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There's a certain amount of serendipity in breaking down the barriers to getting your material read by decision-makers. Case in point:
Recently my wife and I traveled to New Orleans to visit our daughter. We stayed at a bed & breakfast. One afternoon I was sitting on the front porch, enjoying a cigar and polishing a script. The manager came out to smoke a cigarette. We did the usual small talk. Then he noticed the script lying open on a table.
"What's that you're working on?" he asked.
"Oh, just a script for something."
"You a writer?"
"Yeah-but corporate media writing's my bread and butter. This is something I do for myself."
"Write screenplays?
"You recognized the format?"
Then, it was off to the races. Turns out this guy worked for major Broadway producers before heading west where he worked as a reader for several years. Then he began writing his own material, with some modest success. A few scripts were optioned. Only one was produced and it didn't exactly set the box office on fire.
He left Hollywood, spent some time in Mexico and began writing children's books. He uses spare time at the bed and breakfast to exercise his writing habit. We talked "shop" on the porch for about an hour, sharing war stories.
It goes without saying, I asked if he'd be kind enough to read a couple of my scripts. Said he'd be happy to. So I'll get a perspective on my work from someone who worked as a reader.
And, he still has"La-La-Land" contacts. What will come of it? Probably nothing substantial. But his feedback could prove instructive. Then again-you just never know. So even when you're not actively selling, be prepared for serendipitous moments.
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