Two Questions Every Screenwriter Must Be Prepared to Answer
When You Pitch Your Movie or TV Show
Over the course of my 28 year career as a screenwriter, I’ve had countless pitch meetings. I’ve pitched agents, producers, studio, network executives... anyone with a desk and opposing chair. I can say this with absolute certainty: there are two questions that every screenwriter must be prepared to answer in a pitch meeting.
The first question is: why you?
Why are you the best writer in the world to explore this topic? How is it deeply personal to you? What about your life can you harvest and put into the work?
If your show idea is generic or if it’s something that pretty much any competent screenwriter can write, then odds are, you’re not going to sell the idea. It’s simply not going to generate interest from the buyer. Yes, mediocre shows often make it to air, but buyers never set out to make mediocre shows.
So, if your show is about a single mother who moves in with her adult brother to make ends meet, then it really helps if something like this happened to you. If it did, then you can draw upon the true specifics. This will make the show far more interesting than anything a writer can make up.
The second question is this, and it’s just as important: