June - 2016

The Daily Blog

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Welcome to the Blog! This is the heart of our journey into selling a screenplay. Here you will find daily postings about the projects I am currently writing, rewriting and rewriting again. I'll explain my process and and the mechanics of screenwriting, incorporating all revisions into the samples located on the Projects page. But in addition to the writing, we'll delve into the business side of screenwriting and unravel the mysteries of writing query letters and developing pitches. Then when it's all put together, we'll set our marketing plan into action and see what kind of response we get. Hopefully, it won't necessitate a trip back to the drawing board.

But the blog isn't all work and no play. I'll be taking you to film festivals, workshops and pitch fests for an insider's looks at all the action behind the scenes. If you haven't attended one of these events in the past, this will be a good opportunity for you to understand how they work and what to expect when you get there. And you are going to attend, right? You're on a journey, after all.

The blog will also feature interviews with fellow screenwriters, actors, directors and producers, giving you valuable insight into what they've experienced and what they expect when working with writers. The blog will be an indispensible font of information for you as you begin the journey to sell your own screenplay. You can begin that journey right now by subscribing to the blog using the form below.

You can also follow The Screenwriter's Journey on Twitter (William Gilmore #ScriptJourney), Facebook (The Screenwriter's Journey) and YouTube (The Screenwriter's Journey) using the links at the bottom of this page.

So check out a blogcast and then get back to writing. Remember, the journey to a successful screenplay begins with a single keystroke.

Watch the thumbnail versions of the blogcasts by clicking the images below, or to view a larger version and comment on the blog, click the title or the 'Read More' button.

Day 303: When The End Is Not The End

I'm kicking off the SWJ Writer's Retreat by tackling the ending of The Calling. Screencraft is holding a horror screenplay competition with the final deadline in two days. I've received mostly positive notes on The Calling, but the ending seems to be confusing for most readers. I think it's an issue of overwriting and making what should be a fairly simple wrap up far too complicated. I'm going to lose the time jump and let the story end on the final trip to the waterfall inst

Day 302: A Self-Imposed Writer's Retreat

After several weeks of struggling to get things going, I've decided to change up my whole routine for a fresh start. I got the idea a week or two ago when temperatures hit around 115 degrees in the Valley. The air conditioning at my house was out and the repairman can't get here for several weeks. So, I took my laptop to the library and managed a little writing in the publicly funded cool air. Since I was at the library, I was unable to take a break and go to the fridge or se

Day 301: Get In Late, Get Out Early

I learned a valuable lesson in screenwriting while working a camera over the weekend, namely, the importance of beginning and ending scenes. I had volunteered to help a friend and fellow writer, Laura Black, with shooting the season finale of her web series Agnes & Estelle. Now, Laura is an accomplished writer in her own right, with many full-length plays under her belt and a few screenplays to boot. She has also directed for the stage numerous times, but her film direction i

Day 297: The Slackard Slump

I’ve been lazy, really lazy. It’s been just over two-weeks since my last post and the only excuse I can offer is I just didn’t feel like writing anything—at all. If it weren’t for my weekly workshop I may not have accomplished anything. Luckily, that Thursday night meet up has kept me cranking out pages. I have definitely made my month with around 60 pages altogether, but they were difficult pages to come by. I have ignored updating the box office results or posting new artic

Day 278: Reading Between the Lines of a Rejection

So there is good news and bad news. I’ll start the written portion of the bog off with the bad news. The revised version of The Calling received its first rejection notice. This was a script request I received from Mark Castaldo of Destiny Pictures at the Great American Pitch Fest just over two weeks ago. I appreciate the quick response, but the results were less than I hoped for. Mr. Castaldo’s note was short, but had some positive words. He found the script “enjoyable for t

Day 275: What's In A Contest?

Let’s talk screenplay contests. Are they worth the cost of entry, and what can they actually do to help you should you win? Well, that’s the $64,000 question, and the answer can depend upon who you talk to and which contest you enter. And there are plenty of contests to enter. An entire cottage industry has developed catering specifically to the aspiring screenwriter with promises of cash awards and development deals. But the brutal fact is most award-winning screenplays neve

Day 274: Rewrites for Rewrites Writers Workshop

The days are ticking by faster than ever. I can’t believe it’s been two weeks since ScriptFest 2016. In the week following the conference, follow up letters were sent to the various industry professionals that either requested one-sheets or scripts. I didn’t respond immediately as I felt their in-boxes were probably inundated with such material. By waiting a few days, hopefully my submissions might stand out a bit and not get lost in the clutter. Of course, there is always th