sell my screenplay

So the screenplay is in the hands of 4 coworkers who have connections but, you know, they’re BUSY with work and the holidays. Not cool with me. I don’t hand the script out willy-nilly. I’m after them to give me notes or to pass it along to their contacts.

The producer at New Wave has had the script for almost a month and hasn’t provided feedback. His assistant and I now have a friendly repoire due to my frequent follow-up calls and e-mails.

Meanwhile I peck away at revisions.

In just talking to people (locally) about the script, I discovered that:

• A close co-worker is the brother of the VP of Marketing at Miramax.

• A friend, long-time co-worker still has connections she made while working on Jumanji.

• An ex-coworker’s husband is a literary agent on the west coast, but that trail is pretty cold.

The screenplay was received, this morning, by Dane Cook’s management company (and production company), New Wave Entertainment. Many typos and small tweaks were made to the script, but I have a lot of structural work to do before it’s labeled a “second draft”.

As I began to revise the script, I figured I also ought to tweak the strands of my network to see how I might market the thing.

A fellow I continue to work with knows and corresponds with Ben Stein, as well as with the director of “Must Love Dogs”. He will read and recommend the screenplay to them and see what doors open.

I went to film school with Ernie Hudson’s son, and met Ernie and the other Ghostbusters during production of GB2. I have sent Ernie an e-mail recently.

A cousin of mine worked on Delta Farce, a film in post-production starring Larry the Cable Guy. There’s a character in my script based on this persona, so I reached out to him.

The lead character in my script was based partially on Dane Cook, and so I sent him an e-mail about it via his website. That e-mail was forwarded to the producer of Dane’s first and second feature films and HE requested a copy of the screenplay last night!

Killer. I gotta put a quick polish on version 1.1 of the screenplay before sending it.

I got my Writers Guild of America, East registration number last week.

I got great feedback from “Scott the Reader” – 4 pages of good, usable feedback that’ll lead to a fuller, better second draft. Really great stuff and what I think is a positive critique of my story and storytelling skills (we’ll see).

To get me to a good, sellable second draft, I’ve provided the screenplay to some people I trust for good, constructive criticism:

A professional Reader (one who qualifies screenplays for studios on a regular basis), two amateur but accomplished screenwriters, and two friends with whom I share a sense of humor and film sensibilities.

All should have comments to me this week or early next.

I’ve just completed a full first draft of my screenplay and registered it with the Writer’s Guild of America East – www.wgaeast.org.

I should have my registration number in a week. Then, I’ll feel more comfortable attaining the services of a professional Reader to provide notes and coverage that will inform my second draft.