Q&A: Is this a good way to get my name known as a script writer?

Question by Lily R: Is this a good way to get my name known as a script writer?
Okay, I’m currently in the middle of writing a 3 part series of sci-fi film scripts, but due to how in depth a story line they have, it’s taken me since 14 (I’m 17 now) to get a solid enough story to start writing up into a script and I don’t see it finished any time soon.

I’ve bee thinking, in the meantime though I could possibly write scripts of books that authors would like making into movies, I know one author (not in person, just email her now and again) who keeps getting offers from film companies to make movies of her book which was published 28years ago, but none have come up with a viable film script so far and the only one that did got taken over by another company who wasn’t interested in making the movie. So I’ve emailed her offering to write her up a script, a viable one and to give her say over what she thinks is important, to fit it into a sensible time for the film companies and send it her as something she can then sell on herself.

I’ve told her I’m not interested in the money side of things as well currently, I just want to get my name heard currently.

Does this sound like a good way to get into script writing?
Matt, I’m giving it to the author to sell on and seen as I’m not in it for the money, whatever my cut of the profit is would go to her on top her cut which by law she’d have to get a cut.
I turn 18 very soon and this book is a lesbian book, the film would fit into that genre area, the film companies that tend to make films like this tend to be made by the BBC or whatever the Canadian equivalent is with that Picadillo Company, sommat like that, there logo is sort of like a scared cat in my opinion.

Their films tend to generally be independent-ish movies so….

The biggest film in that genre I’ve seen was a BBC/Universal (Well in the UK that is), globally it is BBC/Fox and that is Imagine Me and You.
akaMaryn, read my question correctly and correct your answer, I said I had emailed the author for her permission. READ THE QUESTION OR DON’T ANSWER!!!!
Also I said I was giving to the AUTHOR to sell, I’m showing the AUTHOR of her own book, giving it to her, not someone else.

Best answer:

Answer by Matt
Normally to write a movie script for a published novel, you have to pay the author for the rights to the do so. Once you’ve paid no scripts written by other people will ever be accepted if they’re based on the same book, and you get a predetermined amount of time to write it and get it out before the author can accept offers again. As far as getting known goes, I think it definitely would be IF the book was well known. If not then I imagine people wont even realise it’s from a book in the first place, and would just be another old script.

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