Not too long ago, a friend forwarded an email, from one of her friends, asking for advice on how to get a literary agent for her first screenplay. Since I used to be a literary agent, my friend figured I’d be able to offer some advice. No problem. I sat down and typed out a reply to my friend’s friend’s question. How do you get an agent? Easy. Write a freakin’ good script.
Don’t worry. I wasn’t completely flip. I spent the next few paragraphs running through the most common ways writer’s dork up a good idea and how to avoid those mistakes. (Something I’ll write about another day) Because her script was already finished, I recommended she move on to the last step on my list. The dresser drawer.
Everybody should know this one. When you finish a script, you toss it in a dresser drawer and forget about it. While it’s cooling off, you write your next script. 3 – 6 months later, you pull out the old, toss in the new and make yourself comfy on the couch with a No.2 pencil. Do not pooh-pooh this step.
One afternoon, back when I was with Otitis Media Literary, I took a call from an unknown writer pitching his action script. I’m a huge fan of mind numbing violence and adult situations so I gave him my undivided attention and almost wet my pants listening to him act out the incredible story. There was a hero and a bad guy and a love interest and some stuff happened (I’ve long since forgotten what) and wow, I had to read it as soon as possible. It arrived a few days later and I read it one sitting. Not because it was destined to be the next summer blockbuster but because the script didn’t resemble anything the writer had acted out over the phone.
The idea was there. The characters were there. Some of the action was there. The story, however, was M.I.A. Plot points went nowhere or suddenly switched direction. The pay off at the end never really happened and as for the love interest? Hero meets girl. Girl disappears for 20 or so pages. Girl returns in time for the hero to declare his undying love. Reader is left completely confused.
His action script was a disaster. I was disappointed and a little sad. I hated having to tell him the project wasn’t as good as he thought it was. We’d had such a nice chat only days earlier.
I was thinking about what to say in my rejection letter when he called to see if the script had arrived. After I said it had, I asked a question that I already knew the answer to. Did you outline your story before you wrote the script? His answer? No.
Turns out he’d been telling people the story for so long that when he actually wrote it, a lot of it never made the trip from his head to the page. Without the cooling off period, every time he re- read the script, his brain filled in the missing pieces and he thought he’d written the next blockbuster action film. If he’d have done the dresser drawer thing, he probably would have found all the issues and fixed them before he ever got out his phone to dial my number.
But, you ask, what if, in those 3 – 6 months, he’d forgotten all of his story’s twists and turns? Don’t worry. This is when that outline comes into play. He would have simply compared his outline to his script, scene by scene, and filled in the gaps.
I invited the writer to resubmit his script when the next draft was ready. I’d love to say he did, but sadly, I never heard from him again. Perhaps the idea of starting from scratch was too much. (Since he had no outline) Or, maybe he simply moved onto the next script. I’ll never know.
And my friend’s friend? She sent me a polite thank you but I sensed she was really hoping I’d just send her the contact info for any agents I still knew. And without even an offer to read her script. Not a chance sweetheart. There’s the Agent’s Code, you know. That’s something for another day.
Write on,
Melissa
P.S.
If you’ve used the dresser drawer method, drop me a note in the comment section and tell me how it worked out for you. Next time – Outlining your Screenplay, part one.
P.P.S.
In case you’re wondering, this blog post sat in the virtual dresser drawer for one week.
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Computer or not, you won’t get anywhere until you get your head around story structure – see (link removed)
If you'd bothered to read my post, you'd see this was in response to someone's question about a finished sceenplay. Or if you'd bothered to read the next post, you'd see it begins a series of posts on outlining. When someone uses a template, like the ones you are selling, they end up with a story that has an all too familiar ring to it. Think the Pocahontas remake Avatar.
Plus, the writer will never get to that original twist if he was using a template.
P.S.
Before you leave your link on every blog you see, try leaving a few insightful comments relating to posts you read. Once you've established yourself in the blog's community, then you can slip in your sales pitch.
Great article, Melissa! Entertaining and useful. Interesting having insights from an ex-agent!
You have inspired me to write something, anything, put it away in my drawer and come back to it later. Great advise for many an article of work with a dream attatched! You are a wise woman, this had been an enjoyable read. Thanks for taking it out of the virtual drawer so quickly.. Carry on.
xxoo
Murphy! We missed your daughter's band here in town. I'm so bummed. Write something!
Melissa
I am not a screenplay writer, but an aspiring novelist, and I put a 125k manuscript in the drawer for about two years after getting frustrated with exactly what you encountered with the action script — no story. I eventually unearthed the MS, read it, and had this crystal clarity about what needed to happen. The 125k words got hacked down to 55k words and it's ALIVE again.
Finishing soon.
THIS WORKS!!!
Yes! So glad you cooled it off and got it back on track. Do you have an outline for the entire book? My next few articles will talk about that.
Melissa
My current novel sat in the dresser drawer for quite awhile, and every time I looked at it, I realized that I'd grown some as a writer. So every once in awhile, I would rewrite it. My skill, I hope, has grown enough to make this novel the best it can be, and after one more polish, it's being sent out again.
Now, when I look back on what I'd first written, I can't believe how far it's come. It's gone from amateurish to mediocre to good to (I hope) exciting.
If I'd tried to shop it around at the beginning, I'd be mortified right now. Instead, I'm feeling confident about it.
I think I've grown enough as a writer that I shouldn't need as *long* of a drawer period, but everything's going to spend some time in there before it's ready to pitch to anyone. When I go back to something that's been waiting, I have the objectivity to really look at what's there — as opposed to what I *believe* is there — and to add in the missing pieces and take out the extraneous ones.
This is a great article, and a good explanation of why the dresser drawer (which is actually, for me, a file on my computer) is a necessary step. Thanks!
I'm glad to hear that you're not skipping the dresser drawer step. Too often writers get too confident for their own good. Keep me updated on your novel's journey. And do look into self publishing via kindle and Amazon.com. I've been reading very interesting things about both over the last year. In my day, anyone who self published was considered a hack. Nowadays, the lines are so blurred that many authors are not even bothering with publishing houses. One author I read about was making a very good living(6 figures), had found an agent and had Hollywood interested in making films of his books.
Melissa