Register Guidelines E-Books Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read

Go Back   MobileRead Forums > E-Book General > Writers' Corner

Notices

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old 01-04-2022, 07:21 AM   #1
Pierre Lawrence
Connoisseur
Pierre Lawrence ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Pierre Lawrence ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Pierre Lawrence ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Pierre Lawrence ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Pierre Lawrence ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Pierre Lawrence ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Pierre Lawrence ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Pierre Lawrence ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Pierre Lawrence ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Pierre Lawrence ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Pierre Lawrence ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
Posts: 55
Karma: 2600000
Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: New Jersey
Device: kindle, nook
Anyone have experience hiring a screenwriter?

I've just about finished a novella of about 27k words, and believe it would lend itself to a screenplay. Writing the thing was very much a Red Smith exercise, and I have no desire to even attempt converting it myself. Does anyone have a recommendation for a competent screenwriter I might hire, and what the cost would be? If I went forward, does anyone know of an agent that could pitch the screenplay to potential buyers? Thanks for your comments.
Pierre Lawrence is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-05-2022, 06:22 AM   #2
Pierre Lawrence
Connoisseur
Pierre Lawrence ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Pierre Lawrence ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Pierre Lawrence ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Pierre Lawrence ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Pierre Lawrence ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Pierre Lawrence ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Pierre Lawrence ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Pierre Lawrence ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Pierre Lawrence ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Pierre Lawrence ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Pierre Lawrence ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
Posts: 55
Karma: 2600000
Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: New Jersey
Device: kindle, nook
In continuing to work on this, I came across an article suggesting a way (a long shot) to submit the piece to potential movie producers unchanged. Here's the link:

http://www.sellingyourscreenplay.com...-a-movie-idea/
Pierre Lawrence is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-06-2022, 12:30 AM   #3
rcentros
eReader Wrangler
rcentros ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.rcentros ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.rcentros ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.rcentros ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.rcentros ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.rcentros ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.rcentros ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.rcentros ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.rcentros ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.rcentros ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.rcentros ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
rcentros's Avatar
 
Posts: 7,412
Karma: 48452719
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Boise, ID
Device: PB HD3, GL3, Tolino Vision 4, Voyage, Clara HD
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pierre Lawrence View Post
I've just about finished a novella of about 27k words, and believe it would lend itself to a screenplay. Writing the thing was very much a Red Smith exercise, and I have no desire to even attempt converting it myself. ...
I know you don't want to write it yourself but, realistically, that's probably your best chance at marketing it. Good screenwriters who have access to agents usually have their own ideas to work on. Once you've written your screenplay you can hire a screenplay consultant who can help you make it presentable. Some aren't too expensive -- some advertise at Done Deal Pro (a forum dealing with screenwriting).

https://messageboard.donedealpro.com/boards/

Screenplay format is not that hard to figure out. Show, don't tell. Nearly always write in present tense. Find important details and be succinct. Most screenplays have a lot of white space.

There are four main elements...

Scene (where and when whatever is happening happens)...

INT. LIVING ROOM - DAY ("INT." stands for interior. "EXT." for exterior.)

Action (Just regular descriptive that tells you what's going on. Usually an action paragraph shouldn't be more than three or four lines.)

Character Name and...

Dialogue

An example of the format...

Code:
INT. LIVING ROOM - DAY

JOE and PETE watch NASCAR while guzzling beer, scarfing
pizza and scratching their bums.

They're accomplished multi-taskers.

                      PETE
          WOW! Look at 'em. 'Round and 'round
          and 'round!

                      JOE
                (nodding vigorously)
          Da-yum I love NASCAR!
What's under JOE's name is a parenthetical (or wrylie). These aren't supposed to be used often, but they work as shorthand.

You don't really need to remember any of this. There is good, free, screenplay writing software. It's easier to use it than explain it -- but these applications take care of all the formatting.

Two of these are WriterSolo and KIT Scenarist, both available for Linux, Windows or Macs. WriterSolo works online or offline. KIT Scenarist is offline only.

https://writersolo.com or https://freescreenwriting.com

https://kitscenarist.ru/en/index.html

You can ask questions at Done Deal Pro, it's not as busy as it once was, but pros still show up there from time to time. You can also ask questions in this thread, but I'm a wannabe who's been playing around at it (unsuccessfully) for about 20 years.

Good luck.
rcentros is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-06-2022, 05:54 AM   #4
Pierre Lawrence
Connoisseur
Pierre Lawrence ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Pierre Lawrence ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Pierre Lawrence ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Pierre Lawrence ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Pierre Lawrence ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Pierre Lawrence ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Pierre Lawrence ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Pierre Lawrence ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Pierre Lawrence ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Pierre Lawrence ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Pierre Lawrence ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
Posts: 55
Karma: 2600000
Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: New Jersey
Device: kindle, nook
Thanks so much for your comments - in their helpfulness they go way beyond anything I expected (as a side note, "bums" suggests you are a transplanted Englishman).
Pierre Lawrence is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-06-2022, 07:29 AM   #5
rcentros
eReader Wrangler
rcentros ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.rcentros ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.rcentros ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.rcentros ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.rcentros ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.rcentros ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.rcentros ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.rcentros ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.rcentros ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.rcentros ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.rcentros ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
rcentros's Avatar
 
Posts: 7,412
Karma: 48452719
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Boise, ID
Device: PB HD3, GL3, Tolino Vision 4, Voyage, Clara HD
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pierre Lawrence View Post
Thanks so much for your comments - in their helpfulness they go way beyond anything I expected (as a side note, "bums" suggests you are a transplanted Englishman).
I'm not. In the U.S. "bums" doesn't seem quite as rude as the word I would normally use. Probably the opposite is true in England (I sometimes forget this is an international forum).
rcentros is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-07-2022, 05:05 AM   #6
Pierre Lawrence
Connoisseur
Pierre Lawrence ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Pierre Lawrence ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Pierre Lawrence ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Pierre Lawrence ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Pierre Lawrence ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Pierre Lawrence ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Pierre Lawrence ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Pierre Lawrence ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Pierre Lawrence ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Pierre Lawrence ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Pierre Lawrence ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
Posts: 55
Karma: 2600000
Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: New Jersey
Device: kindle, nook
Just downloaded WriterSolo - amazing that such an incredible piece of software is available for free. Thanks again for recommending!
Pierre Lawrence is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-07-2022, 06:39 PM   #7
rcentros
eReader Wrangler
rcentros ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.rcentros ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.rcentros ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.rcentros ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.rcentros ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.rcentros ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.rcentros ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.rcentros ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.rcentros ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.rcentros ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.rcentros ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
rcentros's Avatar
 
Posts: 7,412
Karma: 48452719
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Boise, ID
Device: PB HD3, GL3, Tolino Vision 4, Voyage, Clara HD
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pierre Lawrence View Post
Just downloaded WriterSolo - amazing that such an incredible piece of software is available for free. Thanks again for recommending!
It's good software. The developers also produce WriterDuet, which is their online software with online collaboration features (limited free features). But it has no advantage over WriterSolo if you're not collaborating.

A new screenplay application (by the folks who produce KIT Scenarist) has just been released into public beta, Story Architect (Starc).

It's fast for the features I use (writing and print PDFs) but many of the more advanced features are not yet implemented. At any any rate, another option.

https://starc.app/

This one will have pro features (at a price when out of beta).
rcentros is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-17-2022, 07:47 AM   #8
Pierre Lawrence
Connoisseur
Pierre Lawrence ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Pierre Lawrence ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Pierre Lawrence ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Pierre Lawrence ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Pierre Lawrence ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Pierre Lawrence ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Pierre Lawrence ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Pierre Lawrence ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Pierre Lawrence ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Pierre Lawrence ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Pierre Lawrence ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
Posts: 55
Karma: 2600000
Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: New Jersey
Device: kindle, nook
More on screenplay writing software (first a thank you once again to rcentros for his recommendations). In 1998, Stephen King published Storm of the Century as a screenplay rather than a novel. In the Forward to the book, he notes that it was written with the assistance of Final Draft. Because the book was written so long ago I checked to see if that software was still around - it is, Version 12. Here's the link, if interested:

https://www.finaldraft.com/learn/fin...art-guide-fd12
Pierre Lawrence is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-17-2022, 06:19 PM   #9
rcentros
eReader Wrangler
rcentros ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.rcentros ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.rcentros ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.rcentros ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.rcentros ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.rcentros ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.rcentros ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.rcentros ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.rcentros ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.rcentros ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.rcentros ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
rcentros's Avatar
 
Posts: 7,412
Karma: 48452719
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Boise, ID
Device: PB HD3, GL3, Tolino Vision 4, Voyage, Clara HD
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pierre Lawrence View Post
More on screenplay writing software (first a thank you once again to rcentros for his recommendations). In 1998, Stephen King published Storm of the Century as a screenplay rather than a novel. In the Forward to the book, he notes that it was written with the assistance of Final Draft. Because the book was written so long ago I checked to see if that software was still around - it is, Version 12. Here's the link, if interested:

https://www.finaldraft.com/learn/fin...art-guide-fd12
I would never suggest paying about $200 for software when so many good, free or cheap, options are available. Final Draft claims to be the "standard" but the standard is really the PDF you produce with the software -- and any screenplay writing application will produce a standard PDF file.

If you're collaborating with another writer who uses Final Draft or re-writing for a studio that's a "Final Draft 'shop'" than that's when you may need Final Draft. But, at that point, it would probably be a business expense. And the other applications (cheap or free) can export to Final Draft format.
rcentros is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-18-2022, 03:43 AM   #10
Pierre Lawrence
Connoisseur
Pierre Lawrence ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Pierre Lawrence ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Pierre Lawrence ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Pierre Lawrence ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Pierre Lawrence ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Pierre Lawrence ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Pierre Lawrence ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Pierre Lawrence ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Pierre Lawrence ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Pierre Lawrence ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Pierre Lawrence ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
Posts: 55
Karma: 2600000
Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: New Jersey
Device: kindle, nook
Agree - a word processing analogy would be Google Docs and Open Office (which I use) as alternatives to MS Word. Alas, due to Microsoft's stranglehold on the operating system, Word has become so pervasive in many instances you need to convert your file to the .doc format. Fortunately Open Office's "save as" function allows you to do that.
Pierre Lawrence is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-18-2022, 10:06 AM   #11
Hitch
Bookmaker & Cat Slave
Hitch ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Hitch ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Hitch ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Hitch ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Hitch ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Hitch ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Hitch ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Hitch ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Hitch ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Hitch ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Hitch ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
Hitch's Avatar
 
Posts: 11,447
Karma: 157030631
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Device: K2, iPad, KFire, PPW, Voyage, NookColor. 2 Droid, Oasis, Boox Note2
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pierre Lawrence View Post
Agree - a word processing analogy would be Google Docs and Open Office (which I use) as alternatives to MS Word. Alas, due to Microsoft's stranglehold on the operating system, Word has become so pervasive in many instances you need to convert your file to the .doc format. Fortunately Open Office's "save as" function allows you to do that.
Final Draft is fine, if you want to pay for it. Remember, though, if you write a screenplay, don't use their one option for having two speakers speak at once, if you can avoid it. It doesn't convert to an eBook/hmtl worth two s**ts, trust me.

:-)

And I concur with rcentros--there's really no reason to pay for it, there are a number of excellent free or donation-ware type programs.

Hitch
Hitch is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-18-2022, 07:52 PM   #12
rcentros
eReader Wrangler
rcentros ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.rcentros ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.rcentros ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.rcentros ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.rcentros ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.rcentros ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.rcentros ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.rcentros ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.rcentros ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.rcentros ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.rcentros ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
rcentros's Avatar
 
Posts: 7,412
Karma: 48452719
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Boise, ID
Device: PB HD3, GL3, Tolino Vision 4, Voyage, Clara HD
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hitch View Post
Final Draft is fine, if you want to pay for it. Remember, though, if you write a screenplay, don't use their one option for having two speakers speak at once, if you can avoid it. It doesn't convert to an eBook/hmtl worth two s**ts, trust me.

:-)
Fade In exports to ePub (two options). It "handles" dual dialog by ignoring it.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Hitch View Post
And I concur with rcentros--there's really no reason to pay for it, there are a number of excellent free or donation-ware type programs.
It's worse than just the initial price. Every upgrade costs you as much (or more, depending on whether you get it on sale or not) as Fade In's full price (and Fade In's upgrades are free for life). If you're using an old version of Final Draft and your hard drive burps, you can't reinstall Final Draft because it can't be "activated" because they shut down their activation servers. You would think Final Draft would (at least) offer a newer version at upgrade price in that situation... nope, full price.

But even Fade In's $80 price is not necessary -- though it is pretty nice software. I own it but I don't use it much. I like my free applications better (but I'm not a serious writer). Mostly I bought Fade In because I wanted to support a company that supported Linux.
rcentros is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Meet the new writer, blogger, would-be humorist and screenwriter and publisher mhadick Introduce Yourself 3 10-20-2012 06:06 PM
Free: Where the Hell Am I? by Emmy winning screenwriter Ken Levine (Kindle) scottken Deals and Resources (No Self-Promotion or Affiliate Links) 0 03-27-2012 12:07 PM
E Ink is hiring Alexander Turcic News 1 01-08-2007 12:32 PM


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 01:54 AM.


MobileRead.com is a privately owned, operated and funded community.