Jude Lutz

What a thrill! I took big swings, as the character is homeless, scrappy and fun to watch as she navigates several worlds! It means so much to me to write about feeling powerless and the struggle to claim your power. One big inspiration was BARRY. Thank you! #amwriting#scriptchat

@MizzMarshaS Oh fantastic Marsha! Happy for you!

I am one to never ask for help or favors. Last weekend, I finally did. Come to find out, they referred me to someone who recently finished a project with a horror legend. 🤯

@storytellerdave It’s always like that!

You ever start a brand new script and genuinely feel like you don't know what the fuck you're doing?

@jeffreyhoward33 I have a line referring to this in my script! 😂

I gotta get out of L.A.

@BogeyGuyC Congrats to all! And kudos to you for posting these! 👏👏👏

Bonus. I remember starting these threads and getting read by a pro or an actual general meeting would have us all cheering. Now some of these folks are getting repped, selling scripts, staffing on network shows and otherwise kicking ass. Keep grinding!

1/9 I've held back as long as I can. Feel free to mute me. It's time for another Writers Kicking Ass thread. Times are tough in these Hollywood streets, but come hell or high water we keep writing. Occasionally we need a reminder that no is the constant and yes is the rarity.

@RobotEatingRobo Dystopian sci fi

Screenwriting Twitter, I work on set and I’m reading sides and scripts daily. I’ve also read a lot of your scripts - and they’re often just as good (if not better) than what the pros are writing. Keep writing. I’m building something useful for all of us. Reply with your genre

@andreaberting Yes!!!!!

--like "wow thank you for taking the time to read 5 pages of my script and tell me it was terrible", you know? It was crazy to be in the opposite position, to be THANKED for having done this work. The validation from getting to experience this production is next-level. (2/2)

Something that struck me about seeing my play produced was that the attitude from the director/actors was so much "thank you for allowing us to do this work, thank you for sharing your work with us" It feels so often as writers that we're the ones groveling for a read-- (1/2)

@jeffreyhoward33 I’m so sorry you’re going through this. You will get better. Sending love and healing thoughts.

Bell’s palsy day 10: the numbness is letting up, which is bringing on the intense, never felt anything like it, head and neck pain.

@NateGolon Hate that guy!

Woke up angry. Had a dream my wife was trying to sell some of her vintage vinyl records and posters and the store owner was extremely rude to her and made her cry. IRL my wife doesn’t collect vinyls or posters. But still. Imagine if she did. That guy was out of hand

@jeffreyhoward33 Oh man, just saw this, I’m so sorry you’re going through that. I’m here if you need anything. Seriously. Sending positive healing vibes your way, and know that my cousin had it awhile back and made a full recovery. Wishing that for you, too.

Bell’s Palsy day two… like having the longest dental novocaine after effects of all time. Impossible to spit and also impossible to not feel self conscious every time I speak.

@CindyBegel Thanks!

@LutzJC Let me see if I can find you a spot...

How about a super writing group? If you've been on staff, a WGA member, sold a Hallmark movie or episode/pilot (some pro exp), I'd be happy to put together a group. If you miss a writers' room, have new projects, want feedback & giving notes in an ongoing group, let me know!

@RKing618 @EvertvanVliet @BellevueDoc Me too.

@EvertvanVliet @BellevueDoc Yes. Thank you. The most optimistic thing I’ve read today.

Why is evil so determined?

@jeffreyhoward33 Welcome home!

L.A to NYC to London to Baltimore and now back to L.A.

@jeffreyhoward33 We saw him do a Smile concert at Disney Hall the day after the election in 2016, and man, it was powerful. Even at that point, his work was so deep.

Having trouble processing Brian Wilson’s death. I used to see him walking around the park a lot and it was always a thrill. He was so much more than Pet Sounds but goddamn, he made Pet Sounds.

@jeffreyhoward33 Wow! Congratulations! How exciting! 🍾🎉

I’ve had one huge fantasy in this biz — travel abroad to a wonderful destination to work in a writers room. I leave in about a week.

Porter, the world’s first driving dog learned how to drive in just 47 days. He was trained by a driving school in New Zealand that specializes in teaching dogs to drive.

@JoeMightLikeTV You are doing amazing!

Time to finally share: Back in January, my manager let me go. While it was amicable, I was too embarrassed to tell anyone. But since then, I wrote a well-received comedy sample, pitched a major studio who's reading me, & taught a workshop to 100 people. I think I'm doing okay.

@HwoodScrptReadr What a beautiful post.

It's easy to see folks like me and other readers as gatekeepers who are there as an obstacle between you and the fame and fortune you so richly deserve. But believe me, when I see a great script, that gate is wide open. Granted you and I might have a different opinion on what the word "great" means, but if I find a gem, it reflects well on me. And by "find" I mean being able to appreciate good writing. Some of this is a real skill I've developed over time, but most of it is just an honest reaction to what's on the page. As if I'm sitting alone in the dark watching your movie play out on the big screen of my mind. My opinion is my own – no more or less valid than anyone else's. As long as I get it right most of the time, I'll stay employed. But yeah, I get 'em wrong sometimes too, and I've talked about that. Maybe someday I'll make a list of all the scripts I passed on that went on to make a ton of money and win awards. And honestly, that doesn't always change my mind. I'm sure it comes as no surprise that there's a lot of crap out there that becomes a hit. At the end of the day, I'm only reading the scripts I've been assigned and I don't get to pick and choose. I wish I did. It would make my job a heck of a lot more fun. Nope, good or bad, I gotta read 'em all the way through and expend the same amount of energy banging out coverage, positive or negative. And I know how many hoops the writer has had to jump through before it even lands in my inbox: getting repped and so on – and then all the work that rep has to do just to get a read request from an exec. But really I'm the low man on the totem pole, the first line of defense before your script goes up the chain of command, all the way to the handful of people who can greenlight a project – which, if I'm being real, is a power I myself will never possess. Funny thing is – and I've never really talked about this before – I'm the writer's best friend. If I don't like the logline that comes with the cover letter, often times I'll rewrite it and try to improve on it. When I'm writing my synopsis – usually 1 1/2 to 2 pp. – I'm giving the exec the best version of your story. I'm using my own modest storytelling skills to present it in a way that is clear and readable. Or at least I'm trying to. There are some scripts that are so incoherent that's impossible to do so. Often times I'm doing work that the writer should have done – like cutting an unnecessary scene that doesn't advance the story. You're welcome. The best of the best have a very tight structure, meaning I can't leave anything out or the plot won't make sense. Those are the easier ones to summarize because they're foolproof, me being the fool in that scenario. When I write a synopsis, I'm never snarky of glib. I try not to let my own feelings color it. I save that for the comments, but even then I try to be respectful. I'll never say something "sucks" or that it's "boring." I might use a euphemism like "the storyline was less than compelling" or "the characters felt underdeveloped." It's never personal. I could see how some readers can get bitter or jaded. They might read something really good and feel resentment or jealousy. The closest I ever get to envy is "That was so good I wish I wrote it" which is kind of the highest compliment, second only to "There's no way I could have written anything that good." Would a reader try to sandbag a script they were envious of? I doubt it, if they want to keep their job. And if the execs you're reading for don't agree with you most of the time, you're wasting their time, and you're gone. So on behalf of all my fellow readers: we're not your enemy. Believe it or not, we want you succeed. It's no fun to read shit. We want our jobs to be meaningful. Doesn't everybody? Sometimes I can't believe how lucky I am that I get paid to read – especially when I get to read something great before anybody else does. Beats digging ditches anyway. Sorry, ditch diggers. We need those too because where would we be without ditches? I'd like to come up with a clever metaphor about the flood of scripts on the road to Hollywood but I've rambled on long enough. FIN

@jeffreyhoward33 Yay! Go get it!

The world’s greatest horror novelist just approved the adaptation I did of one of his stories. On to buyers!

Making BRAVING RAPIDS is something I will never forget or diminish A month on the Provo River that summer, with those people, was MAGIC Creatives coming together to make art Don't blame me if you want to get a puppy after watching... TUBI, ROKU, Prime, YouTube, Fandango, etc. Retweet if you are feeling generous!!! #grateful 2/2 #BravingRapids @Tubi @Roku @primemovies @erichcannon