WEBSITE REDUX: OH, THE REJECTION!!

Q: I’ve sent my script to four production companies—and they’ve all rejected it! Should I just give up?

A: Oh, you poor thing. How awful! Look, get used to rejection—it’s a staple of the screenwriter’s diet. I’ve had several scripts passed on by one producer and then optioned and/or purchased from another.

I recall giving a horror script to one well known script consultant about seven years ago. I met him at his apartment in North Hollywood. The guy never even called me back! Since then, I’ve optioned that script three times and it’s currently in development with a producer here in L.A.

This is a numbers game. Fact is, not everyone is going to “get” your script. Some will love it, some will hate it, most will be somewhere in the middle. That’s the way it is.

If the first guy doesn’t want your script, move on to the next guy. And if that guy doesn’t want it, move on to the next guy. If your script is truly great, someone will eventually say yes. (Probably.) And, as we all know, it only takes one “yes” to sell a script.

You need a thick skin to be in this business, so I suggest you start hanging out with some armadillos!