helped me get writing jobs and ghostwriting jobs.

Hi Ronika. I loved your lane, "Character-driven, trauma-informed stories rooted in culture." Mine might be "Courageous female-driven, intellectually stimulating stories rooted in history and humanity." -- But I'm not one to stay in my lane. I like to color outside the lines. Ha!

Thanks Ronika! Loved everything about this! Let me get to work on my branding!

Thank you for sharing. Personally, my goal is to share the culture of my country through cartoons.

I think I have to establish my own path and what makes me different from other writers.

Ronika, thanks a billion for the message!

Talking about a lane...mine is: "I like writing about people who persevere...and, more often than not, they've been marginalized in some way (like so many of us in this world). And while we're on this trip, let's make it enjoyable."

Quick question: I’m writing a script specifically for Margot Robbie, but some producers want to buy it for good money. They love it, but they aren’t connected to Margot and would cast someone else.

Would you sell it or hold out for Margot?

I would sell the script, Aleksandr Rozhnov. I would get paid. There's no guarantee I'd get Margot Robbie attached to it.

Yes, Maurice, you’re right. But here’s the thing — the question is about a dream. Your dream is to get Margot Robbie’s phone number and connect with her, and you’re writing the script specifically for her.

So this is the dilemma: money now, or the dream? What matters more?

Thanks for the homework Ronika Merl, I definitely have to start there since I've been hyperfocused on creating my art while juggling life so I'm still learning networking. I decided years ago that my brand is "strange and wonderful."

What I would do is sell the script to the producers, Aleksandr Rozhnov, which would put me in a better position to get Margot Robbie attached to another script I'd write specifically for her. But if a writer really believes they can get Margot attached to the first script, I say go for it.

But Maurice, if someone came to me asking whether they should wait for Margot Robbie or sell to producers, I honestly wouldn’t give advice. I’d just tell them: do what feels right for you.

Why? Because imagine they sold it to producers, and then Margot Robbie reached out saying, “This is such a great script, I’d star in it and even pay you twice as much.” They’d come back to me and say, “You’re a fool.”

Or the opposite: they waited for Margot Robbie, finally got her attached, and then discovered she did something they didn’t like or found disappointing. They’d also come back and say, “You’re a fool, I should’ve sold it to the producers.”

So for me, it’s better to leave it to the writer’s own judgment.

Love this: "The more you show up, the more you’ll be discovered." Thank you. My lane: Heartfelt sci-fi/fantasy with something to say (think Gattaca, The Fifth Element)

Aleksandr Rozhnov, You are reasoning from a position of egoism, in an effort to achieve success at the expense of someone else's popularity. But you need to create a project that will correspond to the high level of the actor.

Arthur Charpentier, are you in your right mind? From what perspective is this “egoism”? I write stories relying only on my own mind, imagination, and ability to craft screenplays.

If I create a Dreamcast, it simply means that I see a particular actor as a perfect fit for the role. Where exactly am I “using” someone’s popularity?

Everything I do depends solely on me — and no one else.

Aleksandr Rozhnov, That's exactly what I wrote about. You choose the best actor for your script, but you need to choose the best script for the actor when it comes to big stars.

My lane: I write stories about people who refuse to give up on living the life they envision for themselves despite jealous peers; immoral people; or authoritarian governments. I want these films made to give people hope at a time when the life they see for themselves seems to be getting further out of reach.

And even if I reached out to Margot Robbie and she promoted my script and said she wanted to star in it — where is the egoism in that? It would simply mean I wrote a script on such a level that even Margot Robbie wants to be part of it.

There is no egoism in writing a screenplay. It’s purely about the screenwriter’s skill and professionalism. Ego has nothing to do with it.

But I get the feeling, Arthur Charpentier, that you just learned the word “egoism” and decided to show it off.

Thank you Ronika Merl I didn't see my writing as a career - more like a hobby and a form of healing. Putting all those emotions onto the page. Your post is exactly what I needed though - I'm going to copy and paste this into a word document and get busy! Thank you!

Brad Pitt — a great actor? Yes. Was Se7en the best script ever written? No. But for some reason, when Brad Pitt read it, he agreed to play in that film.

And I could give you plenty of other examples where the script wasn’t “the best,” yet it meant something to the actor — and top-tier actors still chose to star in it.

I appreciate everyone's comments - I like all the different perspectives. Thank you all for commenting here!

Aleksandr Rozhnov, No one knows how good or bad a script is until it's made into a movie.

I agree that shooting a film gives a lot of insight. But believe me, when people read the scripts for The Shawshank Redemption or The Green Mile, it was immediately clear that the scripts were excellent. You can tell how good a script is just by reading it.

Aleksandr Rozhnov, At the same time, there are many examples of scripts that were rejected by professionals for a long time, until they were eventually turned into successful films.

Aleksandr Rozhnov, I think you misunderstood my original message. A person who wants a big movie star to star in a movie based on their script will not offer that script to other producers.

I’ll answer your first question. A good script will never just sit on a shelf. It will be noticed immediately because there are many producers and many production companies. An excellent script will get seen right away. More often, it’s an average or weak script that gets carried by the production or the actors — for example, John Wick. I’d say the script there wasn’t the strongest, but Keanu Reeves carried the film, which even became a franchise.

As for your second question: if a writer is a beginner, they will offer their script to anyone just to sell it. A professional writer, however, if they want a specific star to be in their film, will negotiate with that star even before writing the script. And the script will be written specifically for that star.

Although yes, I remembered one example when the script of a huge franchise sat in a drawer for a long time — it happened with George Lucas, his Star Wars wasn’t wanted for production for a long time.

My “Lane,” is about heartfelt scripts with intense characters who take on huge challenges and fall back on their faith to keep fighting to the end - from the first female varsity athletes in 1975 who took the legislation of Title IX and set the bar so high it challenged all women to compete and build a dynasty for Husker volleyball, to a Sci-fi about an injured Navy SEAL who returns to the sea as an underwater warrior as half man -half sea creature, to a true-life story about a riverboat gambler in 1872 who transforms his life by gambling on moving his family from Cincinnati to the middle of nowhere in Nebraska to become a hay farmer and founder of Cozad, Nebraska against overwhelming odds. Characters supported by their faith overcome amazing odds to win in the end.

These are just a few of my many family friendly scripts looking for a chance to be shared with production companies and audiences.

The special movies that changed my life for the better, such as It's a Wonderful Life, taught me the power of cinema to make the world a better place. If some day I can do the same for others, I will have properly thanked those past creators.

Aleksandr Rozhnov, series "Squid Game".

Love this! I am hearing this message loudly and clearly all around me, with respect to "showing up" as an author and a screenwriter. Even though all the personality tests call me an extrovert I am learning more and more how much of an introvert I really am (I know most writers can relate to this). It is hard to want to be "seen." I'd much rather hide in my head and behind my computer than constantly showing up on social media, etc., but it is a necessary evil, so I will continue to push past my fears and do the dang thang!

Jennifer, we writers defy personality tests because we take on the personalities of our characters.

Jennifer F Arthur I know. It's really hard, but like you said it's a necessary evil. What we also can do is let our writing speak for itself, but that of course takes having an outlet. Blogs or a website, or even podcast appearances can be a really good way of doing that.

Thanks Ronika. Spot on advice. Not easy, especially as it becomes ever harder to cut through all the noise. But as creatives and writers, it's essential to define who were are.