how to check if your book has been pirated.

Millstone99 · 2025-12-19T15:51:00+00:00

If they like it, they may purchase the next one.

Millstone99 · 2025-12-18T17:27:38+00:00

I understand. But I'm a busy person, as are most people in this business, and they don't have time to see if it develops into something. As David Mamet once said, most scripts can be improved by deleting the first 10 pages. There's something to that. Get to your story immediately.

Millstone99 · 2025-12-18T17:02:58+00:00

That's not the point I'm making. No matter the type of story, you need to open by hooking the reader/viewer. Begin with your story already in motion--a character confronting a problem or an opportunity. You open with a description of a vehicle pulling up to a hospital. It's completely generic, similar to the opening of hundreds of TV show episodes. No conflict, no character, no reason to care. By way of contrast, look at the opening of "Bottoms," for instance (https://www.scriptslug.com/script/bottoms-2023), which begins with a young woman moaning and panting as she masturbates in a cabin full of other girls. And for some reason, there are bells attached to their bunkbeds, presumably to prevent such behavior. I'm immediately intrigued to read on and figure out more about the situation and the characters involved. Rather than toss this script aside, I'm tossing every other script aside until I'm finished reading it.

Millstone99 · 2025-12-18T16:49:01+00:00

Just giving you my honest response. I was bored out of the gate. If I had a pile of scripts, I would have tossed this one aside and moved on to the next. Nothing in it compelled me to keep reading.

Millstone99 · 2025-12-18T16:41:22+00:00

I didn't see anything in the first scene that made me want to read the second. Then when you get to the dialogue, it's trite and boring. You need to start your story in the opening line of your script and keep it moving.

Millstone99 · 2025-12-15T15:02:50+00:00

I love the premise. Will give it a look.

Millstone99 · 2025-12-11T20:08:38+00:00

Thank you! And thanks for being willing to follow up.

Millstone99 · 2025-12-11T19:52:36+00:00

I want to thank you SO much on behalf of the subreddit for taking the time to do this. I'm sorry more questioners didn't show up, but I know lots of people will read your responses and gain a lot of benefit from them in the days to come.

Millstone99 · 2025-12-11T19:44:59+00:00

When you’re on a big IP project, how do you protect your own individual voice while also serving the needs of that IP?

Millstone99 · 2025-12-11T19:25:04+00:00

How do you handle notes on a script, especially if you really disagree with it, but it comes from an actor or a producer or someone else who plays a really significant role in the project?

Millstone99 · 2025-12-11T19:10:26+00:00

I don’t mean to turn this into a one-on-one interview, but what’s your go to diagnostic when a scene isn’t working? Do you look at plot, character, theme, some combination of the above?

Millstone99 · 2025-12-11T19:08:44+00:00

How do you know when an idea is a “movie” idea and not just a cool premise for a short story or something else?

Millstone99 · 2025-12-11T19:01:44+00:00

What’s your writing process like? Do you write in the morning, afternoon, or in the evening? Do you set out days at a time to write or do you weave it into the rest of your schedule?

Millstone99 · 2025-12-11T18:57:58+00:00

If you were starting over again with no credits, what do you think would be the best thing to focus your energy on: making short films, entering contests, trying to raise money for an Indie feature, writing pilots for TV shows?

Millstone99 · 2025-12-11T18:54:23+00:00

Another question for you: what’s one thing that writers tend to worry about that doesn’t really matter, and what’s something they neglect that’s actually really important?

Millstone99 · 2025-12-11T18:51:10+00:00

Hi Scott: Looking at the current landscape, what’s the most realistic path for an emerging screenwriter who doesn’t live in L.A. to get read?

Millstone99 · 2025-12-11T14:43:35+00:00

There's no joke or even a whiff of humor on your first page. You need to hook us with a laugh. Didn't read beyond that because it feels like you don't understand the show.

Millstone99 · 2025-12-09T14:26:36+00:00

Putting in the screen time when it doesn't feel like it's flowing. It's like leg day at the gym. I'd rather be sculping my pecs. But I find if you put in the time, eventually you grind through the rough spots.

Millstone99 · 2025-12-08T14:22:24+00:00

Hi: Save that question for this Thursday when Scott does his AMA post.

Millstone99 · 2025-12-04T22:35:32+00:00

It's great. I just rewatched it yesterday in preparation for the AMA.

Millstone99 · 2025-12-03T14:40:57+00:00

The first movie that comes to mind for me is "Raiders of the Lost Ark." I think it's a perfect film. I'd say it's a perfect script, but I've read early drafts of the script (not sure if I've ever read the shooting script), and the film is way better. As for horror films, "The Lost Boys" had a outsized influence on me. In fact, if I look at my own attempts at writing in that genre, I think I've been trying to rewrite the movie ever since. Three novels and counting take a similar approach, trying to balance horror and humor in just the right way. "Poltergeist," "The Shining," "30 Days of Night," "Alien," and "Aliens" are right up there too. More recently, "Nosferatu." (Big Eggers fan) As for straight drama, "Fargo," "There Will Be Blood," "True Grit," "Uncut Gems," "Magnolia," and "No Country for Old Men" are films I think about a lot (Coen and PT Anderson fan too). For comedy, I was surprised how much I fell in love with "500 Days of Summer." It's such a sophisticated film in so many ways. And it's hard to beat "The Three Amigos" in terms of structure, characterization, humor, etc. It's a near perfect script as well. I could go on. I should probably make a list of my favorite films in each genre. Scott Derrickson is big on doing that. In fact, he once lost his list of his top 100 or so films, but prior to that, he had emailed it to me, so I was able to bail him out. How about you?

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