After the First Pitch

The “thrill of victory and the agony of defeat” when pitching a screenplay to agents.

“After the First Pitch” by Nancy Franklin

Hallelujah! My first pitch, my first request for a script!

I am over the moon! My head is swelling. Never mind that 15 minutes before, I was in the ladies’ room, nerves wreaking havoc with my intestines. Someone in the next stall was retching. Ah, the kinship of scriptwriters!

But now, I am a STAR! I am the GREATEST EVER! Until I get to my second pitch.

I show the agent my lookbook with a picture of Sam Shepard included as a suggested lead.

“Sam Shepard is dead,” the agent says.

Record scratch. Ego crashes to Earth. Wile E. Coyote hits the wall—no requested script.

Note to self: Even though actors may be “immortalized” on film, you, a writer, cannot resurrect them to play your lead.

What’s that quote from Henry Ford about failure being “simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently?”

I’ll begin again, and maybe when I query the agent on another script, I’ll use that moment as a reminder. And check to make sure that all the actors I recommend are living.

https://storysummit.substack.com/p/the-courage-to-write-how-hollywood