[…] I know there has been a lot of content generated surrounding breaking into the business, how to gain attention/notoriety (Black List, Screenplay Competitions, etc), how to get agents, etc…I guess my question is a bit of a variation on that theme: I’m wondering, as someone who is currently working on generating a large slush fund in order to quit their job and move to L.A. in the next few months, what is a good number of scripts to have in my “portfolio”? I know traditional wisdom says “Write a great script and you will be found” and “Write …read more […]

Shouldn't it be three scripts of good quality but how and who defines what good quality is? How can you measure that?

There are a lot of scripts that make it into the market that are hardly "quality". I respect quality. What Scott teaches is about quality and marketability. You can use the same process to write "marketable" lower quality scripts that get play and exposure. But I think you are then facing a shaky reputation, plus it's unlikely you'll ever see any profit. Although, if you budget yourself fees you'll get paid something. But what kind of rep will you have? Who will want you? There are unscrupulous players out there. What's quality? I think it's subjective, because even the major players are looking more for marketable than quality. But I think when you've written something that you love to read over and over, that's quality for you. It's something you're proud of. I think you also have to take a long term approach. Let's say you write a few scripts and sell one. Do you have a few more to sustain a living with? Are you going to be a one hit wonder? Look at how many films make it to Sundance. They get exposure and a few even get sold. How about the 25 new faces on Filmmaker Magazine year after year? Of all those first time directors and writers, how many keep making more? What is your goal, one sale, or what?

Maybe the original poster can clarify this, but I read his/her question to be more along the lines of how many developed pieces should a writer have in their portfolio, as in "ready to show" in case of the inevitable question "What else you've got?" Even if they've written 15 scripts....they might only have one script in their portfolio that is ready for public consumption.

Shari, I see you elaborated on this question in the recent Reader Question post, so I'll take it on sometime in the next week or so. But yes, you should write good quality scripts. And there are ways to assess the scripts' quality - by pro readers.

You are talking my language, Jon. I got at this to some degree in this post: It's not just about the script. Learn the craft. Practice the craft. Read scripts. Watch movies. Write pages. Always work at it. A great script is important, absolutely. Preferably several great scripts. But there are many other aspects of being a screenwriter that you need to address as well if you want to sustain a career.

Eric, this is along the lines of Shari's comment. In the OP, I was thinking of the writer as a writer, and the value of having completed 3 screenplays, what they will have learned from that process. But yes, in an ideal world, you will have at least a couple of scripts worth showing to people in the business. And to be honest, several story concepts you feel are really strong, worked out in at least a 1-page treatment form. That said, there are writers like Diablo Cody (Juno) and Stephanie Shannon (Queen of Hearts, 2013 Nicholl Winner) who write 1 script and use that to break into Hollywood. But they are the exception, not the rule.

The more I think about it and the more I read your blog...I think it would probably be wiser to wait till I am able to write well fast.... Writing a good spec---you could have all the time in the world... but generating something from an idea tossed out in a meeting within 70 days is a different challenge. As to the everyone f's up blog... I'd be concerned that the margin for error is a lot smaller early on in a career and to be honest 70 days sounds awfully fast--for a quality well thought out draft.