Shared Experience: Screenwriting for Feature Films

By Jenny Neill

Mary Elder joined Seattle Writergrrls Saturday, September 14 for an informal discussion about feature film screenwriting.

Introducing Mary

Mary started her professional life with the same energy and determination she used to break into screenwriting. After completing a B.A. in art history at Cornell University, Mary declared herself an expert in promotions and in making exhibits fun for kids. She worked at Seattle's Museum of Flight, then became a freelancer as a Children's Programs Consultant. In that role, Mary worked on a variety of projects for organizations such as Boeing, the Seattle Art Museum, the Seattle P-I, Puget Power, and the Port of Seattle.

She went on to become the Creative Vice President of KidStar and Editor of KidStar Magazine. Mary also wrote scripts for radio shows broadcast on the KidStar Network. As Mary saw KidStar's flame begin to burn out, she started to consider her next career move. She had already discovered she had a knack for and enjoyed writing radio play characters. A lightning-bolt epiphany hit her: "Someone writes the stories we see on screen!"

Having missed the registration deadline, Mary bought and devoured all the required reading for the Writing the Screenplay program at the University of Washington. The following year, the program's director suggested Mary join a writer's circle since she had already finished her first screenplay.

Breaking into Show Biz

Because networking is essential to breaking in to the film industry, novices who strive to meet other local screenwriters get off to a good start. Mary became acquainted with playwrights and screenwriters, such as Mark Handley and Max Adams, through attending her writers' circle, going to local events and traveling to conferences. Mark Handley wrote the play, Idioglossia, upon which the movie, Nell, was based. Max Adams, who at one time lived in Seattle, wrote the screenplay for Excess Baggage and the book, The Screenwriter's Survival Guide. Mary spoke with great enthusiasm and warmth about having people like Max and Mark, who were willing to aid her development, in her network.

With a few finished screenplays under her belt, Mary hit the phones. She quickly learned strategies for cold-calling to get through to agents and producers; no shrinking violet, Mary combined quick thinking and flattery. Getting to the agent or producer is a good start, but then you have to sell the story. Knowing how to position your script or story pitch to each agent and producer is essential. That makes doing your homework—researching the various studios and talking to other screenwriters—a crucial element to finding a market for your movie. And one last bit of advice Mary shared: When making those calls or going to pitch meetings, pretend that you are an actor playing a screenwriter.

Another major plot point in Mary's tale of busting in to Hollywood stems from her having won the Walt Disney Studios Writing Fellowship Program. Fellows work full time for a year at the studio in Los Angeles, and Mary credits this network for helping her become an insider. Though she expected a feeding frenzy for her work would occur when she completed the program, it didn't. Completing the fellowship drew the attention of a production and management company who asked to read her screenplay, eventually leading to that script being optioned. Working with her producer to rewrite the optioned screenplay resulted in Mary cementing her relationship with her producer-management team. Together, they went on to successfully sell another story idea, "Flower Girl," to Warner Brothers Pictures.

Getting the Writing Done

Mary recommended screenwriting contests, especially for those of us motivated by deadlines (like me!). The simple act of deciding to enter provides a deadline for finishing your story. Competitions provide screenwriters the added benefit, in many cases, of getting your story read. Placing as a semifinalist or finalist in a well-regarded competition gives you more leverage for calls to agents and kudos you can add to query letters.

To tell a good story on screen, there remains the first challenge-writing that first draft. Mary suggests writing whatever you want in your first draft. Story editing then becomes a critical part of the process. So does formatting: Removing notes about camera angles and other technical details is a good idea (directors do not appreciate being told how to film a scene). As the screenwriter, your job is to tell a compelling story with believable characters. Writers should set and describe the scene only where it is an essential element of the story.

Many books and experts recommend that feature film screenplays, once finished, should be no more than about 125 pages. Mary's experience suggests that writers ought to whittle their stories down to 100 pages before attempting to sell them. Audience attention spans have grown shorter, thus the screenplays that sell are getting shorter as well.

Getting the final draft of your story ready to sell is, in many respects, only the beginning. Mary warned of the challenges of reworking a sold script. Her advice was: Keep your character and plot notes. When you sell your screenplay, you will need to rewrite it. Thus, hanging on to the different character arcs and plot points you tinkered with while finalizing your selling script may be invaluable for later drafts.

Bringing a successful screenwriter like Mary Elder to chat with Seattle Writergrrls is but one of many stops in my journey. My next installment will cover the basics of the three-act structure based on my experience of taking a master class on screenwriting.

Analytical, creative, diligent, adaptive—Jenny Neill loves a new challenge. She applies lessons learned with enthusiasm in her continuing quests to sate her avid curiosity and to find new stories to tell.