Screenwriting : Small Action, Big Impact by Maurice Vaughan

Hi Maurice, nice coat

Hi, Billy Kwack. Yeah, I like that coat. I've never seen a raincoat in that color. How's it going?

Hi Maurice, pretty good, getting flu shot later today. Getting ready for NY comic con, next week

Hope you have a great time at NY Comic Con, Billy Kwack! How's your script going?

Hi Maurice, thanks, i will. I promised myself a week after comic con, I'll start writing again

You're welcome, Billy Kwack. Great. Have you ever thought about writing a Con script?

Hi Maurice, no i haven't, i can think about it though

A great small moment that blew my mind was in a pretty silly movie actually. In 1992's Under Siege with... Steven Seagal... but also an awesome villain played by Tommy Lee Jones, the hero and villain meet only in the end and... they know each other! They're both black ops agents who got screwed by the system. It's just a few lines of dialog but it adds to the final confrontation.

You could go in a lot of directions with your Con script, Billy Kwack. Action, Horror, Thriller, Comedy, etc.

I need to rewatch Under Siege for that moment, Michael Dzurak. I haven't seen the movie in a long time. And you bring up a great point. It doesn't have to be a small action. It can be dialogue too.

I agree. For example, in my script, which I finished the day before yesterday and sent, one of the main characters loses a bottle of pills. And this serves as a setup for a sequel.

If I was reading that script, I'd want to read the next one, Aleksandr Rozhnov! Did you send your script for feedback or to a producer, director, etc.?

To the company that was interested in the synopsis of this film, they wanted to see the script. I wrote the script and sent it the day before yesterday. Now I’m waiting for their verdict.

Congratulations on getting interest in the synopsis and the script request, Aleksandr Rozhnov! Hope they like your script and buy it!

Well, does it really happen that a script is liked and they just buy it? I’ve never heard of that. I only know situations where they say the idea is good, the story is good, but this-and-that needs to be reworked. And that’s just the producers. Then the director reads it, this-and-that needs to be reworked. Then the actors read it, this-and-that needs to be reworked. And after a bunch of drafts, maybe something will happen.

By the way, Maurice, has Joss sent you any feedback yet? I participated in her Pitch. I’d really like to hear a review of my synopsis.

It happens that way sometimes, Aleksandr Rozhnov. A company, producer, etc. likes a script and buys it. Sometimes they hire the writer to make changes to the script, and sometimes they hire another writer to make changes.

I haven't gotten feedback from Joss before, Aleksandr Rozhnov. You could email success@stage32.com and ask which services Joss is available for.

I heard if a company hires another writer to make changes, the original author just falls out of the credits, out of everything. They simply sell the rights to their script, and that’s it — people forget about them.

That happens sometimes, Aleksandr Rozhnov. It depends on what it says in the original author's contract and how much of the script gets rewritten by another writer(s).

No, I participated in her Pitch on Stage32. She held the Pitch on September 14, but I still haven’t received any response. And I was part of that Pitch.

how do I stop being charged

Oh ok, Aleksandr Rozhnov. It can take 3 weeks or longer to get feedback from a Pitch Session. You could email writerhelp@stage32.com and ask for an update.

Hi, Steve Captain. Stop being charged for what?

For stage 32

I have been being charged since December without my knowledge

I think you're talking about Stage 32's Writers' Room, Steve Captain. You can cancel your Writers' Room subscription by going to the Writers' Room portal page (www.stage32.com/writers-room/portal) and scrolling down to "Manage Plan" on the left-hand side. You’ll be emailed a code to log into Manage Plan. You need to be on a computer to see "Manage Plan" on the Writers' Room portal page.

If you can’t get on a computer to cancel your subscription, email writersroom@stage32.com to cancel it.

I am not getting a confirmation email for this

I have tried multiple times

not getting a passcode

Email writersroom@stage32.com about canceling your membership, Steve Captain.

Done. I emailed writersroom@stage32.com to cancel it today. October 3rd 2025.