I feel as if I am in the same place as Courtney. I am about six months into my first screenplay and have successfully gotten it into the hands of someone who can either bury it or make it happen. I think what has helped me try to move past my first is that I have five ideas for new screenplays ready to go and am excited to start researching and plotting my story over again. I think you have to have that next idea ready to go; or at least spend some quiet time with yourself and try to find something new in order to walk away from a specific project. Best of luck to ya- Chris

www.writesomehorror.blogspot.com

Just to echo what Scott said... get some knowledgeable people to read the script, if you haven't already, before querying agents.

Outside, objective eyes can provide needed perspective (and suggestions) on the script. Good luck.

Maybe in this case, being "happy" with the story, prose, dialog, etc. means that you feel like it's the best you can do at the moment -- but not being ready to let it go means that you know you need to do better. I've been in the same situation. In my case, once I felt like I could write a screenplay at a professional level, it still took five more scripts (and about twice that many total drafts) before I really hit my stride and wrote one that I had genuine confidence in. I agree that you need to have someone with expertise read this script. If you don't have good industry contacts (or don't want to use them yet), you could try one of the professional reviewing/scouting services. I've used ScriptShark a few times and recommend them. They really know their stuff and will do a great job of pinpointing strengths and weaknesses.

In the meantime, though, put this script down and start working on another. There's no substitute for starting a brand-new script on which you can unleash all the skills and knowledge you've been building up through your previous efforts.

Get your script out there, and start writing the next one immediately. The chances of you selling your first script, as you already know, are...no need to even say it. BUT -- this script very well may get you noticed and all of a sudden you know a few people and the next script actually gets read in the proper context, and hopefully sold. My partner and I spent a couple years dicking around with our first script -- time wasted. I wouldn't show someone that script now, no way. But it was just good enough to get a few meetings and the next script got us signed by a good agent. And the next script (#3) is what got sold. Get the script out there and move one. Keep writing. Always be writing.

One more thing. Paying for a professional reader is the best money you can spend. Just find a good one. Your friends won't level with you, or might not know a good screenplay if they had one duct taped to their head. Scott is absolutely right about this.

I've sold five short scripts, but none of them was written on speculation, so I had no problem with letting them go, because I knew they were going into good hands.

But now when one of my dear older stories come into view, I feel it will be hard to let it go, if I get it sold. I've lived with it for too long to simply let it go without a tear, even if I know where it is going. It will probably feel very empty when it is not there with me any longer.