How can more women sell spec scripts?

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  • How can more women sell spec scripts?

    Let's face it - execs are always looking for concepts which attract a male audience. And that could be a big factor as to why more sold spec scripts are penned by men.

    I mean - it can't be talent. Because - although it's true more men write produced films it's also true that more male writers, directors and producers are responsible for lousy films.

    With that said, I'm thinking it has more to do with execs being more likely to buy scripts targeting a male audience.

    Perhaps we women writers of Done Deal may do well to put aside our "women's stories" and consider writing spec scripts targeting a male audience.

    And we can do it by following the dictum: write what you know.

    All we have to do is apply what we know through a lifetime of dealing with those lovable, inscrutable characters called: the guys in our lives.

    Examples:

    Horror genre: we women can easily create a male character possessed by a relentless demon hellbent on releasing his - um - you know - on womenkind. Just think of your guy at those moments when his Mr. Winky is in control of his mind, body and soul. The glazed look in his eyes when the demon beckons him, the unfathomable lengths he'll go to satisfy his craving. The weird noises he makes when - um - you know. This is all fodder for horror, girls.

    Suspense genre: Will he remember my birthday? Will he make a pass at my best friend? Will he ever make a damn commitment or will he suddenly disappear from my life without a word? These are some of the real-life experiences women writers can draw from to write heart-pounding suspense.

    Psychological Thrillers: Without a doubt - men are more practiced at lying and much better at mind games. But, since women are often on the receiving end of all this, we have a lot of experience ferreting out the truth -- checking phone bills, credit card statements, car mileage, flipping through his wallet while he's in the shower. Let's face it girls - our real-time love lives are more often "thrillers" than they are "rom-coms." Use this in your writing.

    Sci-Fi: I know women can write compelling stories about the distant future. Heck, we often imagine our entire lives with a guy and name the yet-to-be-born kids we will have with him after the first or second date. Now to mention - we can create complex myths around the current object of our affection while entirely ignoring the reality of who he is. If we can tap our imaginations to do this we can easily write excellent science fiction, my sisters.

    Gross-out Comedy: Any woman who has lasted in a long term relationship with a guy (and has washed his BVDs) has a sense of humor. Enough said






    Advice from writer, Kelly Sue DeConnick. "Try this: if you can replace your female character with a sexy lamp and the story still basically works, maybe you need another draft.-

  • #2
    Re: How can more women sell spec scripts?

    Very nice. I think your post illustrates an excellent way of turning a potential negative into a unique positive.

    I wouldn't say that spec sales (or that movies in general) are totally geared towards males to the point of exclusion. It's just that certain genres have traditionally catered to one sex or the other, the obvious examples being action and rom-com (as you mentioned.)

    But...by taking traditionally male genre and giving it a bit of female perspective twist, I think you can definitely use that to create something that is unique.

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: How can more women sell spec scripts?

      I really don't see myself as a female writer trying to sell a spec in a man's world and can't imagine approaching it this way. I find labeling, especially self-labeling, a psychological limitation most of the time. I'm sure it could work for some, but not me.
      Standing on a hill in my mountain of dreams telling myself it's not as hard, hard, hard as it seems.

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: How can more women sell spec scripts?

        It was my tongue-in-cheek response to the now locked thread on women writers.
        Advice from writer, Kelly Sue DeConnick. "Try this: if you can replace your female character with a sexy lamp and the story still basically works, maybe you need another draft.-

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: How can more women sell spec scripts?



          Sorry, sc. LOLOLOLOL, okay, whew. I'm glad to hear that.
          Standing on a hill in my mountain of dreams telling myself it's not as hard, hard, hard as it seems.

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: How can more women sell spec scripts?

            I will gladly submit any DD lady's scipt to any reputable person under my name. And we should change your name on the copyrights to my name as soon as possible in case, ya know, they check and stuff. Of course I'm not charging anything. I do this 'cause I love you guys.

            Corona
            I love you, Reyna . . .

            Brown-Balled by the Hollywood Clika

            Latino Heart Project's MEXICAN HEART...ATTACK!
            I ain't no punk b1tch...

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: How can more women sell spec scripts?

              Originally posted by Jcorona View Post
              I will gladly submit any DD lady's scipt to any reputable person under my name. And we should change your name on the copyrights to my name as soon as possible in case, ya know, they check and stuff. Of course I'm not charging anything. I do this 'cause I love you guys.

              Corona


              And sc...Ahem...
              A talent for drama is not a talent for writing, but is an ability to articulate human relationships.
              Gore Vidal

              "Aisatsu Yori Ensatsu"
              Money is better than compliments.


              Comment


              • #8
                Re: How can more women sell spec scripts?

                Originally posted by DMNY View Post


                And sc...Ahem...

                DMNY - it's an equal opportunity jab at both sexes. Notice the Sci-Fi paragraph, I'm poking fun at how we women often go overboard in the imagination department. And notice the Thriller paragraph, poking fun at both sexes also.

                I did this for you, baby!

                Advice from writer, Kelly Sue DeConnick. "Try this: if you can replace your female character with a sexy lamp and the story still basically works, maybe you need another draft.-

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: How can more women sell spec scripts?

                  This is in no way meant to provoke any one or anything, but I wonder - statistically speaking - what percentage of women that write spec scripts sell compared to men.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: How can more women sell spec scripts?

                    Far from scientific, but after the WGA link that stated women represent 25% of scripts registered, I followed genders on the script sales page for a while. I don’t remember for how long I did it, but women represented roughly 15% of the sales for that time frame.
                    Standing on a hill in my mountain of dreams telling myself it's not as hard, hard, hard as it seems.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: How can more women sell spec scripts?

                      I wonder what percentage of men who secretly want to be women sell spec scripts by women who secretly want to be men selling spec scripts to either women who want to stay women or to men who want to stay men, so long as the check clears?

                      Felicitations, malefactors! I am endeavoring to misappropriate the formulary for the preparation of saleable screenplays. WHO WILL JOIN ME!

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: How can more women sell spec scripts?

                        Does anyone know the actual statistics? Are there the same amount of scripts written by women as men? or are there just fewer women writers?
                        Never mistake motion for action. ~Ernest Hemingway

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: How can more women sell spec scripts?

                          Originally posted by sarajb View Post
                          Far from scientific, but after the WGA link that stated women represent 25% of scripts registered, I followed genders on the script sales page for a while. I don't remember for how long I did it, but women represented roughly 15% of the sales for that time frame.
                          nevermind, Sarah beat me to it.
                          Never mistake motion for action. ~Ernest Hemingway

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: How can more women sell spec scripts?

                            Here's the link sc found in the old thread, bellabell:

                            http://www.opinionjournal.com/la/?id=110007453

                            And, in the article it also says women represent 18% of working screenwriters. I somehow missed that the first time.
                            Standing on a hill in my mountain of dreams telling myself it's not as hard, hard, hard as it seems.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: How can more women sell spec scripts?

                              Originally posted by sc111 View Post
                              DMNY - it's an equal opportunity jab at both sexes. Notice the Sci-Fi paragraph, I'm poking fun at how we women often go overboard in the imagination department. And notice the Thriller paragraph, poking fun at both sexes also.

                              I did this for you, baby!

                              I don't really have a problem with that at all (as some people might think). I just hope this thread would go along without turning into ugly territories...
                              A talent for drama is not a talent for writing, but is an ability to articulate human relationships.
                              Gore Vidal

                              "Aisatsu Yori Ensatsu"
                              Money is better than compliments.


                              Comment

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