August’s Buzz:

THOUGHTS OF A CONTEST READER
(Copyright 2008)
by
Kathryn McCullough

During my career as a story analyst, I’ve read for different screenwriting competitions, such as the Nicholl Fellowship. I’m currently in the midst of “Nicholl season,” and I thought it might be helpful for writers to know what they are up against in terms of the other scripts submitted.

One interesting thing I’ve noticed over the years is that the quality of submissions has improved considerably. Whether it is due to the proliferation of screenwriting software, the availability of screenwriting classes or the accessibility produced scripts for study, the screenplays I’ve read are much more professionally crafted and smartly executed than they were ten years ago. The stories are also a lot more inventive and compelling. I see more originality and fewer cookie-cutter genre pieces. There are plenty of thrillers, romantic comedies and action adventures, etc., but they usually offer an unexpected twist or fresh approach. The characters in all genres tend to be more complex and believable, with credible arcs and rich relationships.

While this is good news for readers, as it makes our job more enjoyable, it is bad news for writers. Why? Because your competition is a lot fiercer now than it used to be. A great majority of the scripts I read are really pretty decent. Many are very very good. A fair number are genuinely outstanding. This makes it necessary for the writers who aim to rise to the top to create not just good scripts, not just great scripts, but exceptional ones.

So how do you stand out? First of all, make sure that you start at the top of the class. No writer can get away with sloppy formatting, weird binding, dense or inappropriate description, or run-on dialogue. Your characters cannot be ordinary and your plot cannot be formulaic. Your premise cannot be generic. Beware stories based on a well-known historical person or event, because there are likely to be at least two or three other scripts on the same subject. Scripts based on your own life, though original, can be problematic too. Don’t just recount events; make sure that you have crafted the experience into a true dramatic narrative. Would the script be as compelling if it were fiction? If the answer is no, then the story doesn’t work.

Say you’ve done it all right. Your script is in proper screenplay format, is professionally bound, has complex, compelling characters, an interesting and unique premise, and a smart plot. How do you compete successfully with other authors whose scripts have similar superior qualities?

1. Make sure the story is developed to its potential and exploits the premise to the maximum. It is always disappointing to me when a script starts out great, with a fantastic idea, engaging characters, and some good initial twists, and then falls apart in the last third. This can be because the relationships were not adequately developed; the plot threads were not successfully unraveled or were tied up in a rushed and contrived manner; the action got bogged down in repetition; or some combination of all three.

2. Address the logic issues. Whether you are writing a bizarre fantasy, a crime story, a broad comedy or a western, you must make the action credible. Research any issues or elements that you aren’t an expert in. Don’t mess with the dates of well-known historical events. Don’t have a character do something utterly contrary to their personality to suit the plot; if they act unexpectedly, it has to be because you are now revealing another side to them, which then must remain part of their characterization for the rest of the script. Don’t pretend that you can play with the laws of physics just because you are writing a fantasy or sci-fi piece; you have to clearly and believably define the rules of the world you have created.

3. Try your best to surprise the reader. This doesn’t mean adding arbitrary plot twists, which will actually frustrate and annoy the reader. Instead, constantly expose deeper levels of your characters; add texture and complexity to the action via unexpected but logical complications. Look for ways to pay off events and elements planted early on. Revise several times. The richer and more detailed you can make your characters and story, the more memorable and surprising your script will be to readers used to formulaic plotlines and stock characters.

In the end, however, you are at the mercy of the opinion of a small group of people. Readers are professional and fair-minded, but some may value character over structure, while others are wowed by clever plot mechanics or unusual concepts. The fact that there are so many excellent scripts being submitted to contests means that if you don’t win, it is not necessarily a reflection of your ability. Keep writing and keep submitting. Even just placing as a quarter or semi-finalist is a badge of honor because it means that you were not only better than the rest, but were among the best of the best.