Comments on: Why I don’t do Coverage and why you don’t need it

By: Toyland Chairman

Toyland Chairman — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 02:44:31 +0000

Just today I was told to get some screenplay coverage. Now I’m not so sure. I know my screenplays need a lot of work. Just don’t know if I’ll ever have the perfect draft.

By: Dan

Dan — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 20:36:24 +0000

Hi Marcus,
I emailed you a reply so look for it. Do NOT write totally in a vacuum, you must get feedback from others at some point or you’ll never progress, as you said.

In general, depending on where you’re at with your screenwriting craft and career, I can help you out with some sort of notes, coaching or class, so please look around my site, most notably the My Script Services and Classes pages. I’m also launching a new group class soon, taught by email so you can do it from the comfort of your home on your own schedule. See Group Online Story Map Workshops. Good luck and happy writing!
-Dan

By: marcus williams

marcus williams — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 02:31:54 +0000

i have been working extremly hard on my script, constantly editing it, but i’m doing it all alone and no one wants to read it (at least not for free), so bascially i’m writing blind, i dont know if i’m progressing or what. so what should i do?

By: Dan

Dan — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 00:36:58 +0000

hi Shanan,
I will email you in regards to your script. I can help you improve the script, either by rewriting it myself (Script Doctoring) or giving you detailed notes geared toward strengthening every major area to blow away readers like me. In some cases, if I think a script is close enough to being submission-ready, I will refer a client to a rep, producer or fellow screenwriter but I don’t guarantee it and I don’t sell that service. As it should be, it’s a networking courtesy that can only help me or any other writer out. There’s ultimately no competition amongst screenwriters, IMHO; we need to all help each other out because if your friend/acquaintance breaks in they will be in a better position to help you break in. But, bottom line, your work needs to be at a certain level to inspire anyone to give you a referral to their hard-won contacts.

It sounds like you took the risk of letting a rep “hip-pocket” your script while you did rewrites on spec with their notes; this can work out, in some cases, but most of the time it ends up tying up your script in limbo and maybe even killing it in the marketplace (or killing it for a while). It depends on if the Manager pitched it or submitted an earlier draft and to whom. I’ll shoot you an email and maybe I can help you out.

By: Shanan

Shanan — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 17:26:31 +0000

Dear Mr. Calvisi:

I am just checking around, I have a screenplay that was in a manager’s hands for a year to help with a re-write, the writer never came through, so we re-wrote it, he had a production company who wanted and now we are getting jacked around…. Don’t want top give up, but need help finding a competent manager….