Re: Why I don't like (most) contests
Honestly, I find it difficult to disagree with her basic premise. I can tell if the writing just isn't there within the first page or two, and I can usually tell if a decently-written script has a story worth reading after ten. Even if a script starts with a slow burn, I can generally tell when that is the case and if it is being done well. But there's a difference between me reading some script I found on the internet and her being paid to read a script out of entrance fees.
On the other hand, it sounds like she's talking about the initial read. It's not unreasonable to expect that a solid half of the entries in the average contest will be borderline unreadable. If she's passing along 20 out of 75 scripts, that sounds sort of like she's passing along anything that even remotely shows promise. So if all she's doing at this stage is cutting the wheat from the chaff, that might not be quite the contestastrophe it's being made out to be.
Although if she's really doing this in the later rounds, that's another story.
Honestly, I find it difficult to disagree with her basic premise. I can tell if the writing just isn't there within the first page or two, and I can usually tell if a decently-written script has a story worth reading after ten. Even if a script starts with a slow burn, I can generally tell when that is the case and if it is being done well. But there's a difference between me reading some script I found on the internet and her being paid to read a script out of entrance fees.
On the other hand, it sounds like she's talking about the initial read. It's not unreasonable to expect that a solid half of the entries in the average contest will be borderline unreadable. If she's passing along 20 out of 75 scripts, that sounds sort of like she's passing along anything that even remotely shows promise. So if all she's doing at this stage is cutting the wheat from the chaff, that might not be quite the contestastrophe it's being made out to be.
Although if she's really doing this in the later rounds, that's another story.
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