It's hard to be objective about your own work, but a good start is knowing what questions to ask.
A few years ago I came upon a Hollywood script reader's checklist--the questions they used in deciding whether or not a screenplay is worth recommending. In this post, I'll share the questions that relate to the basic story of your screenplay. I think they'd be useful if you're writing a novel as well:
1. Imagine the trailer. Is the concept marketable?
Of course, nobody really knows what will be successful, but it helps if you can imagine how it might be marketed to catch people's attention.
2. Is the premise naturally intriguing? Does it make people want to know what happens?
A good way to test this is to tell people your premise. If they don't ask you questions about it, the idea may not be interesting enough.
3. Who is the target audience? Would your parents want to see it? Your children?
It's not that your script has to appeal to everybody, you just have to be clear from the start who you are targeting. For one thing, if it's an epic that's going to cost a lot to make, it had better have a broad appeal.
4. Is the concept original?
There's nothing new under the sun, but what aspect of your version makes it fresh and worth telling again? I know, there are plenty of movies that are tired retreads, but that's not what you want for your story.
5. Is there strong emotion at the heart of the story?
People go to movies to feel something--to be scared, or to laugh, or for the satisfaction of seeing rotten people get their comeuppance. Does your story have the potential to transport the audience out of their ordinary lives and give them an emotional experience they will enjoy and talk about with their friends?
Answer these questions as honestly as you can, and call on your gut feelings as well as logic.
Sometimes I've caught myself rationalizing that the story works but knowing in my gut or heart that it really doesn't.
That will catch up with you eventually, so it's much better to respond to it early on. That way you can fix it or move on to another idea.
If you have strong, honest answers to these questions and the ones coming up in the next post, you'll also have all the ingredients for a great pitch.
Post coming soon: IS YOUR SCREENPLAY PLOT AND STRUCTURE STRONG ENOUGH?
