Today’s question comes from Maria:
What should I do if I want someone to read my script? The problem is that I don’t have enough money to enter contests or go to festivals. Btw: I don’t live in LA.
This is a big challenge faced by people trying to break into the screenwriting world, including those writers lucky enough to live in LA. Contests, coverage services, screenwriting books, conferences, festivals… they all come with a price tag. So if you’re on a tight budget, what’s a writer to do?
In order, these are the free or low-cost steps that I would recommend to aspiring screenwriters on a budget:
1. Read Story by Robert McKee and Save the Cat by Blake Snyder, in that order. Buy used copies on Amazon. If that’s too expensive, borrow them from friends. If you don’t have any writer friends, check them out from the library.
2. Read scripts. Thousands of scripts are available to read online for free, including the nice little collection we’ve put together here at LA Screenwriter. Read scripts that are in the genre you’re most interested in. Look at how they’re formatted, how they’re structured, the way they’re written. Do this on a continual basis.
3. Write. It doesn’t cost a thing to write a script. If you can afford it, you should invest in screenwriting software like Final Draft or Movie Magic Screenwriter, but if you don’t have the money for that, there are plenty of free screenwriting applications available online. I put this as number three because you shouldn’t just dive into a script without knowing anything about formatting or structure. If you do that, you’re going to waste a lot of time. Once you know the basics, though, spend the most time on this vital step. Outline, ponder, write, rewrite, and rewrite again. This is how you’ll get to the level at which people will want to read your script.
