Don't you get what you pay for? Why is this Web site free?


Copyright © 2007 Dorian Scott Cole

It used to be that you got what you paid for. The Web is different. There are at least 3 types of publishers on the Web:

  • The guru who genuinely wants to share information, which was the grassroots of Internet development.
  • The company that wants to sell you something, which is legitimate.
  • The pretenders who create Web sites that appear to have valid information, but are really just copies designed to draw you in either for displaying ads (which pays) or to sell you some product that they carry. These are rapidly proliferating. Buyer beware.

    • The purpose defines your intent and what you offer. The success of organizations like Wikipedia shows that high quality information can be available on the Web.

    Which type is this Web site? I have no quarrel with those who make money, but that isn't the role of this Web site. This Web site is a two-fold ministry that developed from having seen a great number of very motivated writers struggle in vain for years, investing hundreds to thousands of hours to try to write a good story and find a buyer. The market offers limited opportunity, the educational system offers knowledge but limited skill development, and the system misleads people into thinking that writing is a serious career for those who haven't developed their skills. I empathize with these writers, and have the knowledge to do something to help them.

    The other intent of this Web site is to challenge writers to know more about this world that they write about so that we can continue to create a better one. So writers will find challenging articles about the human condition. Believe them, or hopefully, challenge them - they make you think and dig deeper. Good writers have more power in their pens to create positive change in our world than all of the militaries in the world. This isn't a pipe dream, it's just fact.

      This site offers:

    • The skill of someone who worked with writers for years doing critiques and script development, through a Hollywood organization supported by major studios and prominent individuals, to make scripts interest audiences and become commercial.
    • Instructional material about writing, by the author, which was supported by other organizations.
    • Basic past research, by the author, into the quality of writing elements that make scripts fail or succeed.
    • Basic research, by the author, into the continued development of writing that emphasizes visual elements.
    • Tools created by the author, for critiquing yours or other's work.


      • The material on this site has been compared to advice from the top directors of the 1980s - early 90s, and a few top writers, and is consistent with their majority opinions. The field is a moving target, which requires continued revision of the articles on this site.

    What is the field of writing really like?

    Stories abound about people who mistreat and take advantage of writers. Only a few of them are true. Most of the people that I know volunteer a great deal, and will treat you fairly. But it is a difficult business environment. Most large organizations won't take the time to directly interface with unproven writers.

    There are a few publishers, agents and studios who will give a promising writer a break, especially if he submits a fully written and compelling story. The economics of the publishing and movie production businesses prohibits investing significant resources in unproven writers. Only a handful of screenplay writers sell multiple screenplays, and the majority, who sell one or two screenplays, work full time and write as a pursuit or hobby. A small but significant number of writers do get sold or optioned each year, but there are only around 400 US films made each year. The opportunity is limited. Only a handful of novel writers sell in any particular genre, but a few new ones get published each year.

    It's a business, and that's the facts. It's not just a business, it is a highly competitive business. You either write a blockbuster, show a lot of promise, work with someone who is inside so they get to know you, write in a small or niche market, or (rarely) know someone who can get you in. It isn't enough just to want to be a good writer, you have to work hard to be among the best. And when you become the best storyteller, you have to know how to differentiate your stories with something unique and hit a timely topic, or even the best writing sits on a shelf collecting dust. In the end, to be successful it is essential that you have acquired the skill. These things are what this Web site is about.

    Yes, Dorothy, there are a number of poor quality stories that get made into books and movies each year, but yours isn't likely to be one of them. The yellow brick road to Hollywood has all the lure of a gold rush, but don't plan a trip to Oz just yet unless you like disappointment and living on the road like a bag lady. Instead: Write; get feedback (as in a writers group or school); look forward to others' opinions (rather than being defensive about your baby); analyze why it does or doesn't work; work hard to make it better; and rewrite. It takes tough skin and diligence to be a writer. Learn how you make stories better or you will die on the vine before anyone picks you.

    This Web site covers good storytelling and uniqueness, and contains more help than you can get just about anywhere, and it is all of the help that I can give you. My best advice: Don't be easily discouraged, but don't underestimate the challenge. Try your hand at it and see if you can develop into one of the best. Most of all, have fun. Good luck!

    - Scott

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