Rejecting Script Advice

It's your script. It's your story. The final choices are yours -- unless you sell it and then you may be replaced at some point.

I've noticed, however, over the past year a few situations that puzzled me.

1. A produced writer with major success (global brand level success) advised a young writer a title change to give the project more of a hook. "No. This is my title. Sorry."

Okay...

First, this told the writer/producer, "Stop talking to me. I'm not open to ideas and don't want your help. I have no clue how things work." Second, never completely reject an idea. "That's interesting and let me think about it." Why go immediately to the extreme negation of someone just pitching ideas?

Finally, the new title? You guessed it.... >> existing title. So there's that.

2. A young writer working on a project with a major hook (suggested by the title) is workshopping the series pilot. To maintain anonymity, let's just say the 'hook' was mermaids. "It's 90210...but with mermaids!" The title of the series: HIGH SCHOOL MERMAIDS. Discussing the project we find out there are no mermaids in the pilot! They're just suggested and the audience will see them later.

Huh?

You promise something with your premise and in your title and ... we don't see it? Why not?

"It's my story and I'll tell it how I want."

Yes, but...

We are here trying to give you the advice to avoid rejection. The entire hook for this project is this high concept thing but you don't want to include it?

How is your project unique? What does it have we haven't seen before? Or what does it have we have never seen before in this specific way (fusion of two concepts)?

SHOW THAT!

Show what is unique in the pilot or we have tuned out. We might tune out halfway through reading the pilot if there's no delivery on the promise of the premise.

3. Another young writer workshopping an idea had a concept that involved kings and queens and fantasy elements. But it wasn't based on existing IP.

IP = intellectual property. For example, Game of Thrones was a successful series of books with a long history and existing fanbase.

Elliot and Rossio (Shrek, Pirates of the Caribbean, etc.) have something they call "MENTAL REAL ESTATE." This is broader than IP and includes things that occupy mental space in our minds from years of hearing or learning about it. Could be a toy (slinky) or a myth or fairy tale.

I suggested taking the unique king and queen story and combining it with an existing myth or fairy tale. "But that's not my story!" "But this is a story that ... you could sell. You'd be pitching something based on something that already exists, that's public domain, but it'd have your unique take on it."

"Meh."

Okay...

People are trying to do the best they can and, presumably, want to get paid for their work. Bad path to follow rejecting good advice and writing something that's D.O.A. Over the years I've learned that many folks are writing just for fun, personal development, because they think screenwriting is easier than novel writing, and just don't want to hear advice that can take a decent idea to the next level of something that can sell.

Stay open to ideas and look at things that have already sold. What's the reference point for your project? If it's totally unlike anything in terms of the story topic, storytelling style, and title, you likely have a 'practice script' and not something that'll ever sell. Which is okay - we all need practice - unless you're on the 20th practice script (or 50th draft after five years) and learned nothing...