5 Tips On Screenwriting For Hire

by Dr. Neora Myrow on March 9, 2020

For many aspiring screenwriters, the goal is to see their spec script made into a film. For those seeking to make a living as screenwriters, the goal is to get hired to write for major producers and studios. On the way to that desired destination, writers may get the chance to work with independent producers who have a vision for their stories but lack the skills or experience to write the script for themselves.

In these cases, the producers will seek out a talented writer to bring their vision to the page. Writers who have concentrated on developing their own spec scripts up to this point may find the experience of working for hire as either a unique opportunity for collaboration, or an unending source of frustration.

Here are some tips to manage your work-for-hire writing gigs.

Be Open to Ideas

When you write for hire, your job is to turn the client’s vision of the story into a working script. As you work through the writing process, your ideas for the story may not align with the client’s. Your job is to make the story work according to the client’s vision, not yours. If the client views the story as a deep family drama, but you want to turn it into a fluffy romantic comedy, you’re going to run into problems.

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Be Professional

When you encounter these differences, you must maintain a level of professional detachment. Writers for hire should think of themselves as custom home builders. Your job is to build the client’s “dream home”. If the client wants the exterior walls painted in zebra stripes, you can talk him out of it by showing him how it will hurt the home’s resale value, not by telling him it’s the dumbest thing you’ve ever heard.

Be Specific

The script is not the only place where the writer and the client need to be on the same page. The writer should take the initiative and draw up a schedule for when the client can receive and review certain parts of the script (e.g. synopsis, treatment, outline, first draft, rewrite, etc.) and when (and how much) the writer can expect to get paid for each completed step.

A good guide for that is a “step deal”, which specifies the parts of the script the writer is expected to deliver, the deadlines for delivery, and the payment plan for each part. The typical step deal allows the writer to receive 50% of the payment for each step in advance, and the rest on delivery. The client then has the option to go ahead with the next step, or cancel the project and find another writer. This arrangement prevents the writer from spending too much time on a project that doesn’t work for both parties, while also spreading out the payments for the client.

Be On Time

While this should go without saying for most working adults, some inexperienced writers may want to take their time and ensure that every word is perfect for the client. As the old saying goes, “time is money”, both for the writer and the client. Writers with a step deal in place must be sure to turn in each deliverable on time to ensure that the client picks them up to continue on the project.

Be Patient

When it comes to waiting for feedback on your work, “hurry up and wait” is another old saying that can apply when it comes to dealing with some clients. Some producers may have multiple projects in the works at one time. Other clients may want to work their “day jobs” or on other business, which means they may put your script on the back burner temporarily. It’s okay to keep in touch with the client while you’re waiting, but don’t be too persistent, or you may burn your bridge before you get to cross it.

Writing for hire is a different type of collaboration than some writers may have experienced. The key is to treat writing for hire like you’d treat any “real world” job. The difference is that you still get the chance to express yourself as a writer and, with a little luck, the people with “real world” jobs will want to buy tickets to see the movie that you wrote.

Neora Myrow, Ph.D. is a story doctor, communication strategist, and teacher. Her academic specialty is narrative theory + psychology. Neora’s magical power, from over two decades in narrative research and story practice, is an ability to help folks develop and tell their stories across genres from screenplays to business story. When she’s not on story solves for Storywell Creative, Neora’s narrative design house, she teaches Resonate for Duarte, Inc. and writing process for an arts college in Los Angeles.