"Hey man, I have an idea!!!"

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  • "Hey man, I have an idea!!!"

    Just curious, I get this a lot and it always feels awkward. Not only do the ideas almost always sound generic, but what happens in the event somebody actually has some ground breaking concept you never thought of before?

    Obviously the expectation is that you go develop and write it and they imagine getting some six or seven figure check for coming up with the half baked brain fart.

    Does anyone else have non writing friends or associates that always come to them with "an idea"? What's your polite way of getting out of this conversation?
    One must be fearless and tenacious when pursuing their dreams. If you don't, regret will be your reward.

    The Fiction Story Room

  • #2
    Re: "Hey man, I have an idea!!!"

    A) Tell them "Great! Go take some screenwriting classes/read some books and go write it yourself!"

    or

    B) Tell them "Great! Coming up with a good idea represents about 5% of the work of writing a screenplay, so when I write it and sell it, that's how much of the check you'll get."
    "I love being a writer. What I can't stand is the paperwork.-- Peter De Vries

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    • #3
      Re: "Hey man, I have an idea!!!"

      Originally posted by UpandComing View Post
      A) Tell them "Great! Go take some screenwriting classes/read some books and go write it yourself!"

      or

      B) Tell them "Great! Coming up with a good idea represents about 5% of the work of writing a screenplay, so when I write it and sell it, that's how much of the check you'll get."
      ^^THIS^^

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      • #4
        Re: "Hey man, I have an idea!!!"

        "Great! What's your budget for hiring me to turn that into a screenplay?"
        "People who work in Hollywood are the ones who didn't quit." -- Lawrence Kasdan

        Please visit my website and blog: www.lauridonahue.com.

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        • #5
          Re: "Hey man, I have an idea!!!"

          I usually say, "Yeah, that is a pretty cool idea!" and then say nothing else. If they try to hint that they want me to do something with it for them, I pretend I don't get the hint. If they directly ask me, then I just say I'm way too busy with my own stuff but they should feel free to write it themselves.

          I've never had someone try to pitch me a groundbreaking concept that I actually felt like I wanted to run with. I guess in that situation I'd have to figure out if I really wanted to partner up with this person or just move on. I mean, there's always going to be more ideas.

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          • #6
            Re: "Hey man, I have an idea!!!"

            I hear this all the time too:

            "Hey, I have a great idea for a movie, but I'm not a writer."

            I'll usually respond with:

            "So what? I have a great idea for a painting, but I'm not a painter."

            That usually leads to a longer conversation in which I have to explain that most writers want to focus on their own ideas, not the idea of someone who doesn't want to do the hard work.
            NOTES / COVERAGE
            15,000+ Screenplays
            [email protected]

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            • #7
              Re: "Hey man, I have an idea!!!"

              Ok at least I'm not alone. I don't have a problem explaining it to friends I know, but I get this from people I don't know well sometimes (making posts on my facebook page or twitter) and it's weird how they seem to not wanna hear it when you break down all the work that goes into developing an idea -- especially a half baked idea from somebody else.
              One must be fearless and tenacious when pursuing their dreams. If you don't, regret will be your reward.

              The Fiction Story Room

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