How do you handle being rewritten? It's a part of the business but it's still got to be tough on many levels. Have you ever reached out to the person rewriting you? On the other hand, if you've rewritten someone, have you tried to communicate with them?

When and how did you get your first 'big break' and if you were still trying to get a big break today, what would you be doing? What inspires you to write? What does the future of screenwriting look like to you? What is one of the best / most compelling or engaging screenplay you have read?

How important do you think it is to nail your Thematic Question and or Thematic Argument before you type Fade in? Curious because everyone has a different theory.

Knowing that there is no one way to "break in", and given the ever-looming "implosion" of Hollywood, can you speak to the value of creating work in addition to feature specs, such as making ultra low budget films or writing TV pilots? (i.e. Is a great spec feature still the best calling card, or should more writers be trying other avenues? Is it simply a matter of working in the medium in which you ultimately want to work? Does the answer differ for aspiring screenwriters and writer-directors?)

As a writer another remake being made is another job opportunity. As a movie lover how do you feel about films you loved growing up being remade? Does it diminish the impact and greatness of the original or does it simply expose the movie to a new audience?

What has been the best moment of your career?

Is horror still considered the easiest genre to work in if you're looking to break into the business? Are there others in this camp? And what about genres to avoid if you're not represented and really just want to generate interest via a spec?

It's been reported that Hispanic audiences made up 32% of Fast & Furious 6's opening weekend, matching 2011's Fast Five. According to the census, there are 52 million Hispanics in the USA, making them the country's largest ethnic or race minority. Hispanic viewers are out there, yet there doesn't seem to be much content aimed at them. Why do you think there aren't more films or characters aimed at the Hispanic community? Do you think this is something that can be addressed at the screenplay stage, by having screenwriters write more minority characters into their scripts?

How is your method to choose a project to work on in a market that, as the screenwriter William Goldman says, nobody knows anything? Thinking that each screenplay is a journey where the writer is trying to escalate a huge mountain, how the plot itself can give you tools to achieve your goal as a writer? When the structure of a screenplay helps the writer to tell the story in a better way and when it doesn't?

Do you think there will ever be a time when people read screenplays as a form of literature?

With big loud, superhero movies getting most of the press and box office these days, can one be a screenwriter who writes character oriented work and still get movie jobs? Or is that strictly a TV thing now? And does the success of the summer blockbusters affect how you write your own spec screenplays?

This question is for any panelist. Do you recall the first time you were paid for writing anything and do you remeber what you did with the money?

In this age of Twitter, blogs, and Facebook where everyone's a critic, how does it affect your writing? Do you think any great movies wouldn't have survived this age of internet scrutiny?

Something in particular that I've been struggling with is how to balance the standard entry-level assistant position in Hollywood with actually finding the time to read, write, and actually become a better screenwriter. After all, aspiring screenwriters are encouraged to move to Los Angeles specifically so they can be close to the action, and get a job as an assistant or a PA so hopefully they can meet somebody (who inevitably knows somebody) who can get their stuff produced. After all, this is how we are told that most people got their start. HOWEVER, given that an assistant position takes up so many hours of your time during the week (plus the prerequisite networking we have to do after hours), it seems like I will never find the time to actually gain the 10,000 hours needed to master screenwriting. It seems like a Catch-22: I can't become a good screenwriter unless I practice, but I can't become a *professional* screenwriter unless I spend most of my time making connections. So, I guess basically my question is this: as someone just starting out in the industry, which of the two should I prioritize: screenwriting, or networking and working as an assistant? Thanks!

Do you feel it weakens the integrity of a communications-based industry that uses written works to communicate messages (i.e., using scripts that become visual products to affect/entertain audiences) when it seems no one in said industry reads or communicates? This is in reference to the supposedly humorous adage: “If there’s one truth in Hollywood, it’s that nobody reads.” Which, ironically, is often followed by: “Producers are hungry and always scouring the planet for new, strong voices/writers/scripts.” (Only great scripts? Can an unread script possibly be great?) On a related note, in some sectors, when a prospective consumer or business partner makes e-contact with a company via online form or e-mail, an automated acknowledgment of receipt is sent. Do you believe professional courtesy would be bolstered if Hollywood businesses adopted this practice? “Thank you. Your inquiry was received. We will ONLY contact you with another response if we are interested in addressing it further.” As opposed to the silence that activates paranoia in the inquirer seeking mere acknowledgment (not validation), do you think a simple automated response would increase efficiency and, in turn, minimize the subsequent flood of unwanted “Did you receive my inquiry?” follow-up messages? Lastly, watchdogs of talent-based industries often warn aspirants, “Nobody gets paid until the talent gets paid first.” Do you feel the screenwriting industry is increasingly leaning toward an admission-fee-based system? Are “opportunity costs” simply an inevitable sign of the times? Predicated on the theory that an aspiring (sometimes financially challenged) writer already paid in “blood, sweat and tears” to craft a script, should that writer then also have to expend money on “paths to entry” (finance a short film, pay contest/program fees, or wine-and-dine higher-earning execs) in the hope of having that script read? Especially if the almighty adage holds true: “At the end of the day, all that matters is what’s on the page?” To some degree, all of the above are intertwined and beg the question: The three C’s: communication, consideration and cost-free evaluation (for the opportunity to create jobs and profits for others) -- could it be that simple?

What do you know now that you wish you could have known when you were beginning your career?

Do you guys agree with George Lucas and Steven Spielberg when they say studios will implode? How does the VOD system change the game for screenwriters?

For the writers: have they ever made bargains with themselves for motivation? If they have, what bargains have been the silliest? Have any actually worked? For Franklin: when you sent out that first Black List survey, did you already have a sense of which scripts were well-regarded by your colleagues? If so, were the survey results in line with what you'd anticipated? Or were there surprises?