RULES OF DEVELOPMENT aka HOW TO TALK TO A SCREENWRITER

Rule One
READ THE SCRIPT IMMEDIATELY .

Rule Two
YOU'VE FINISHED THE SCRIPT, NOW CALL THE WRITER IMMEDIATELY AND PRAISE THEM!

Rule Three
BEGIN YOUR PRAISE WITH A VAGUE COMPLIMENT, THEN FOLLOW IT UP WITH SOME SPECIFIC POSITIVE COMMENTS.

Rule Four
SET THE MEETING AND STICK TO IT

Rule Five
THE MEETING - START A VAGUE POSITIVE STATMENT

Rule Six
DO YOUR BEST TO TAKE A POSITIVE ATTITUDE TOWARD THE SCRIPT

Rule Seven
GO THROUGH THE ENTIRE SCRIPT PAGE BY PAGE AND TELL THEM SPECIFICALLY ALL THE MOMENTS YOU LIKE!

Rule Eight
BEING NICE PAYS OFF - AKA THE BENEFITS OF BEING POSITIVE

Rule Nine
WHEN GIVING A SCRIPT CORRECTION BE AS SPECIFIC AS POSSIBLE

Rule Ten
DON'T PUSSYFOOT ABOUT WHAT YOU DON'T LIKE.

Rule Eleven
ASK QUESTIONS!

Rule Tweleve
CONVINCE THE WRITER THERE ACTUALLY IS A PROBLEM

Rule Thirteen
SOMETIMES YOU WILL BE WRONG.

Rule Fourteen
THE WRITER IS WRONG AND REFUSES TO SEE IT. WHAT DO I DO?

Rule Fifteen
DON'T OFFER SOLUTIONS. CONVINCE THE WRITER THERE'S A PROBLEM AND THEN LET THEM COME UP WITH A SOLUTION.

Rule Sixteen
DON'T "SPITBALL" IDEAS. (SEE RULE FIFTEEN)

Rule Seventeen
DON'T "SPITBALL" IDEAS. (SEE RULE FIFTEEN)

Rule Eighteen
DON'T "SPITBALL" IDEAS. (SEE RULE FIFTEEN)

Rule Nineteen
WHAT IF YOU HAVE A GREAT SOLUTION?

Rule Twenty
THERE'S A PROBLEM AND YOU'VE DROPPED HINTS AND DESCRIBED YOUR GREAT IDEA VAGUELY, BUT THE WRITER CAN'T GRAB THE HINT?

Rule Twenty One
SUBMIT YOUR IDEA AS A CLICHE THAT SHOULD BE AUTOMATICALLY DISMISSED

Rule Twenty Two
DANGER! HACK WRITER AHEAD

Rule Twenty Three
PREFERABLY HAVE ONLY ONE PERSON IN A ROOM, ONE EXCLUSIVE DEVELOPMENT EXEC FOR EVERY WRITER

9. WHEN GIVING A SCRIPT CORRECTION BE AS SPECIFIC AS POSSIBLE

Avoid telling the writer globally-vague comments like "It just doesn't... go ." (I was actually told that once - and how do you correct something that "just doesn't go"...? Add more...uh..."go"...?

If you're vague, the writer will just know that something is wrong, but have no idea just what that something is. They will want to please you, but there will be no way in the world they can do that unless they have a good grasp as to what is wrong with their script and why. There is absolutely nothing to be gained by a vague criticism.

If something isn't logical or believeable, be clear and just say it. That's an easy fix. Or if a character makes a decision or speaks out of character, again it's an easy fix.

GO TO RULE TEN

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