Julie at “The Rouge Wave” lays down the truth in her latest post about what she, as a script reader, is looking for:

“Scripts that read cinematically, for one. That is to say, scripts with strong imagery and tone. Scripts that move along at a clip. No long action lines, no meandering narrative, no dull moments. Scripts that have a strong voice. In other words, the writer’s point of view and personality are distinct. The script has a flavor, if you will. Scripts with personality.”

I tell my students that script readers are Hollywood’s threshold guardians, the gatekeepers to anyone who can greenlight a movie. So when someone like Julie starts ‘preaching,’ you best be listening.

“Scripts with personality.” You can know ‘high concept.’ You can subscribe to Done Deal Pro.com and see what projects are selling every day. You can try to ‘guestimate’ what the studios will be wanting to buy. But when a script reader cracks open your spec script, while they may be happy you know all that business-related ‘stuff,’ what they really want / need to read / feel is you. Some essential part of your personality, your distinct world view, your unique narrative sensibilities. Crafted into a spanking good story, yes, but with your voice shining through.

That’s why I always say, no matter what story concept you gravitate toward writing, make sure it’s something with which you resonate. You have to have some emotional connection to the material or else your “personality” will not show.

Script readers read a ton of crap. They want high concept scripts. They want scripts that are professionally written. But they also want to feel something. A writer can best do that by bringing their ‘personality’ to bear on the story.

And you can best do that if you connect with the narrative material.