Authoring & Playwriting

Tim Mace word is great option. As long as you have a great story, that's what matters.

I've used Final Draft for years and it's fine, but Word with preformatted styles is a solid approach if it works for you, because the software doesn't make the script better, it just makes the formatting easier. Have you ever run into issues with exporting to industry standard formats?

Stephen Folker That's the only kind I write. Now I just need to convince someone with money, or access to it, of that.

Philip Sedgwick I've always wondered about this. If a Word document is formatted nearly identically, what are the biggest issues it creates in production? I would've assumed everyone reading it would understand it just the same.

Samantha Rivera When I sell my first screenplay, I'll let you know.

Lauren Hackney I have several children's books but haven't had time to think about illustrating or publishing! I need to talk to you!

Private message me and we can set up a meeting

That's a useful breakdown, and the 32 page rule and the 50/50 royalty split are details many authors don't find out until they're already signing the contract. Have you ever seen a writer successfully push back on the lack of artist choice, or is that simply a non-negotiable part of the standard deal?

I alway start with figuring out what's really happening with the writer's block. Is it actually Page Fright? I know what needs to be on the page but I'm afraid of doing it for some reason? Or is it Idea Constipation? Once I figure out which ones of those is the true culprit, then I can be more strategic with moving forward.

Without going off on a tangent from original story, heighten wants v needs, inject more conflict & add greater stakes. A secret can add tension, a character may hide it from others, but the audience or another character knows it. An additional character to inject a new POV & plot line or sub plot. Use subtext & mind games. Options vary considerably, depending on the remit/request & particular genre employer requires.

Lauren Hackney Are you still blocked? I can help you with that, but we would need to chat for me to work my magic ;)

Yes please @kat I would love that!

That's a rough spot, because writer's block for a day job feels more urgent than the personal kind. Starting anywhere, even if it's terrible, is better than waiting for the right words, because you can edit bad writing but you can't edit a blank page. Have you tried writing longhand or talking through the problem out loud?

I wrote Access Denied and it had to be open and truthful and state things as they were to maintain the honesty of what happened to me. It's a deeply personal story and one which only I could tell, hence when it came to creating the audiobook for it, I had to do it myself. Some people have said it's a little too honest in parts, but for me that is what gives it the integrity it so deserves. I just wish it got more exposure. People have told me once they started reading it, they literally "couldn't put it down!" 100% positive reviews and despite marketing in every which way possible, it just doesn't get into the hands of the "right" people who could push it to expose the cruel family courts and child support agency and their corruption and deceit they used and still use today. Available in all formats at all good online bookstores. By all means share and if you know someone that could give it exposure, let me know via direct message their email address and I'll send them a copy.

Yes. I'm currently querying something which is intensely personal. I've chosen not to even reflect that in the query, as I think the story should speak for itself. But I know, and that's what matters.

Kat Spencer I can definitely relate to this.

For me, it was THE HUMMING. I spent over 20 years carrying the idea before I finally sat down to write it. It wasn't fear of criticism as much as fear of discovering I couldn't do the story justice.

The main character reflects a lot of my own journey, so writing it meant putting parts of myself on the page. Once I finally committed to telling the story honestly, it became much easier to keep writing.

Looking back, I'm incredibly glad I did. That screenplay has since received several screenplay awards, but the biggest reward was finally telling the story I'd been carrying for so long.

Speak as the character. That way, you'll maintain your privacy.

I've written things that scared me to share, and those are usually the ones that ended up connecting with readers because the fear was a sign I was touching something real. What's the story you're most afraid to tell right now?

As a crime thriller reader, I say, I would prefer one large book. I don't see why you couldn't divide the novel into volumes inside. I have read books that are divided into parts.

Yes, you can do this type of format, works best for Kindle and other e-readers. Then when the story is completed you can offer a full book broken down by the individual sections.

Stephen King kinda did that with The Green Mile. So why not?

I am listening the audiobook Project Hail Mary. (no spoilers please, haven't seen the movie) and since I still have 7 hours to go, I can say, :I have no idea where this is going." There has been a few things I didn't see comintg, not knowing what the whole thing was about othere than Ryan Gosling goes to space to save Earth.

As for the show that has has genuinely surprised me, FROM. I am halfway through Season 4 and this is a show that you really don't know what is giong to happen next. I try to space it out and only watch 2 episodes at a time as I want to savor the experience.

There are too many shows where I can I fiigure out where the episode is going by the end of Act 1. So many seem formulaic. Law & Order SVU, as long as it has been one still remains unpredictable.

I agree with that Suzanne Bronson (about SVU). Thanks for the recommendation, too! I just saw Project Hail Mary, loved it! The book must be so good. Another added to my long list..

Tui Allen Very cool that your work is getting so much reach!

I'm considering the self-publishing route. Thanks, Kat Spencer!

It took me nearly two decades to write all of my books, which is one reason they span so many different genres. Writing was something I pursued part-time—between classes, work, COVID, and summer vacations with family. Over the years, I kept returning to the stories whenever life allowed. Now, I have reached a point where I can fully devote my time to writing novels and screenplays.

Kat Spencer, I live is such a tiny country, selling internationally isn't really saying much. In America, your home market is so huge there must be hardly any motivation to reach other countries. Besides all my recent stories are aimed at spreading the kind of marine awareness that already exists in this little country sitting in the middle of an ocean that covers half the globe. It's the rest of the world who needs to learn what most of us here know already, almost by birthright. Although those of us, even living here, who can profit from ignoring what they know, don't hesitate to do so.

Francisco Castro - Awesome! If you need any help, let me know. I know it well.

Radoslav Isakov THAT is so wise - and True! Thank you for your insight.

I'm one of those writers who love writing & hate marketing Jonathan Jordan. Please share ForWord.io when you get your ap up & running!

Congratulations John E. Bias! Having a book (first) to prove the screenplay is all the rage these days.

Aven Sinclair Whoa. It's pretty obvious you're not quite who you pretend to be. This post alone shows it in spades. Two different fonts and the "moves the needle" idiom is straight AI-speak. Gotcha!

I need to connect with those who agree with my vision. I have three low budget screenplays that have ranked highly in competitions (top ten on Stage 32) so I believe these projects have legs - just need to find others who want to assist in bringing my dreams to life.

I get these types of emails all the time. Some even cite titles that aren't even my books. Total scams

Aven Sinclair Why is your profile pic an obvious AI generated image? Mine isn't.

Robert Zwerneman, it isn't exactly AI generated but more AI polished from a selfie. Cameras are not my friend. At 69 years old I just had some of the deeper lines from life's experience smoothed over. Some may condemn me for vanity but what can I say? Their opinions are their own. Is your profile picture an actual photo? If so, your photographer is quite imaginative

Robert Zwerneman, I thought you were asking me about my AI generated profile Pic. Not condemnation of your remarks to Aven Sinclair at all, Either way, no offense meant and none taken on my part. Still want to be Stage 32 friends?

Thank you for this post - a great reminder to do due diligence every time we are contacted.

Madeline Gouin — Thanks. Just a manuscript request—here's hoping it becomes more than a read. But today, a full read feels pretty good.

Congratulations, Adam!

Be careful of agents whovsimply ask forctgecfull manuscript. This us not normal.

Be careful of agents who start with asking for a full manuscript. This in NOT normal!!!

Jeff Gregory, I used QueryTracker to submit my book to a short list of agents whose tastes I believed aligned with mine. Since each agent had slightly different query requirements, I customized each query to suit its intended recipient. Initially, none of the agents requested a full manuscript. I sent three initial queries. The first query was rejected within an hour, and the second received no response. However, the third agent took the time to read the first 50 pages of my manuscript along with the other items in my query package, then reached out to me via QueryTracker to request to read the entire manuscript.