Writer's Workshop

If you’re a new writer, nobody knows who you are, and you don’t have an agent or manager, what kind of script would you focus on writing to break into the industry?

Would you write something highly commercial and marketable, something smaller but unique that really shows your voice, or simply the best story you can write regardless of budget or genre?

For those who actually got representation from a spec script, what do you think made that script stand out and get you through the door?

What's the proper format for writing something like this:

"ZACH

Make no mistake, people

(sotto voce, side-eyeing the Mary)

especially those bleeding hearts

(Normal volume)

will eventually betray you"

It feels odd as is.

Today I had a font problem when transferring a Scrivener project from a mac onto a pc. This got the me thinking about what fonts other people use for actually writing, not for the final print or ebook file. I'm curious what everyone likes and why. At the moment I'm using Courier New

"... so in that forthcoming moment the first person in line walked out of the balcony onto the balcony and formed a form."

You guys think its usable?

I prefer writing in prose but I have always wanted to break into TV or theatre writing. I’ve attempted a few short playscripts since those always seem to be looser in format than TV and film scripts, it’s also harder to know where to start. With books you can at least contact agents but most explicitly don’t accept scripts.

I keep hearing about spec scripts but I’m never quite sure what they’re for. I try and read about them but it never seems to click for me. Are people really going to want a script of a show you’re not even part of? Isn’t it fanfiction? No disrespect to fanfics but I wouldn’t put one on my portfolio. And where are you meant to send them when pretty much every script submission I see is for originals.

I guess my general questions are: Is it worth having one? How are you supposed to write a spec script? What shows are the best to do one for? And when exactly are you supposed to use them?

Hello people, I am sure that as a screenwriter, you've probably been here before. I'm in the middle of making a film and of course that project matters. But the problem is that in the past I invested EVERY ounce of my being into creating a series - and many have said that this was my best work to date.

I put a lot in here, wrote a few episodes, outlined the first 2 seasons and well, I had to put it aside for a little while because you know, the usual catch-22/rock and a hard place issue.

A friend of mine sort of got on me about not making the mistake of neglecting 'that series' and so I started sending queries recently because a manager is 1000% called for.

Anyway, yes, I am doing what I must regarding the film project but it's like 92% of my head went back to the world of the series and it WANTS TO STAY THERE.

I don't think that people/writers talk about this enough - that sometimes your creativity has a will of its own.

So, if you've been in this spot, did a partial surrender work so you could be a few places at once?

Hi everyone,

So I just self published my first book. I absolutely loved the whole process of writing it. I even enjoyed editing, formatting, making the cover, which involved learning about punctuation, how to use all these interesting functions in Word, and image editing. While hard, it was all fun.

Now the book is published. Full steam ahead. I made a bunch of social media posts, posted on some larger Facebook groups I’m in (I think about 7 people who I don’t know personally bought the book). Sold just over 20 to friends and family. I did a friend’s podcast and talked about the book. I’ve been looking into book readings, authors festivals, reaching out to other podcasts..

Even just writing this feels utterly exhausting. I already have a full time job. I wrote and published the book because I honestly love the book and enjoyed every process. Marketing is deferent. I don’t want to just continue bother friends in my circle on social media, the whole thing makes me emotionally tired. Talking about my book on a podcast for an hour felt like running a marathon.

That was my general rant. Here is my question:

Does anybody enjoy marketing their work? Is there a fun side to this that I am missing? If I can find something enjoyable about it, I think I make a real go out of it. And if I can’t, I’ll just continue working on the second book, which I do enjoy lol 😂 😭 🤓 📕

Hey, I'm working on this screenplay and am struggling to make all the parts work together. If anyone wants to take a look and give some suggestions that would be greatly appreciated. I'm usually the one doing post production so this is new to me lol. This outline has all the parts layed out but not put together yet. The main thing I am struggling with is transitioning into the final act, and how to have the alien sequence play out in a way that's not repetitive, and also ties together with the rest of the film.

Also fwi this is not the correct format for anything and I some stuff might not make sense but lmk if you have questions.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/192txoEVuw\_HCQMdJanq22fIi\_qSyDJGRAJ2MH1cbFQk/edit?usp=drivesdk

I write predominantly in prose and am not really a planner, and I find that easier to just write and get the work done (I also find that I can measure prodictivity easier with word counts).

When I write scripts, I struggle to freely write; it's always more stop-start, I can never find a rhythm, and it feels more suited to writing planned work.

To all you actual screenwriters, is this a common issue? Do you write freely/easily in script format? Do you ever use prose for any reason?

Thanks!

Title: Everything Must Go

Format: Feature Film

Page Length: 84 pages

Genre: Horror/Comedy

Logline: On the last day before a meteor ends all life on Earth, a young couple spends the day at a dinner party where they don’t know what or who could be on the menu.

Feedback concerns:

-How does the tone read throughout? I’m not sure if I’m striking the balance I want between the comedy and horror

-Are the stakes high enough? This ties into the tone question, but I worry if the comedic elements distract from the tension that could or should be in some of the scenes, even if they are intended to be comedic. Particularly pages 31-38. This scene is meant to be comedic but is also a big turning point in the plot.

-pages 20-28: this scene feels long and wordy and I’m not sure if it reads, would love feedback here.

-do the characters’ motivations read? Is the protagonist clear? Does it feel like their arc is clear?

-is the ending working? The pacing of the final act (pages 67-end) I feel like seems almost too fast, but also maybe not high enough stakes? I’m not sure.

Many thanks to anyone who takes time to provide feedback, it means a lot to me. Here’s the link to the script:

FULL PDF SCRIPT

Hi everyone. I'm 71, and I'm writing my first novel. It's autobiographical — the story of my family from Sherstin, a small Jewish shtetl in Belarus, through revolution, war, and emigration, up to my own childhood in Grodno and life in America.My father is the heart of it. I'm writing it for my grandchildren, so they know where they come from. I write in Russian; an English version will come later.Did anyone here start their first book this late? How did you keep going?

Oh, it's me again. This time, my covers and making me wanna jump into a lake. I used the template that amazon gave to me and still this fucking shit screws up and makes the size of my cover wrong. I'm losing all patience now, idk what to do. 😭😭😭

My current situation: I should preface this by saying i do not read ebooks and have only a basic knowledge of how they work.

I have an ARC list of readers that i want to send the ebook to, and this is the way i hoped my flow would go: i send everyone an email with basic expectations (deadline, feedback im looking for, etc) and a link to a product page on my Shopify store. That page has specific about the book and a free download which triggers the email flow for 2 more emails reminders at 3 days and again at 8 days. All of that performed as expected EXCEPT...

The ebook file is a .epub file and will open in Apple books ( and handles a two page spread - which is ideal for this book's design) but doesnt open on a Kindle even with the buyer's kindle email as the recipient.

Anyone know what i need to do to get Kindle to open it or a file format to use instead? Should i offer it in a .pdf file as well for people on the list who dont read ebooks?

I dont want to send physical copies if i can help it until i have the ARC feedback obviously.

Thanks in advance.

Sorry this is so long! I got carried away. Also, sorry in advance for any spelling errors. If I catch them later, I’ll fix them =)

I’ve been a writer since I was a little kid. One day, I was asking my school librarian to find this book. I had very specific guidelines and tropes I wanted. Eventually, after looking for 30 mins straight as I was following her around like a poodle dog, she crashed out a little bit (understandably). I’ll never forget that her she said.
“You know, if you want this book so bad, why don’t you go and write it yourself”
My mouth fell open and I was just like “I can? I can just do that?”

Needless to say, the rest was history. I went to class that day and finished my work as fast as I could. When I was done, I took a blank piece of paper and started writing something that wasn’t fan fiction for the first time (it totally was btw, I hadn’t gotten that far yet. My training wheelers were still on, but the heart was there). It was different in the since that it was an idea and a concept that I had fully intended to be a book.

It took about 8 ish months of me doing nothing but typing on my tablet in my bedroom. 50k words.

That one sentence, that was honestly said in defeat to just get a kid to go away, led to a complete book. I was about 8-10 at the time, and it was by far the biggest thing I’d ever made. By the time I’d finished it, I’d grown out of fan fiction. I failed to realize at the time that second drafts were 100% a thing, so I just moved onto my next idea. Then the next idea, then the next. Nothing really stuck around for more that 5 chapters untill I was 14, and I decided I wanted to challenge myself by not writing girl characters all the time. I was kept inside for recess, but instead of doing my work I put my pencil to paper. I wrote a list of names of the characters and that became the cast of my WIP to this day.

I’m 21 now, almost 22. I’m still just as passionate about all of these ideas. I understand what editing is now, and I still have my first manuscript. I know I could cut out all of the fan fiction bits and turn into into some real, if I wanted. I know I’ve been a writing machine before, I could be a lot further along that I am now. I keep feeling like I could have been published by now

It feels like there is something missing. The same fire that I had as a kid for this doesn’t burn as strong. I took a break, but I never stopped daydreaming. My fire never did leave after all, but something is keeping my hands from reaching for my keyboard.

I’ve come to the conclusion that maybe it’s because it’s more real now. It’s not just a fantasy world I have fun with. Pretty soon, in less than 6 months if everything goes to plan, I’ll hopefully be published.

Ever since I was told by my school librarian that I could write a book for real, I’ve had the dream to publish a book ever since. Kids don’t have the fear that adults do. The thought of someone reading my book feels like letting another person walk around inside my scull. I think that’s what’s slowing me down so much these days. I want my book to be read more than anything, I’ve spent an insane amount of time with these characters, their world, and the lore. I want to share that more than anything. I don’t know why it feels so wrong.

I asked an author friend (4x published), what he thought of my book cover I’d been working on. When he said the title of my book I wanted to puke from nerves. He also gave me some super solid marketing advice, which I’m forever greatful for. Yet, I still haven’t acted on it because I am so terrified for no reason. I don’t even know why I’m afraid. I should be excited. I got through three drafts! I’m finally in the home stretch for the first time. I’ve designed a cover I’m really proud of to match the book that has been my main passion for seven years. I’ve read my own fanfics on the bus to multiple kids at once with nothing but excitement for my ideas.

Yesterday, I was asked what I was drawing by two sweet people in the coffee shop yesterday and I wanted to evaporate. Why couldn’t I just say “oh, it’s my book cover!”

If I’m already this much of an anxious mess, what is it going to be like later on? Is this normal for first time publishing? Is it supposed be to feel like I’m allowing a group of scientists to make a pay per view video of my insides? How can I get this feeling to go away? I know some anxiety is to be expected, but this feels like too much. Will it eventually fade away?

Any advice would be much appreciated. I want to be able to go back to how this felt before. The whole reason I write in the first place is because it’s fun! It’s nerdy heaven, and I’d like to get back to that feeling again asap haha.

Just to be clear, this is celebrating a revenue milestone. It's not profit. I need to sell waaaaaaaay more books to make up for what I've spent on editing, artwork, advertising and the party I put on to celebrate the launch of book 1. But seeing that number tick over $1000 (with more to come because I'm not counting the royalties from Amazon until I actually receive them) still felt like it was worth celebrating and sharing what it took to get here.

So, first book of a planned trilogy, released Sept 1st. I'd been promoting it pretty heavily through my social networks leading up to the release. No ARCs to speak of, just beta readers. I had about fifty people asking about getting copies before I launched.

Had a mini-launch party Sept 3rd, sold 12 physical copies and 7 ebooks.

Went overseas back to my country of birth for the second half of September. Sold 28 physical copies and got another 9 ebook sales.

Returned to the US and held a more official launch party. Sold 18 physical copies and 5 ebooks.

There have been a few other sales here and there which weren't tied to any particular events.

I set up a small ad campaign on Meta, experimenting with just one type of ad on FB for a month. It has resulted in a handful of additional ebook sales and 6400 KENP read. I'll be trying a campaign on IG and TikTok for one month each moving forward. Not sure if I'll try Amazon.

Total: 101 physical books, 37 ebooks, 6405 KENP (equates to 17 full book reads). All up, that's 155 copies in just over five weeks.

Lessons learned so far. Book sales are great, but those KENP reads excite me the most. To see people actually reading the book is the best part, especially because those reads are more likely to be strangers taking a chance on me.

The Meta ad was initially targeted at 18-35 year olds (the book is YA) and I got some ok click rates on it, but when I expanded to all ages, the number of clicks improved substantially.

Getting reviews is soooooooo hard. Trying to think of how I can gently encourage people to leave an honest rating to get those numbers up.

I'm trying to view the first two books in the trilogy as a giant ARC campaign. When the third part comes out, I'm hoping that there are enough reviews that will allow me to hit the ground with a larger ad campaign for the entire series.

Happy to answer any questions. I know some others have done better than this, so I'm certainly no expert, but just throwing the above into the discussion so you can see what's possible.

First off, please excuse me if this is the wrong area to post any/all of this information. I'm new to the Reddit world, and while it seems lovely, I am most certainly not confident in my abilities to post 'correctly'! All I know is this - I. Need. Help!

I’m a new writer and veteran teacher who has an idea I can’t seem to let go of: I want to write a mystery series centered around a murder in a school setting. The protagonist is a current teacher, who keeps getting pulled into mysteries involving her school, other staff, families, and the small-town community she teaches in. Her teaching background becomes her greatest investigative advantage.

To put it bluntly, I'm done pouring my all into education. It no longer provides me with any source of satisfaction or the joy I once knew. Sadly, it's been that way for far too long. I've dreamt of becoming a writer my entire life, and these last few days I finally allowed myself to start the pen to paper process of planning it out and - my goodness - even just the opening of my mind to that creativity that's been stuck there for so long has brought me more joy than I've felt in so many years. I want to share that with the world, especially the teaching community! We teachers LOVE to read, particularly if there's a murder mystery involved. You earn extra credit if the pompous principal gets the boot in the end! :) I've designed a school logo, mascot, color scheme, and have the whole staff planned out - along with a story line, of course!

Having worked in education, I know there are so many behind-the-scenes dynamics that could make a school the perfect setting for a mystery series.

I’d especially love advice from anyone who has written their first novel or turned real-life professional experience into fiction. What do you wish you had known when you started? Is there a different area of Reddit that I should have started at?

Again, I'm SO sorry if this was the wrong spot to ask this question. Please excuse my ignorance.

My name is David Shikongo and I am an avid writer. I have gotten into poetry over the last three years and have been writing more than a couple. I would like to publish a poetry book and I have started editing the ones I have. I just don't know what format where and how I can put my work out..... How would I do this? Any advise?