Panic. Utter a snarled profanity. Salvage what is original and good in my estimation and dump it all into a separate .fdx file under "Fragments [insert genre.]" The next idea is usually better anyway.

That's a great attitude, Frederick. If the story is such you simply cannot justify writing your own, I tell folks, give yourself one day to sulk. Then move onto the next project. One thing: The simple fact is if you focus on generating and writing mainstream commercial scripts, the chances of you waking up one day and seeing a similar project has sold go up. You can minimize the risk by trafficking in indie fare with lower concept stories. Of course, there's a downside to that, too. But I like your line: The next idea is usually better anyway. Great way to embrace the circumstance and keep moving forward creatively.

"Thinking differently" is definitely the way to go. Like all other screenwriters (I imagine), this had happened to me as well, several times. I've found that it's best to put the project aside and completely forget about it for a while in order to come back to it with a cool head and fresh eyes. Other solutions will inevitably present themselves and as Frederick states so well above, our first ideas are never the good ones anyway :) So what seemed like a death blow may actually be beneficial to our story. And once we've been through this a couple of times, it gets easier (a little) to not get so worked up about it and just get back to work. Right now, I'm taking fresh notes about two projects of mine very similar to two other scripts having sold. "Thinking differently" definitely opened new doors for me so I'm excited again and it's important to keep the passion going.

That's exactly right, Marija. The selling project which blows a writer's original story out of the water due to its similarities can cause a writer to take their story in a different direction. And sometimes that direction makes the story even better. As you say, open new doors.

It happened to me with my first script in 2006, but I only found out there was a similar project announced by a major studio a few days before I signed the option contract with an independent producer. After I told them, they backed off (some have said I was nuts to do that, but I wanted to be up front). I reworked the script, but found no further interested parties. Turns out the big studio script never saw the light of day, despite the big actor attached to it as star (and executive producer).

This is currently happening to me right now. My current script is VERY similar to Mr. Robot in premise and theme. I panicked, messaged everyone in my writers circle who knows more than me and the summative response was, if my story matters to me, I'll press on and write the BEST version of MY STORY that I possibly can. So that's what I'm focusing on. Oh, and that other body swap movie was Vice Versa. Some of Judge's best work!

Michael, I feel your pain. It's just something we have to deal with. It's estimated 30-50,000 scripts / manuscripts / books / other IP work their way through Hollywood's movie development system each year. There is BOUND to be some overlap. Hopefully, Michael, you've had some successes along the way to balance out that hit.

mcorcoran15, that's good advice: If the story MATTERS to me, that is you are REALLY passionate about it, write the BEST version of YOUR STORY. At worst, it's a good writing sample and you've managed to get another project through marketable draft. Hopefully it's distinctive enough and perceived to be able to draft off Mr. Robot some buyer will snare it. One final thing: If the script doesn't sell now, it's still an asset in your arsenal. So maybe 5-7 years down the road, you freshen it up a bit, then take it back out, depending on what happens with Mr. Robot. Good luck!

No doubt you're right! Of course, when you're a newbie screenwriter & your first completed script is about to be optioned, it's hard to think in those terms. Regardless, more important than any successes (or failures, for that matter) are the lessons learned. :-)

That must have been especially hard, Michael, because so much energy for newbie writers is about simply trying to break in. I really don't know any other way to handle the vicissitudes of a writing career or even avocation than to take a philosophical perspective. If things works out, they were meant to happen. If not, it wasn't. That doesn't mean we can't take a "no" not as a stop sign, but a reason to push even harder. But sometimes, things just don't work out. I've had four green lit movies collapse. These things happen. Someone once told me, "Making a movie is a like a space shuttle launch. A million things can go wrong." And it's true. It's a crazy business. As long as we go into it knowing that, eyes wide open, and have the ability to both push hard and step away, when called for, we'll be all right. Here's some creative juju for you, Michael, retroactive to that lost option. KAWOOOOOGAHHH! Use it well!

LOL, thanks, Scott. Juju is always welcomed! Believe me, I thought it was beyond lucky that my first script out of the chute seemed marketable enough to get optioned. At the same time, since my work's doppelganger failure to be made perhaps telegraphed what would've happened to mine had it got into the pipeline. Either/or, if you're in this business, you HAVE to think of a script going to the big screen (or small screen, for that matter) as a rarity.