Advice — expert series

Read part one of this series here. The reason 99% of manuscripts get rejected is, simply, because authors approach the wrong agents to begin with. As writers, we know there is no comparison between a good word and the perfect word. Similarly, there is no comparison between any agent and an appropriate agent. In the previous issue of this ezine, we discussed how to properly evaluate an agent; now it is time to discuss how to track them down. To compile a list of appropriate agents, thorough research is required. Not three hours' worth, but three months' worth. Such information...

Whether you're an established film/ TV writer or an aspiring one, you've heard it - everybody in town has said it - you should write a spec pilot. Didn't used to be that way. Up until about five years ago, it was considered crazy or just plain clueless to write a pilot that wasn't commissioned by a network - nobody would read it, no agent would consider looking at it. (I did it anyway - tell you more about that later)But all that changed in 2004 when Marc Cherry, a veteran TV writer experiencing a downturn in his career (he'd...

When it comes time for you to research agents, you may find it difficult to determine whether any given agent is legitimate, effective, or the right one for you. Most authors are so eager to land an agent, that they will rarely stop and take the time to thoroughly evaluate whether an agent is appropriate to begin with. But this process of evaluation is crucial, as it will prevent you from querying the wrong agents, and will prevent you from potentially signing with an agent that is wrong for you. As a literary agent for the last 13 years, I...

Whenever I do interviews or seminars concerning my book, The New Comedy Writing Step by Step, interviewers and writers invariably ask "What's the first thing a person should do if he or she wants to become a comedy writer?" My response is a two-parter and although it's aimed primarily at comedy writing, it applies equally as well to all writing. It might seem that the first part of the response is so obvious that it shouldn't even have to be said. It is: If you want to become a comedy writer, start writing comedy. Yet, it does have to be...

Plot involves at least three primary threads: Dramatic Action, Character Emotional Development, and Thematic Significance. Of these three elements, writers are equally divided between those who begin a project by concentrating on the Dramatic Action and those who begin with Character Emotional Development. Dramatic Action writers tend to thrive on the excitement of what happens in the story. The first draft of a Dramatic Action writer is full of excitement with lots of conflict, tension, and suspense, twists and turns, chases and confrontations, and usually contains little character development. Often, a reader's comment of this first Dramatic Action draft is:...