DZ-64: Backmatter - Controlling your Work, Treatments, and Writing Styles

Listen to understand what you can control in your career--and what you absolutely cannot.

In our annual Backmatter-only episode, Stu and Chas indulge themselves by offering personal opinions on the life and work of emerging screenwriters based on their own personal experience.

To that end, they discuss: what is and is not in your control in relation to an emerging writing career; choosing what project to develop next; using the Black List site to gain traction; the difference between treatments for pitching as opposed to for development; and the difference in writing style when writing on spec as against work for hire.

We also unexpectedly have a guest: David Wappel kindly joins us to share his thoughts on anchoring nouns.

As always: SPOILERS ABOUND and all copyright material used under fair use for educational purposes.

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Thanks to our Patrons, especially Khrob, Theis, Sandra, Jesse, Randy, Paulo, Thomas, Jennifer, Malay, Alexandre and Lily.

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CHAPTERS

• 00:00:00 – Introduction
• 00:05:27 – What is in your control?
• 00:28:58 – Choosing what to develop
• 00:33:24 – Using the Black List site
• 00:59:47 – Treatments for development vs for pitching
• 01:23:23 – Writing on spec vs work for hire
• 01:37:37 – Backmatter to backmatter

LINKS

• Read: M. Night Shyamalan on His Failures, His Successes, and Glass
• YouTube: Can't watch a rough cut lady song
• Read: Write Along Podcast on Planners and Pantsers

EPISODES IN THE BACKMATTER SERIES

• DZ-17: Where's my gold-plated ensuite?
• DZ-36: Backmatter - Time Risk and Fixing Movies
• DZ-47: Backmatter - A Lost Jedi, White Knighting, and Writers-On-Set
• DZ-57: Backmatter - Aesthetics and Forgiveness in Writing
• DZ-64: Backmatter - Controlling your Work, Treatments, and Writing Styles
• DZ-77: Backmatter - Prioritising and choosing projects
• DZ-86: Backmatter - Minimum Viable Product
• DZ-95: Backmatter - Building and Maintenance

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We are @stuwillis, @mehlsbells and @chasffisher on Twitter. You can find @draft_zero and @_shotzero on Instagram and Twitter.

Full show notes at: https://draft-zero.com/2020/dz-64/