Thanks Scott for the response! I've never picked up the phone after a pass -- time to grow a pair and dial! And to answer your question, yes, I have a spreadsheet with managers and agents -- e-mail addresses and phone numbers -- the dates when I query and the response. I also have a "special" color code for those that took time out of their day to send me to their legal department. I mentioned that I DO NOT query agents. I do... rarely. Just my plan of attack -- thinking a manager could help me grow from the get-go. And one final note... I think the night I sent the question I had just received yet ANOTHER “I liked your writing but…” response. The response hit me wrong that particular evening so if the question comes off bitchy and yes, whiny... Now you know why.

Dealing with this right now. A couple examples from managers: "I just found myself liking it but not loving it for my own taste." "This idea/script isn’t for me." Etc. People tell me, hey at least your stuff is getting read by good managers. And yes, at least now they've read something of mine even though they passed on it and I have a 'connection.' But as a writer, you just keep thinking, I spent every damn day working on this for the past year, give me something more to go on. Sometimes it feels like you work on something for so long, you show it to several people and it gets squashed in an instant. Then on to the next one, right? Something just really sucks about that situation.

Two long shots you can try: 1. Ask "Can you recommend any other reps who are looking for this type of material right now?" (they may know a hungry rep) 2. Or ask "Any suggestions for my rewrite?"

@Matisse -- Would almost be as comforting if someone responded -- "It might be in your best interest to rewrite the script to better your chances." I'd probably drink myself to sleep after reading that but I would have some indication that what I've thrown out there is flat out not working. True -- I could pay for coverage but I'm just not doing that. For starters I'm not very "heavy" in the wallet for that type of expense. And I'd bet the guy I'm paying to cover the script views things differently as, oh let's say, Benderspink. All we can do is grow a thick-skin, brush off the dust and keep at it until someone gives notes -- and of course keep writing. That's what I'm doing. Not everyone likes rock... not everyone likes country... not everyone likes rap -- that's the way I'm looking at it until something changes my thought process. So for now... I'll continue to keep throwing it out there until someone likes Courtney -- or tells me to give it up!

@Matt -- I've tried both. The first gets ignored each and every time. The second generally draws the following responses -- "May not be for us, just keep sending it out." "I'm super swamped and can't take on developing any new scripts" And of course, I received the following reply from one particular manager which Scott will enjoy... "My advice is to read as many great scripts as possible and keep at it. Writing is a craft and reading other great scripts and writing is the best way to get better." A cloud "poofed!" over my shoulder -- when the smoke cleared it was "Mini-Scott" standing there. All he said was, "told 'ja," then POOF, he was gone.

Matisse, summon up persistence. If you need inspiration: here, here, and here.

We've all been rejected at one point or another, best thing to do is keep writing, somewhere someone will love what you create.

In my experience, the people who actually DO like your writing are the ones who take "additional action" afterward. Do they request your next script? Are they willing to read something else you've written? Do they actually read it and get back to you? Also, I'm not sure that "just keep writing and submitting" is the best advice. If you're constantly getting the "You write well, but..." response, maybe you DO write well and the problem is your story concept. If you have a flat concept, no one will want to buy your script no matter how well executed it is. Why? This is from Terry Rossio's old WordPlay blog: "As a screenwriter, your choice of film premise is your calling card. Not your witty dialog, not your clever descriptions. Not your knowledge of structure and subplot and subtext... You must -- you MUST -- choose well. Most aspiring screenwriters simply don't spend enough time choosing their concept. It's by far the most common mistake I see in spec scripts. The writer has lost the race right from the gate. Months -- sometimes years -- are lost trying to elevate a film idea that by its nature probably had no hope of ever becoming a movie." This is a fact I resisted for years and only recently acquiesced to.

Oops, I'm new to this blog and didn't see that Scott already covered that Rossio entry. http://gointothestory.blcklst.com/2011/08/screenwriting-lesson-inception-part-1.html But yeah, after too many responses like the ones Courtney got, I've finally decided to spend a lot more time and energy working on my story concepts. Not that choosing a great premise means you can slack off in the execution, but it seems like you get a lot more leeway if you do choose wisely. Meanwhile, even perfect execution of a so-so idea is probably not enough.

Joe, welcome to GITS. And thanks for calling attention to the absolutely critical importance of the story concept. It bears repeating over and over. Other than developing one's chops as a writer, I would NEVER recommend writing a script unless the writer felt -- with good reason! -- it is something that could sell in Hollywood; unless of course they're into indie films and even then with marketing and distribution key to success, a strong story concept can make the difference between a movie that finds traction in the marketplace or ends up selling 9 DVDs. Every April I run a series: A Script Idea Each Day for a Month. It's my way of ootzing GITS readers to be thinking ALL THE TIME about story concepts. As Linus Pauling said, "The best way to come up with a great idea is come up with a LOT of ideas." Again welcome!

@Joe -- Not sure if your comment was directed my way -- if it was... or hell if it wasn't -- I'm open for input. Feel free to shoot me a PM. You "rang a bell" so feel free to "chime in." Not being a "smarty-pants," I would like your input. Seriously. But I will comment. Yes -- I've been asked for more material -- several times -- however, I sent the first spec without more to offer -- and that was my mistake. My MAJOR mistake! However... with vague comments (after reads with no notes) what's a writer to do but keep writing and sending out a query until a manager or agent is honest enough to say "stop." We have to "fly blind" because that's all we know at this point. And I do agree -- concept is a must. But if I sent a query about... A troubled husband adopts a beaver hand-puppet as his sole means of communicating. Would you read it? You might -- but I doubt it. Yes... I know it made it to the Black List and eventually made it to the screen (hey I like the movie to be honest) but would you read it from the get-go? I doubt it. All we can do is write and query until someone tells us to stop or asks for more... or better yet... signs us!

@Joe -- Oops -- welcome to GITS! Hope I didn't come off too harsh! : )

Oh, I totally agree -- even a great and/or eventual hit script may pile up rejections at first, so persistence is essential. I was just speaking on behalf of fools like myself who kept sending out scripts without being 100% gung-ho about their premise -- simply believing that "good writing" (i.e. execution) was enough. I read that Kyle Killen had some credentials before he sold "The Beaver" -- short story awards and a book deal (and presumably some kind of agent). So he may have had more leeway than the rest of us will get.

Thanks, Scott! I like that quote, this blog and your suggestion to use weird/interesting news items as a jumping off point. In fact, I came up with something the other day that way. It's funny -- most of my favorite films actually have "weak" premises (whether it's Cassavetes or A Christmas Story), but as you and other pros have written, an unknown writer almost certainly needs a strong premise to get that first break. And then we can save our execution-reliant ideas for later.

And for the record, it seems like a great premise also makes the script easier to write by implying all sorts of key plot points, characters, themes, etc. (stuff you talked about in your recent blog post on the subject).

Really great screenwriting always, always gets noticed in Hollywood. -Mark D. Rosenthal

Have you thought about using a professional reader to review your scripts? There are some reputable and reasonable ones GITS people have used, including Scott at Alligators in a Helicopter.