What to Do Before You Write a Query Letter
There is one major question that you as a screenwriter must consider before you begin writing a Query Letter.
Is your screenplay ready to send out to literary agents, managers and producers? The answer to this question is often times no.
The truth of the matter is that most screenplays are simply not ready to be sent out when the screenwriter thinks it is.
There are a few questions that you as a screenwriter need to address before you can move on and write that query letter.
First and foremost, is your screen play compelling? Do you connect with your story? Does it affect you emotionally? And can you relate to your characters? You as a screen writer want the heart of your screen play to be apparent.
In order to make that happen you need to weave your plot, characters and theme into a cohesive story.
Examine your characters' motivations and make them distinguishable.
Build your plot authentically through cause and effect.
There is a lot of rewriting involved during the beginning stages of developing your screenplay.
Think of this process as a fine-tuning.
You need to resolve any inconsistencies and iron out all the kinks and issues your story may have.
One of the best ways to do this is by creating a treatment or synopsis of your story.
If you have not done so prior to writing your screenplay, it is always a good idea to do so before you sit down and start a major rewrite.
The treatment's purpose is to capture the true essence of your story and expose the missing links.
The treatment is simply a narrative from start to finish and usually no more than three to ten pages in length.
Single-space within each paragraph and double-space between paragraphs is usually recommended.
Your treatment should include all of the elements working together and flowing in a cohesive manner.
The treatment is the easiest place to work out your story issues and inconsistencies.
It will save you an enormous amount of time once you are ready to begin rewriting your screen play.
It is always a good idea to have a professional review your treatment before you begin rewriting your screenplay.
They can give you a fresh perspective and help you to resolve any problems that still might exist within your story.
By working on a treatment and getting an analysis of that, you will be ready to have a script analysis of your entire screenplay, and that will be more effective and easier to deal with than if you wrote it all at once and got a script critique of that.
Is your screenplay ready to send out to literary agents, managers and producers? The answer to this question is often times no.
The truth of the matter is that most screenplays are simply not ready to be sent out when the screenwriter thinks it is.
There are a few questions that you as a screenwriter need to address before you can move on and write that query letter.
First and foremost, is your screen play compelling? Do you connect with your story? Does it affect you emotionally? And can you relate to your characters? You as a screen writer want the heart of your screen play to be apparent.
In order to make that happen you need to weave your plot, characters and theme into a cohesive story.
Examine your characters' motivations and make them distinguishable.
Build your plot authentically through cause and effect.
There is a lot of rewriting involved during the beginning stages of developing your screenplay.
Think of this process as a fine-tuning.
You need to resolve any inconsistencies and iron out all the kinks and issues your story may have.
One of the best ways to do this is by creating a treatment or synopsis of your story.
If you have not done so prior to writing your screenplay, it is always a good idea to do so before you sit down and start a major rewrite.
The treatment's purpose is to capture the true essence of your story and expose the missing links.
The treatment is simply a narrative from start to finish and usually no more than three to ten pages in length.
Single-space within each paragraph and double-space between paragraphs is usually recommended.
Your treatment should include all of the elements working together and flowing in a cohesive manner.
The treatment is the easiest place to work out your story issues and inconsistencies.
It will save you an enormous amount of time once you are ready to begin rewriting your screen play.
It is always a good idea to have a professional review your treatment before you begin rewriting your screenplay.
They can give you a fresh perspective and help you to resolve any problems that still might exist within your story.
By working on a treatment and getting an analysis of that, you will be ready to have a script analysis of your entire screenplay, and that will be more effective and easier to deal with than if you wrote it all at once and got a script critique of that.
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