The directors and producers are not looking for what the reader is looking for? So they have to work together.

Regards Renny

First off, Scott, thanks for the tip of the hat, suggesting I’m probably worth what I charge. I like to think I charge very fair and competitive prices to make it worth both my time and the writers’ money! Hopefully I am right about that!

Also, John — I find it much easier to read scripts for a long time (I’ve been doing it for years) if you also have other things to shift your mind to, so you don’t get burnt out on it. I’d go crazy if this was all I ever did!

And FINALLY I got to posting my own thoughts on this topic over at my blog. Hope you’ll all come over and check them out!

Maybe I do protest a bit too much. It just hit a button with me. Not so much in defense of myself, as in defense of what I’ve perceived as a narrow mindset of many writers — one that I’ve personally seen cause them a lot of pain and failure.

So take it for what it’s worth. It’s really meant in the spirit of an open, honest dialogue.

And regarding the idea that reading burns a hole in your head — are you saying that I sound like I have a hole in my head? Just checking. I wasn’t sure. And the drooling thing, is that a chronic condition, or was it brought on by something delicious that I said?

I’m just messing around. I do have a hole in my head actually. A birth defect I was born with. But, fortunately, it gives me a very open mind.

Thanks for all your feedback — seriously — and keep it coming if you like.

Peace

Derek

Reading DOES burn a hole in your brain! AND I’m drooling!

Mentors? Sure, mentors are great. But people shouldn’t have to pay their mentors.

It’s been implied that it’s not a good thing, maybe even a scam. That there are enough consultants out there, and writers can just get friends to read their scripts.

But it occurs to me that the real problem is that there are too many unqualified consultants/readers out there. There are too many who call themselves script consultants and script readers, but have had little or no training or experience in this arena.

So why wouldn’t we want more people who are actually trained to read, analyze, understand, and develop scripts? Isn’t that one of the most common gripes — nobody know anything! And these college grads from the MBA program are judging my script!

So why not take some control of that and train people to read script better? And it’s more than just how to read scripts…it’s how to give feedback. You can have great feedback, but if you don’t know how to communicate it to a sensitive writer (which is most of us), then your good feedback is going to likely sound like the teachers in Charlie Brown cartoons…or even worse, no matter what you say, all they’re hear is “You suck! Your script sucks! Your momma sucks! Why don’t you just crawl back into the hole you came from and die!!!”

And, like I said before, learning how to analyze a script like a pro can also make you a much better writer.

And then, if a person wants to actually be of service to writers, they need to know how to market themselves to get the attention of writers. Otherwise all their good knowledge and feedback skills will be for not. And no writer will benefit from them. The whole marketing, niche creating process is also part of the program. And even if the person doesn’t ‘go pro’ the knowledge on how to market yourself and your work is invaluable as a writer (or anything else) in this information-overloaded culture and industry.

Okay, end rant.

Thanks for indulging me.

I’m open to any and all comments, feedback, and suggestions — as long as their constructive.

Derek

I feel a need to clear up a few things — it seems my site and comments about ScriptwriterCentral.com have spurred some angry or frustrated comments from others.

I’m a screenwriter, script consultant, and author. I’m also an actor (you can even Google me to see some of the cheesy films!).

I’ve been in and around this business all my life. My uncle was a big director — Don Siegel of DIRTY HARRY, ESCAPE FROM ALCATRAZ, INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS (the original)…so I’m not some novice trying to ‘make a buck’ off the unsuspecting screenwriter.

Actually, if you get my free e-course, The 7 Deadly Mistakes Screenwriters Make When Using a Script Consultant,” which is on the site…you’ll see that I warn writers of a lot of this stuff.

You might be right, that the ad on Script Consultant Institute is misleading. It does sound like anyone with no experience can get a job at The Script Clinic. In fact, I’m probably going to change that — because it’s not at all what it’s supposed to mean.

What I’m trying to say is that both screenwriters and non-writers can become highly qualified and successful script consultants. Some of the best consultants have never written a script in their life! Or they didn’t have much success at it. Look at Linda Seger, considered the ‘mother of script consulting.’ Or Michael Hauge, or Chris Vogler. Even Robert McKee, screenwriting guru never made it as a screenwriter. He did some TV, and that was that. Now he makes millions a year telling writers around the world how to write better — and many of them go on to win academy awards!

The fact is there are many talented people out there who aren’t writer, who have unique backgrounds that could come in real handy – like military, history, legal, mythology, you name it — and they could create niche consulting businesses that really add value to the writing community. It’s what the studios do anyway. They find psychologists to analyze scripts when they’re doing stories on that topic, they get military advisors on scripts that deal with war, etc.

What’s interesting is the comments that it’s wrong to expect the ‘internship,’ but you’re also complaining that they’re not qualified. That’s the whole point of internship — to see if they’re qualified. If the analysis sucks, they’re not going to get a job cleaning the toilets here! If it’s good though, really good…why wouldn’t I want them to be a part of the team?

And why wouldn’t you want them to read your script?!

And we’re also the only script consulting firm I know of that offers a MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE! If you don’t think the feedback is qualified and helpful…you get your money back. Why would we offer that if we knew a bunch of hacks were doing the work.

And on the list of future consultants, I’m not referring to a bunch of interns from the Consultant Institute. I’m actually referring to a lot of qualified consultants and execs that I’ve spoke to, but who have yet to confirm their availability.

Man, I could go on about this subject. It’s sort of a sore spot. There’s so much misinformation and negative ideas about script consulting. And while some of it is warranted (there definitely are scam artists out there), a lot of it is misguided. The fact is, having a qualified consultant analyze your script and help you see your blind spots, and de-bug it of all the reasons readers reject scripts can put you way ahead of the pack.

Why do you think the majority of the 50,000 scripts registered with the WGA end up in the round file? Because writers (including me in the past) don’t take the time to really invest in their craft and their business. They think they can just knock off a draft over the weekend and wham-bam-I’m the million dollar spec-man! You know it doesn’t work that way.

And pros in every other field use consultants. The business consulting field is a multi-billion dollar industry, and has accounted for some of the greatest innovations in the business world. But there was a time when using a business consultant was considered insane! And if you did, you didn’t admit it. It’s the same with script/story consulting. It’s still in its infancy.

But we’re moving into an entertainment culture where EVERYTHING will be about entertainment and narrative-driven experiences. Video games, corporate america, education — it’s all becoming about story and entertainment. In fact, many top companies are now hiring people who have taken writing and storytelling courses over the typical MBA!

So there is so much need for qualified storytellers and qualified coaches to help them create the best stories/scripts possible. I make my living as a writer, not just a consultant — and I use consultants and readers on every script I write. Usually several of them! And it has not only helped me grow as a writer, but make more money as a writer.

You wonder why the town doesn’t take writers seriously — it’s partly because writers don’t take their business seriously. We need to let go of magical thinking and start looking at other successful fields and asking what are the principles present there that allow a person to succeed. And, not to be a broken record, but one of the top principles is ‘using a mentor, coach, or consultant.’

I know I sound like a zealot, but I’ve just seen firsthand how it makes a difference. My early experiences working with script consultants totally, radically improved my writing and led to me making money as a writer. So what can I say?

Another main intention for creating ScriptwriterCentral and The Script Consultant Institute has everything to do with creating better writers and better writing. And part of that is developing better ‘readers’ of scripts. Yes, there are a lot of bad ones out there — in the public and private sectors. A lot of them are making decisions on our careers as the gatekeepers! So I wanted to have a little more impact on the quality and quantity of good consultants, development execs, readers, etc.

You said that it’s just as good to get feedback from an intelligent friend (or something like that). This can definitely be true. I have my scripts read by friends, family — anyone who’s willing! And there is a lot of value there — if you know how to sift through a lot of opinion. The fact is these people see movies, and the audiences today are really smart. But they often don’t know WHY they don’t like something or WHY they do. And that can be really frustrating, because you may get lots of negative feedback, but not know what to do with it…or lots of positive feedback and be afraid to change anything for fear of deleting the ‘good stuff.’

So do this, yes. I do. But to use the metaphor of another profession again…would a professional, successful architect or entrepreneur only get feedback from their friends and family who know little to nothing about these fields? Of course not. That would be not only unprofessional, but potentially asking for a lawsuit!

There was a comment made that architects wouldn’t take a course for 8 weeks and then tell other architects how to build (Or something like that). This was meant, I imagine, to discredit the possibility that a good reader/consultant could be found/developed in a few months. There’s some truth to this and, again, the intention is not to whip them out on an assembly line. Not at all. However, if you pose this concept, you have to also acknowledge that the majority of screenwriters in this field think that they can just read a book or take a course and write a script the next week!

This is one of the few industries where people think that they don’t have to have any training or qualifications to make millions! And that, I think, has led to this very immature, unprofessional approach to the art, craft, and business of screenwriting. An approach that doesn’t think we need help from others, an approach that doesn’t think we need to invest our time and our money in becoming better and more successful. If we took this approach in any other major industry, we would fail, utterly and completely. Lawyers, doctors, successful business people – most of them have spent years and hundreds of thousands of dollars on becoming professionals who could make 6-figures or more.

How much has each writer on this board – or any other board spent in time and money on their career? Put us all together and we probably haven’t invested as much in our business as a single doctor or lawyer. I talk to and learn from the top entrepreneurs all the time – and the one thing that separates them from the losers is that they are willing to pour more time and money into building their business than the others. In fact, they stress the need to continuously invest in courses, classes, teachers, mentors, coaches – especially in this fast-paced, constantly evolving marketplace.

Is any of this ringing true, or am I sounding like a bag of wind? I’m probably pissing off some of you. Not my intention. But hopefully, something here is making sense.

So I think we need professional help in addition to friends and family. I wish it weren’t so. And some of us are so brilliant, we don’t need any help. But this business is more complicated than that. Just writing what you think is a great script doesn’t mean it will go anywhere. It might be a great script — but about a subject that nobody outside your circle cares about. Or your friends and family might be so impressed that you actually finished something, they think you’re a genius! We need coherent, qualified, objective feedback — from as many sources as possible. And the we need to determine what to use based on our inner guidance. That, in my bloated opinion, is the best way to see our blindspots, uncover our potential, and realize our goals.

Anyway, I apologize for going on and on, and for sounding arrogant, self-righteous, and narcissistic at times.

I know I’ve made a lot of mistakes along the way – and will make many more – so I would love any suggestions, ideas, thoughts, etc…that could help me improve and be of better service in this field.

Please don’t hesitate to comment. You can also email me:

derek@scriptwritercentral.com

Thanks!

Derek Rydall

There are some scripts that have a cool idea, ok story, so-so characters, and not too special dialogue. Those are passes but you may highlight the concept if its really that good.

However there are other scripts and they tended to be comedies or romantic comedies in my expierece. That had a generic concept/storyline, ok to bad story, the majority of bad to cliche characters, but one or two really funny characters with great dialogue. Why the writers couldn’t do this for all their characters is beyond me.

So if you bothered to do an extensive re-write the script might be worth it seeing that the two characters would be perfect for “…” “…..” who we represent.

The script and writer still got a pass usually, but a major emphasis would be placed on those minor bright spots.

And besides, you can tell if a writer can write about 1-3 pages in…but you can’t summarize a script in 10 pages. You might get away with it if you just skim the last 100 pages…but it will show in your breakdown and comments.

I have to read every page of every script and book because I have to summarize it. And because that’s my job.

And just to make John wonder about the hole in my brain, I have written just a little over 8800 pieces of coverage.

And my brain is FINE. I think.

I’m a bit confused. You said, “The reason a legit reader can’t skip reading the entire script and just settle for the first ten pages is because there are often lousy scripts with a really interesting character or secondary storyline. Several of the crappy scripts that I did coverage for had minor characters that would have worked great in a romantic comedy…but just not the romantic thriller that the writer had chosen to write.”

Now, does that mean you or your bosses wanted that information to use in their own works? Like you didn’t like the script, but found a gem you could use somewhere else? Could you please clarify that.