Have you ever rushed a script for a contest deadline? You’re not alone. Gordy Hoffman sits down with Film Courage to highlight the common mistakes writers commit when they submit their script to a competition before it’s really ready.
There’s no better adrenaline rush than finishing your script and sending it off to a competition, contest or fellowship. The anticipation for getting feedback on your work can be exhilarating but, rather than forcing it, Gordy suggests allowing your submission process to happen organically.
“If you’re not ready, don’t submit. Submit your work when you’re really excited about it. It’s better to stay with the script, to be patient, and to know your script.” – Gordy Hoffman
Over the past 21 years BlueCat has been developing and discovering up-and-coming writers, Gordy has discovered some common patterns in underdeveloped script submissions.
Skip These Submission Mistakes:
- The writer hasn’t reread their script
- The script is overwritten and too long
- The writer’s emotional connection (intimacy) with their work is unclear
- The writer isn’t being completely transparent with themselves and the status of their script. They’re rushing the process and ignoring their own notes
Gordy acknowledges that some writers just want feedback, and that’s okay. BlueCat is a reliable resource for detailed script analysis. Every year BlueCat entrants take advantage of the notes they get from the readers and develop their writing for the better. For those writers who are looking to place and go on to win the competition, Gordy encourages you to submit your script because you love it, not just because you want the fight to end.
“After you get over the novelty of writing a screenplay, you’ll want to do better work.” – Gordy Hoffman
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Previously guilty of submitting too early. Get too excited. Three months later full of regret as it becomes obvious where improvements are made. Patience is a virtue.
I never cease to be amazed at how easy it is for a screenwriter to delude themselves into thinking they have finished with their script. If you have any days at all left before the deadline, use them to reread your script. I always find something to fix. It’s all about making better and better choices. A word here, an ugly sentence there , a bit of fat trimmed from the story. Our minds may skip over the same rough spot twenty times before we suddenly see the solution.
In the words of Barbara Boyle, “an artist without a deadline is just a tinkerer!” As long as you don’t have high hopes for your early drafts, a contest deadline can provide excellent motivation to complete a script. And of course, feedback is crucial for the development process. Keep your expectations for success low, and the BlueCat competition can be sort of like an incubation lab for new work.
Great advice and I’m working hard on my resubmission now fir a deadline. I’m taking your advice
There’s a great advantage to having two people write a script together. Great minds enhance each other’s creative productivity. Cutting unnecessary scenes shrinks your page count without damaging your story. Most new writers can’t find a writing partner and this makes it very hard to succeed. Hoping a second pair of eyes on my work will accomplish many of the goals that a writing partnership achieves.