Where can one find someone willing to co-write a screenplay?
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Co-writers
- Thread starter serioushat
- Start date
But seriously... where in California are you? If you really need a co-writer post something on Craigslist. I see those ads all the time. Good luck!
Starbucks anyone? 
Joking aside, co-writing is sometimes a difficult arrangement. Not from a location standpoint but from a responsibility standpoint. This came up in a previous thread recently:
Many of the people on this board are working on their own projects (writing, directing and/or producing). And while some take time to give feedback, taking on a new project is not at the top of the list. There are still those who may be willing but they need more information.
There are "writers for hire" all over the Internet. Writing is a time-intensive operation so one question is what is the reward? Few experienced screenwriters are idealists. Asking someone to co-write with you means laying out what you expect. Enticing a professional to work with you also means showing some knowledge of the industry. If necessary, educate yourself about screenwriting and film production (formatting, story telling, marketing, copyright, production, etc.)
This lets any screenwriter reading your post decide if it's an idea they are interested in developing. We each have our strengths (comedy, drama, horror, etc.). It states that this is a 'freebie' arrangement. Most produced screenwriters can't do freebies. They are often under a contract to a studio and so are even forbidden from reading outside scripts so the studios can't be sued. In some cases, you would need to formalize a contract with his/her agent. Still, many indie producers are writers and may be willing. There are also freelance screenwriters. So there are opportunities.
Let the reader know that you have already done some work and have some concept of screenwriting. Translating a story idea into a script is much more work (higher percentage). Simply editing a screenplay may be a smaller percentage. If both are marketing the script, that also is a responsibility.
There are different contracts out there for shared writing responsibilities. While I'm not suggesting you need a lawyer, I have seen co-writing 'agreements' go sour. One partner doesn't like the changes and suddenly after months of work, they go their own ways. It becomes a question of whose script is it now? Ideas cannot be copyrighted, only the written work. So it's best to agree up front about 'buy-out' rights. Just because you had the initial idea, once you bring in a co-writer, it becomes a shared idea and shared writing. There is nothing more frustrating in having a screenplay ready to go and now held up by legal issues of intellectual ownership. Production and marketing companies loathe products where the rights are not straightforward; it can mean lawsuits and lost profit.
There are some outstanding collaborations too. Some writers have beautiful ideas but no concept of how to fit it into 120-150 pages. In many cases, the collaboration between the word-rich writer and the visual-rich screenwriter can work magic ("Screenplay by ... / Story by ... "). Many screenplays that are co-written are screenplays that have been optioned and/or purchased, then the producer/director/studio assigns new screenwriter(s) to assist or rewrite the screenplay to his/her needs.
The Internet opens up many avenues for finding creative screenwriters. Screenwriters tend to be a skiddish lot, not wanting to give away their "unique plot lines". If you are going to sell anything, you will need a logline. A good logline gives the gist in an interesting way without giving too much of the details. After you feel comfortable with a potential co-writer, honestly discuss a formal contract (a "pre-scriptual" if you will). This clears up responsibilities and ownership down the road. Then begins the fun of exchanging ideas and writing a screenplay.
Joking aside, co-writing is sometimes a difficult arrangement. Not from a location standpoint but from a responsibility standpoint. This came up in a previous thread recently:Many of the people on this board are working on their own projects (writing, directing and/or producing). And while some take time to give feedback, taking on a new project is not at the top of the list. There are still those who may be willing but they need more information.
There are "writers for hire" all over the Internet. Writing is a time-intensive operation so one question is what is the reward? Few experienced screenwriters are idealists. Asking someone to co-write with you means laying out what you expect. Enticing a professional to work with you also means showing some knowledge of the industry. If necessary, educate yourself about screenwriting and film production (formatting, story telling, marketing, copyright, production, etc.)
This lets any screenwriter reading your post decide if it's an idea they are interested in developing. We each have our strengths (comedy, drama, horror, etc.). It states that this is a 'freebie' arrangement. Most produced screenwriters can't do freebies. They are often under a contract to a studio and so are even forbidden from reading outside scripts so the studios can't be sued. In some cases, you would need to formalize a contract with his/her agent. Still, many indie producers are writers and may be willing. There are also freelance screenwriters. So there are opportunities.
Let the reader know that you have already done some work and have some concept of screenwriting. Translating a story idea into a script is much more work (higher percentage). Simply editing a screenplay may be a smaller percentage. If both are marketing the script, that also is a responsibility.
There are different contracts out there for shared writing responsibilities. While I'm not suggesting you need a lawyer, I have seen co-writing 'agreements' go sour. One partner doesn't like the changes and suddenly after months of work, they go their own ways. It becomes a question of whose script is it now? Ideas cannot be copyrighted, only the written work. So it's best to agree up front about 'buy-out' rights. Just because you had the initial idea, once you bring in a co-writer, it becomes a shared idea and shared writing. There is nothing more frustrating in having a screenplay ready to go and now held up by legal issues of intellectual ownership. Production and marketing companies loathe products where the rights are not straightforward; it can mean lawsuits and lost profit.
There are some outstanding collaborations too. Some writers have beautiful ideas but no concept of how to fit it into 120-150 pages. In many cases, the collaboration between the word-rich writer and the visual-rich screenwriter can work magic ("Screenplay by ... / Story by ... "). Many screenplays that are co-written are screenplays that have been optioned and/or purchased, then the producer/director/studio assigns new screenwriter(s) to assist or rewrite the screenplay to his/her needs.
The Internet opens up many avenues for finding creative screenwriters. Screenwriters tend to be a skiddish lot, not wanting to give away their "unique plot lines". If you are going to sell anything, you will need a logline. A good logline gives the gist in an interesting way without giving too much of the details. After you feel comfortable with a potential co-writer, honestly discuss a formal contract (a "pre-scriptual" if you will). This clears up responsibilities and ownership down the road. Then begins the fun of exchanging ideas and writing a screenplay.
What genre?
I'm looking for writers to help on a comedy script myself.