Script Doctor Eric
It’s that time again, time to declare a winner of my weekly – and free – logline contest, Logline Friday
There were fewer submissions this week, which can only mean one of three things:
1. Less people are writing screenplays.
2. A wormhole in space is swallowing all the movie ideas.
3. I need to take a break from doing other things – like script notes, Feedback Friday, and my own writing – to promote the contest a bit more.
I’m leaning towards #2.
Anyhow, the winner of Logline Friday for Friday, February 22nd, 2013 is…
Andrew Lauwasser! Andrew’s winning logline:
@ALauwasser – When an inventor accidentally proves the existence of God, the Almighty sends an angel to keep it quiet and then handle the PR.
Now, I was very, very hesitant to declare Andrew’s logline the winner this week for two reasons:
1. Spec scripts about heaven and hell are all too common, and usually not that good.*
2. See footnote for reason #1.
But Andrew’s logline provides a nice setup for a “science vs. religion” theme, AND, more importantly, it doesn’t take place in heaven. In fact, it seems to be about a bumbling mix-up here on Earth. Hey, that could work!
Andrew wins free script notes on the first five pages of any script he wishes to send my way. Congrats again!
And if you didn’t win this week, remember, there’s always another Logline Friday around the corner.
Just don’t pitch a script about heaven and hell.
Seriously. And…
Onward!
-Eric
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* By “not that good” I mean that the screenplays I’ve read about heaven and hell, the devil, satin, etc., are usually really, really bad. There are a number of reasons for this – which I plan to dedicate to another post – but for one, when you create a world of heaven or a world of hell, you have no limitations – anything can happen! And if anything can happen, there are no stakes, no suspense, and no mystery to it. So if you’re considering writing a script about heaven, hell, the devil, or anything else remotely related to the Christian idea of the afterlife, let me just say, as someone who has read around 100 of these scripts and is not taking the time to write a rambling footnote warning about it: Please don’t do it! Write about anything else!** No matter how great you think your idea is about heaven, god, etc., you’ll be better much off avoiding the subject. Seriously.
** Except a musical. You shouldn’t write a spec musical unless you plan to make it yourself. I’ll explain later, if necessary.
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