Brian Pinkerton's Blog - Posts Tagged "screenwriting"

Almost everyone who writes entertains the idea of writing screenplays at one time or another. Some of us even act on the impulse, ignoring the relentless obstacles and draining frustrations that litter the path to Hollywood.

In the 1990s, I wrote four screenplays and cowrote a fifth. In bursts of activity, I would write, rewrite, pitch and hope. At the same time, I refused to quit my real job or move to California to pursue the goal with single-minded obsession. Many others do—and you find them all over L.A., waiting tables and stocking groceries. I stayed in Chicago, wrote late at night, and used the mail and phone. Yep, this was pre-Internet.

During those years, I secured two Hollywood agents. I received enthusiastic calls from production companies and studios. Three of my scripts finished in the top 2 percent of a screenwriting competition run by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (the Oscars people). I flew to L.A. to meet with interested producers.

Bottom line: none of my scripts became movies. They remained piles of three-hole punch pages between card stock covers bound by brass brads, black text on white, unfulfilled. The most accurate quote I ever heard about Hollywood came from screenwriter/novelist William Goldman, who said, “You can die of encouragement.” Many times I encountered exhilarating praise from high places...then weeks later became a foggy memory. The enthusiasm mysteriously dissipated, victim to Hollywood’s short attention span. My calls weren’t returned, even when I was returning their calls.

Another typical scenario: I would be asked to rewrite and rewrite to satisfy the whims of someone who claimed to be connected but ultimately lacked any power. It was startling how many people would “know” stars (directors, producers, performers) and then when the true relationship was revealed, it was hopelessly remote at best. In a strange reversal, they were looking to make connections through distributing my work.

I also discovered how easy it was to become buried in the insane volume of screenwriter wannabes. Anyone who knows the alphabet can write a script ... and apparently does. Books, web sites, seminars and consultants devoted to “Selling to Hollywood” are as common and insincere as “get-rich-quick” real estate schemes. It was a constant battle just to get my scripts on top of the five-foot slush piles in the offices of cynical agents and studio readers. Eventually, I was spending far more time pitching, marketing and networking than actually writing—the only part I truly enjoyed.

One of the scripts that generated the most enthusiasm was Low Budget, a thriller/dark comedy about dueling indie horror film directors. My agent loved it. The script received tantalizing flashes of interest from nearly a dozen studios and production companies. But, ultimately, no deal.

I was told one of the obstacles was the recent box office failure of Matinee, another movie about horror filmmakers and cheap “B” movies (starring John Goodman and directed by John Dante). After an exciting few months of buzz, Low Budget was shelved.

Flash forward several years. I stopped writing spec scripts and turned to writing novels. I sold two thrillers, which were released in mass market paperback. While brainstorming story concepts for my next book, I started thinking about adapting Low Budget into a novel.

I never lost my affection for Low Budget and its twisty plot, oddball characters, glossy/gritty Hollywood settings and squirmy, suspenseful build to an action-packed finale. So I expanded the screenplay into a full-fledged novel and renamed it Rough Cut . The book became one of my most enjoyable projects. Rough Cut developed a small but enthusiastic cult following and unanimously positive reviews.

2021 marks the book’s 10th anniversary and what better way to celebrate than a fresh promotion. The original edition is out of print, but you can’t keep a good book down. There’s a snazzy new paperback release from Dark Arts Books and an ebook from Crossroad Press. I hope you’ll check it out. You can imagine the movie that could have been. If you provide the popcorn, Rough Cut will deliver the thrills.

Portions of this blog were plagiarized from “Unreleased: Three Screenplays by Brian Pinkerton.”