I wrote this article a while back for the workbookproject.com, but after reading it over a few times, I felt like I didn’t go as far as I could with it so below the original you’ll find an extended version of the article.

In a galaxy far, far away it’s known as the light-saber but here in Hollywood it’s called the “spec” … and every screenwriter needs at least two. The spec, or speculative, screenplay is the screenwriter’s weapon of choice when confronting the Hollywood reader and consists of three things: the title, the story, and you the speculator. So what are you speculating exactly? A sale of course! All you need to do is submit it to the studios and you’re career is on it’s way; you can practically smell the sharp sent of new cash, Italian leather, and the little inkpads the bank keeps mounted next to the black-inked pen for customers’ right index-fingerprint. The submission process … lets just say … is on everyone’s mind therefore making it unique and strict. So unique in fact that no one can give you a sure-fire way to successfully navigate the process. It’s mysterious. It’s a combination of talent, timing, and luck … and that’s just the plain truth. Everyone in town is looking for the next big movie; I call this the Hollywood Gold Rush. It’s all about that unseen spec floating in the stream just waiting to be discovered, polished, and presented as a shiny gold nugget.

You can’t submit to a studio until your represented by an agent or manager … but you can’t submit to an agent or manager to request representation to do so, either. Welcome to Hollywood; the living, breathing catch-22 … the business designed to keep you out. Still want in? Then you’ll figure a way to break through these obstacles and face the next: the readers.

We have a few unbiased-names: script reader, story analyst, threshold guardian, gatekeeper, intern, assistant, but above all … we’re the first audience … and we’re looking for professionalism. (We have a shit-load of biased-names just for the record … learn them and try to avoid the popular fallacies they reflect). Just like the Jedi has the light-saber and the writer has the spec, production companies have us … script readers; If all goes according to plan, the writer’s spec and company reader will confront each other in “battle” and only one of only three outcomes will unfold: the reader recommends it and will bet their career it’s the next Casablanca, the reader considers the project and it starts it’s climb up the ranks, or the reader doesn’t find it suitable for a second read and passes. Your goal is to get considered … recommending rarely ever occurs in this town … because Casablanca rarely happens.

Want to be considered? Right place at the right time with a little luck … that’s all. Without going into detail about what we look for (that’s another article) here’s just a couple obvious things you might want to consider:

Don’t try to stand out … you’re script will do that for you if it’s great.

You should be submitting nothing other than the pages of your script and two brads to bind it.

Title page: Title, name, phone number & email (we already know it’s copyrighted and registered – leave out the warnings). If your script’s cosmetics turn off the reader, they’ll skip over your script and read another which is the worst for you because the battles get rougher as the pile gets shorter.

And last but certainly not least, tell a great story. Do that, and your reader is bound to consider your material to their boss.

So now that you understand the basic process or battle during the submission process, let’s delve further into increasing the viability of your project.

Be sure you have a compelling idea and, more specifically, premise.
It doesn’t have to be The Matrix, but it has to compel a reaction from your audience. During the initial writing portion of screenwriting, this might be hard to judge, but one simple way is to pitch the project to one of your closest friends – someone you trust – and a complete stranger, whose involvement with the film industry is solely as an audience member. This allows you to gage whether or not your pitch compels your audience to find out more. The reason why you want to pitch to a close friend is so you can ask them for their honest opinion. Conversely, you should pitch to a complete stranger so that you can see their reaction – it doesn’t get more authentic than from a stranger – and make your adjustments if need be. Overall, you might not even need to pitch to friends if you have the ability to gage it yourself. As a screenwriter, you’re the pro; be honest with yourself, and test your premise on yourself. One way to do this is to write it out over and over, until you’re able to tell your story in 25 words or less.

Understand the fundamentals of writing a screenplay
Read all the screenwriting books you can, read as many screenplays as possible – even if it means starting a career as one (it’s what I did), – and start working with your choice of screenwriting software of freeware (I write with Final Draft). There’s no excuse for a poorly formatted screenplay when pursuing a career as a writer in Hollywood. Note, there is a lot of debate regarding formatting; mostly because people often mistake style for formatting. You don’t have to cap sounds – with the exception of the introduction of all characters, – props, or characters at all times … you can if you’d like, but I’d highly discourage it. To a reader, it’s annoying … besides, it’s the production assistant’s job to go through the script and break it down … stop worrying about doing their job and just do yours. If you don’t know the basics, how are you supposed to be a pro?

Know your world of story.
If you don’t, then how can anyone else? The basic notion here is this: You’re God. Invent and give birth to your world and allow your story to take place.

Have more than one spec screenplay
In order to take advantage of luck when it strikes, make sure you have more than one screenplay – or idea at least – to offer those interested. Here’s how it usually sounds:

“The material you sent us isn’t quite for us right now,” the creative exec starts, “we already have a comedy project in development for Universal.” “Oh,” says you, the nervous screenwriter on the verge of a career. “What else do you have?” the exec asks.

That’s it. It’s the reason why you need another project ready to go.

“I’ve got a horror story about a man whose been bitten by a zombie,” you say. “Hmm. So it’s about how he runs around eating people?” the exec asks. “No, it’s more about the transformation from human to inhuman,” you start, “and a subtle look at what makes us human.” “Okay. Send it over to my assistant. What else?”

While it varies, that’s basically the gist of it, so be sure to have multiple specs ready. As mentioned, the spec is your force in the battle against the development people, and unfortunately, once a project is passed on, it rarely returns for consideration. Another aspect you want to keep in mind when pitching multiple projects is simply who you’re dealing with. As the example above reveals, production companies interested in comedies might also find a place for a horror script … research the company’s body of work and what’s in development. If you’re a writer dedicated to the sci-fi genre, then obviously you might not be able pitch another genre of screenplay, but if by chance you have an idea for a comedy of horror when they ask, pitch it. Throw it out there … even if you’re not really interested in writing it. While you should always strive to follow what your heart tells you, this a business where you need to pounce on opportunity. Would you really turn down the opportunity to write a draft of a comedy project from a company you’ve approached regarding one of your babies? If so, rock on, but your chances to write for a living will grow even more slim.

Let your voice live.
While maintaining professionalism, meaning concision and precision, you need to make sure your voice shines through the material. The notion here is this: Only you can write what you’re going to write. Can you imagine anyone else other than Tarentino telling any of the stories he’s told? I read a horror story with a simple premise a while back that screamed for attention simply due to the writer’s voice. It was violent … in ways I don’t want to repeat; yet it was concise, professional, and while it screamed with emotion it was content with its simplicity. This aspect will definitely require a study of its own, but basically, the writer’s voice is what the director’s vision is. It’s how you’ll be remembered as a professional, so try to figure out what you voice is all about. What genre are you drawn to? What types of movies do you like seeing? What do you always feel the filmmakers do wrong when watching a film? What have you always wanted to see? While these questions might help you discover your voice, but overall it’s something that might take a couple of years to pin down.

Be the expert.
If you’re submitting to agencies or production companies, you’re submitting your calling card for their consideration … in other words, the company is going to use their readers to analyze your style, level of professionalism, and talent, in order to conclude whether or not you’re a potential expert. If you land a meeting with someone, you should be open to suggestions, yet the expert screenwriter in the room. The exec is the pro exec and you are the pro screenwriter. This is not to say you should be arrogant, shut-off, or impossible, but rather that you should know the answer to everything the exec is going to ask about your story. This is another reason to know your world of story before setting out to write about. Furthermore, know what your story is about, and know what it’s not.

“I think it would be better if the guy bitten by the zombie were to be an anti-hero type of character like The Hulk, and became a menace to society,” the exec enthusiastically says. “Yeah, that would be awesome!” You begin, “And because the transformation takes place over the entirely of the movie, we could start it slowly … say with one murder. Then as the transformation escalates, there’s more violence, more animalistic behavior, and more distance between his original human state.”

While the exec might pitch an entirely different story, you have to remember that you’re in a position of make or break, so you have to be able to collaborate, while still keeping your story’s best interest in mind. Ted Elliot and Terry Rossio sum it up pretty well:

You wouldn’t hire anyone less than an expert to conduct your brain surgery, so why would an exec hire a screenwriter if they weren’t an expert?

With those few tips in mind, you should be able to go to battle with the development department well-equipped, so remember, good luck and may the spec be with you!

If you’re having trouble punching out your first couple of specs, consider reading the 5 Sources of Inspiration for the Lost Screenwriter.