Blogroll: Neely Swanson's NO MEANER PLACE

I used to (naively) think the key to selling a pilot was writing a good script.  I've since learned that a good script is only one of many, many things needed for a project to sell.

It's important for young writers looking to break in to learn why scripts either do or don't sell, but I've found it's hard to find out that information unless you're actively working in the business.

Not anymore.

Neely Swanson, former SVP of Development at David E. Kelley Productions and current adjunct faculty member at USC, authors NO MEANER PLACE, where she reviews unproduced scripts and interviews script writers about how they broke in, why some projects don't make it to the screen, and the industry at large.

No Meaner Place will highlight writers and writing that for one reason or another have been pushed aside, shoved to the curb, and abandoned; wonderful scripts that have never made it to the big screen or to the small screen in series form. Some of them were produced to pilot, poorly, some were entirely ignored, some were too original, some were, well who knows what they were… but all of them deserved better fates.

I encourage all aspiring writers to visit NO MEANER PLACE. And be sure to check out Neil Tolkin's recent interview where he discusses, among other things, breaking in to the industry and the differences between writing for television and film.

You can follow Neely's future posts in HU's blogroll, located on the right side of the page.