Great post.

Yeah, it's why I do it ... it fulfills me, touches me inside ... it's too hard to do just for kicks, to be honest, if I didn't get that inside touch, it's just too much work and trouble ... but because I do, it's worth it. I have to.

I always think, too ... whenever I'm on some screenwriting website there's usually some guy commenting who leaves off with a "Keep Writing" tag.

and I always think in my head ... "you think I really have a choice?"

LOL!

Nice post.

By the way, do you (or anyone else) have a list of the 9 tyro scripts that sold last year? I can think of three: Going the Distance, Galahad and Low Dweller. Would be curious to know what the others are. Thanks.

David, these are the 9 first-timers I found:

31 Days of Larry – Corrine Kingsbury (LionsGate) – 11/24/2008

Lionsgate Films has pre-emptively picked up the irreverent romantic-comedy spec "31 Days of Larry," written by newbie scribe Corinne Kingsbury. It's the first industry deal for Kingsbury, who is repped by WMA and Fuse Entertainment. -- The Movie Blog

Animals – Mike Sobel (Columbia) – 3/6/2008

Sobel, who was practicing law in New York, moved to Los Angeles a year ago to pursue a writing career and penned "Animals," his first screenplay. Deal is pegged at mid-six figures. -- Daily Variety

Broken City – Brian Tucker (Mandate) – 5/19/2008

Mandate Pictures has preemptively bought "Broken City," the first screenplay from Brian Tucker. Tucker is an alum of the Juilliard School Playwrights Program, where he was a Lila Acheson Wallace American Playwrights Fellow. -- Daily Variety

Going the Distance – Geoff LaTulippe (New Line) – 7/20/08

New Line is "Going the Distance" with a pre-emptive purchase of tryo scribe Geoff LaTulippe's romantic comedy spec script. LaTulippe, who's been a script reader at New Line for four years, credited creative exec Dave Neustadter with helping develop the story. -- Daily Variety

Hunter-Killer – Arne Schmidt (Relativity Media) – 9/30/2008

Relativity Media has acquired "Hunter-Killer," a spec script that was written by producer Arne Schmidt, who submitted it under a pseudonym. Script is the first by Schmidt, who submitted it under the pseudonym Ed Arnett because he didn't want it to be influenced by his primary industry job. Schmidt is a line producer and production manager whose credits include the "XXX" films and "Big Fish" -- Daily Variety

Imaginary Friends -- Cornelius Uliano & Bryan Schulz (DreamWorks) -- 3/25/08

DreamWorks has made a preemptive six-figure acquisition of "Imaginary Friends," a fantasy adventure script by Cornelius Uliano and Bryan Schulz. Studio was keeping logline under wraps. Scribes are first timers who met in film school. They graduated from Brooks Institute of Photography last year. -- Daily Variety

Oh, Brother -- Cathy McCarthy (Gold Circle Films) -- 10/23/08

It's the first deal for Phoenix-based podiatrist McCarthy, whose script caught the eye of manager Tom Drumm. It also is the latest deal to emerge from Gold Circle's first-look pact with management/production outfit The Safran Co. A new writer will be brought in to work on the script. -- Gold Circle Films

The Roommate -- Sonny Malhi (Screen Gems) -- 7/20/08

Screen Gems has acquired Sonny Mallhi's spec thriller "The Roommate." Mallhi, an exec VP at Vertigo, penned the screenplay under a pseudonym so it would be given fair consideration in the marketplace. It wasn't until after Screen Gems made an offer on "Roommate" that Mallhi revealed that he wrote the spec. Mallhi most recently exec produced "The Strangers" for Vertigo. "Roommate" marks Malhi's first screenplay sale. -- Daily Variety

Winter's Discontent -- Paul Fruchbom (Columbia) -- 4/28/08

Columbia Pictures has scooped up Paul Fruchbom's comedy spec "Winter's Discontent" for low six figures. Deal marks the first sale for Fruchbom, a onetime banker and journalist. Sony also made a blind commitment for a future Fruchbom film. -- Daily Variety

I could not confirm that Ryan J. Condal, who wrote "Galahad," was a tyro scribe. Brad Ingelsby, who wrote "Low Dweller," has a previous writing credit.

David, if you can verify Condal was, indeed, a first-timer, I'd appreciate knowing that and will amend my 2008 figures.

Boy Scott, you sure aren't kidding!

My projects always revolve around what *I* have to learn as well as what my main characters must discover about themselves. Lingering guilt, unwarranted self-doubt (BLIND 5POTS), overcoming cynicism -- all emotions my writing has helped me work through thanks to the healing stories can bring, as this snippet reveals (please forgive the self-promotion; this subject is important to me):

When I came back, I came back strong for one reason; I rediscovered my love of story. How it shapes us. Binds us. Heals us, through joy and laughter and tears. If we do it right, through all of these!

Story flows through my blood again, and I could no more stop its course than I could give up breathing. Every day I can fashion a world from words is another day I can create in a world of decay.

Sharing the wonder of well-told tales by mastering the process of crafting them is my keen interest, because the healing we receive from stories that uplift and sustain hope even as the world's weight cracks the rafters above us proves that great stories mean something.

And they really do. Without them, I'd probably be drunk in a ditch somewhere. I'll write every day as long as I can, and I'd do it professionally for the same money I make at my day job just so I could have more time to write.

It's not about getting rich for me.

Interesting that a significant number of the tyros were in the industry in development positions ...

Thanks for that list, Scott. Regarding Condal, there's an interview with him on Done Deal that indicates that it was his first sale, with no previous credits.
http://www.donedealpro.com/members/details.aspx?object_id=396&content_type=1&section_id=11

Also, regarding Brad Inglesby, it looks like his credit on IMDB was an AFI student film (34 min. long). When Low Dweller sold I remember hearing that it was his first sale, but I can't confirm that.

David, thanks for that information and the link to the Condal interview. I'll go ahead and add both he and Ingelsby to the list of first-timers.

As I note when post the spec script analysis, my information is based on a variety of sources, but it's possible I'll miss some things here and there. Any help in that regard most appreciated.

Hope I'm right. ;) Great blog!

Hi Scott. I was brought to this post by Twitterer @MJRovner. I like a post that is simultaneously realistic, optimistic AND inspirational. Although there are exceptions to every rule, all the best screenwriters I've come in contact with write because they have to, because it consumes them in one way or another, and because they simply get off on it. As a former development guy for a dozen years, I read over 2000 scripts and was often struck by the passion in the haphazardly executed scripts and the lifelessness of many scripts by polished, agency-repped writers. In other words, you can often tell who is doing it for money and who is doing it out of love for screenwriting and cinema. Of course, the best scripts combine writing excellence with passion, but I'd wager that it's easier to learn the nuts and bolts of screenwriting than it is the learn how to be a soulful writer!

In other news, I am also a UNC-CH grad ('93) and took a screenwriting course through UCLA Extension in the mid 90s. Small world... I'm sure you're looking forward to tomorrow's game against Villanova with some passion too.

Again- great work, continued success, and thank you.
Cheers!

Scott, my friend Adam Sachs sold his first script, Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty, to Lionsgate last May.

Caitlin, thanks for that info. I'll add Adam Sachs to the first-timers list. Send him a congrats for me. I liked that script's premise, looked like it could be a good comedy with possible satirical overtones:

"A drunk, middle-aged reporter and a teenager bond while finding themselves somehow pitted against a group of fanatical protesters."

Hi Scott,
I enjoyed reading your post! I'm one of the nine first- timers in your list of Spec scripts that sold in 2008. I agree with everything you've written. I actually met my husband in a screenwriting class and we agreed that whether or not we ever sell anything - it doesn't matter - we love writing and will continue to write no matter what. I'm looking forward to following your blog...
Cathy

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