Donald L. Vasicek on Writing and Screenwriting

Have you ever wondered, how do I get
my script read by producers, agents,
studios and production companies in Hollywood?
You need to draft a query letter. I can
send you my article about how to write
a persuasive query letter, or you can see
it in “How To Sell Your Screenplay” by
Joan and Lydia Wilen.

Also, draft up a phone script. Get a
copy of “The Hollywood Creative Directory.”
Then, select markets from the directory that
fit your premise. In other words, contact
producers who have produced programs similar
to yours. Send the query letter and make cold
calls.

Utilize the script for the cold calls. Keep
it basic. From the directory, select the Director
of Development, for the calls and for the query
letters. Always address your query letter to
someone with a name and a title. The Director
of Development is in the position to put projects,
such as yours, into development. Apply the
same approach with your phone calls.

The person you first talk with on the
phone will be a “gatekeeper”, so to
speak. So, that’s the first person you
will pitch to over the phone. So,
think in terms of selling your idea
to that person. How do you do that?

Think about how that person would
benefit by passing you through the
gate to the next person. This person
will benefit by having the opportunity
to “discover” you! So, keep that in
mind.

Donald L. Vasicek
On Writing and Screenwriting

http://www.donvasicek.com

dvasicek@earthlink.net

When you create movement in a scene for the mere sake of moving characters about in talky scenes, it is very likely the scene comes off just as that on the screen, creating movement for the sake of creating movement. Every movement in every scene should orchestrate and expand the character(s) and the story.

For example, instead of having two characters walk in a park and talk to give them movement and us story information, have one of them riding a bicycle and the other using a pogo stick, you see different sides of who they are. Maybe the bicycle rider is unable to walk or run for distance because of a serious knee injury he sustained in college. This disability will come suspensefully into play later when the character has to save the other character from the villain before he kills him. When his knee fails him, he hops on a bike and saves the day.

Simultaneously, the pogo sticker is pogo sticking because walking doesn’t move him along rapidly enough and riding a bicycle is boring for him. He is a Type A personality. His impatience causes him to be disabled by the villain. He uses pogo sticks to escape unaware that to slow down would save himself because his friend is chasing the villain on a bad knee.

It all culminates when his friend comes to the rescue just as he is slowing his pace because of exhaustion. He learns that speed is not always the quickest way to success.

It is obvious by this example how much the story is embellished and the characters fleshed out by not only giving the characters movement in talky scenes, but giving them dimension as well. In turn, this dimensionalizes the story and makes for more depth in the film.

Remember this: When you are writing, there is a voice
inside of you that tells you when what you are writing
is not working. Listen to it. Usually, it is saying, you
have to change the verb. By changing the verb, this
will transform what you are writing into something
beautiful, and this voice will then whisper to you
that you have written it correctly. Just listen to it.
Don’t resist it. I call it your inner voice. Hear it
and follow it. It works miracles for not only
writers, but for even those who do not write.