Sell Your Story to Hollywood Buyers... always fun!

[Guest Close WritePro]

your pitch must be clear and explainable to another… when they tell it!

[Guest Close Vigorish9]

yup, now all you have to do is learn how to write a paragraph that more than you understand.

vig

[Guest Close WritePro]

huh?

yup, now all you have to do is learn how to write a paragraph that more than you understand.

all you have to do is write a sentence that makes sense.





added-
oh... well maybe it does after you read it a thousand times...

it was still silly.

[Guest Close JoanEasley]

Good job, Write Pro.

[Guest Close Pandoraisme]

Sounds like the experience really got you fired up, Writepro.
Well, fanned the flames. Congrats on garnering interest in your scripts. I hope the reads eventually lead to meetings.

[Guest Close Vigorish9]

i'll say it again, bring someone elses script.

vig

[Guest Close peasblossom]

Re: Sell Your Story to Hollywood Buyers ... always fun!

Question: In your pitch do you give away all the plot? If you have a surprise at end, do you tell it, hint at it, what's the best way to deal with this?

Thanks!
-Sandy

[Guest Close WritePro]

Re: Sell Your Story to Hollywood Buyers ... always fun!

Yes and no. It depends on whether or not your story depends on that element to sell the story. Remember, catching the interests of the person pitched to is not the final step of that pitch... it's got to be pitched by the person you told it to, to their boss and probably to someone else too... hopefully the same way you told it, to them!

All I know is what I've learned about KEY ELEMENTS OF STORY.

1. What is your story about- main emotional issue
2. What happens in your story- one or two sentences
3. the key element here was the "group of teens" save the world angle.

Was there an end? No. But you know that these kids are probably going to save the planet and thereby the end. But it was enough to pique an interest to take back.

Only once, did someone I pitched to ask me, "How does it end?" You would think they would, but once the excitement of the story catches on and they want it, it's best not to belabor the point past that. If they ask, you've already got 'em interested, so what?

The second most important thing I've learned as well as learning all these techniques, is when to quit... selling.

You can kill interest just as quick as you can build it by overselling your story. If they like the idea... and they actually tell you they want to see it. Shake hands, say thank you and walk.

That's it. Don't try to tell them that the end is so stupendous that it will shock the audience like never before. They want to see it. Walk away!

I saw one guy take his card back. No really. The guy pitching had the producer/representative; was enjoying the ride; said okay, handed him a card, said "call." The boy kept on talking, telling the story... time was up there was another person to pitch waiting. Boy's holding the card while he takes up time. The rep reached and took the card back and said some mess about it was the wrong card, why not give him his email and and he'd (the producer) get back to him.

I wonder if he emailed him yet?

Anyway, all that was said to say, it could be either or. You feel the ending is something that will help sell the story, go ahead. I have stories that the end cannot be told because based on reality the end hasn't happened yet, but most do have endings that are useless to sell it. What? Happy ever after we know. It's got to be. Just sell the sizzle at the pitch to get the script into their hands and hope they read past ten to thirty... and then, Almighty on our side; it's a done deal!

[Guest Close peasblossom]

Re: Sell your story to hollywood buyers ... always fun!

Thanks Writepro! That story about the reclaimed business card is hilarious (since it didn't happen to me).

-Sandy

[Guest Close captain bligh]

Re: Sell your story to hollywood buyers ... always fun!

"My story X-Stream is a sci-fi adventure tale of a group of delinquent teens, who must save the planet from cannibalistic aliens."

if the aliens are cannibals, couldn't humans just hang out and watch them eat each other? and then, once the last alien ate the second to last alien, kill the last alien?

or maybe it would eat itself? that'd be cool.

[Guest Close refriedwhiskey]

Re: Sell your story to hollywood buyers ... always fun!

Yeah, "cannibalistic aliens" does sound like a problem that will pretty much take care of itself if left alone.

[Guest Close v i o l e n t c a s e s]

Re: Sell your story to hollywood buyers ... always fun!

if no one at the seminars pointed this out, i question the dollar value of the tickets.

[Guest Close Queen Uhuru]

Re: Sell your story to hollywood buyers ... always fun!

I like your "Blood Wars" story idea best because it seems to have something very precious and dear at stake for the main character. Makes the audience care/worry more that way.

If you need some good research resources on various writing-related and other topics, I invite you to check out the resources I have listed at my messageboard (link in my sig). I really meant to get them all put into a website rather than as posts on a messageboard and that project is about a third finished, but meanwhile, they reside at the Kickass Resource.

Good luck to you and keep that positive energy thing going. It really works.