Building a “Hollywood” Film Treatment

Don’t say ‘Hollywood’. It’ll mark you as a rank amateur or a media flake, not as a working professional. Hollywood is more like a concept, a has-been idea, than an actual production place. You’re best to say, ‘the LA-based film industry’.”

I heard those words when I ventured into film content producing. They weren’t to put me down. Rather, they were to build me up and help me break into a world I had no experience with—the film industry—and understand how important a film “treatment” is.

I think every novel writer’s dream is to see their work on the screen. At least mine was. When I wrote my first novel, I so saw it in the movies that “as the camera sees it” was my guiding light. Did it make the movies? No. Not yet.

But, my ten years of plugging along in this writing biz taught me a few things. Perseverance. Craft knowledge. Networking. And experimenting in different mediums, including screenwriting.

I’m now immersed in four film content producing projects. They keep me occupied and energized. I’m learning a lot of new stuff including how to build a “Hollywood” film treatment.

The film industry has its jargon. Logline. Tagline. Teasers. Shopping Rights. Pitch. Option. Purchase. Green Lit. Fade in. Fade out. Roll A. Roll B. Scripted. Non-scripted. Those sorts of things. But, one term I think really important for wanna-be screenwriters to understand is Treatment.

In the film industry—whether LA-based, Vancouver-based, New York-based, London-based, or Toronto-based—producers have one common problem. It’s not funding or filming. It’s finding decent (saleable) content.

Like book publishers, film producers constantly seek decent (saleable) content. They say every Barista in “Hollywood” has a screenplay for sale. Probably true, but how many are saleable?

Film producers, like book publishers, have only so much time. They’re bombarded with screenplay submissions and can’t read them all. So, the film industry has a thing similar to a book publisher’s synopsis. In the film-biz, they’re called treatments. Treatments are a structured itemization of the screenplay that stop short of going to the work of an actual script written on speculation.

Here’s a film treatment I developed for The Fatal Shot. The storyline is based on a true crime case I investigated,. It’s a similar plot to the 1984 film The Burning Bed starring Farrah Fawcett.

Because of an effective treatment, The Fatal Shot is now optioned for screenplay buildout. Whether it gets green lit, who knows. At least the pitch was purchased and it’s out there, being shopped around Hollywood..

I hope you folks at the Kill Zone gain some insight into the film industry’s screenplay submission process through this treatment example. Don’t we all want to see our stories played out on the screen?

THE FATAL SHOT — FILM TREATMENT

Working Title

The Fatal Shot

Central Story Question

Who fired the fatal shot?

Logline

A battered woman charged with killing her abusive husband faces tremendous obstacles by defending herself and her children against bureaucratic criminal and social service systems. (Based on an actual incident—a true crime story.)

Tagline

She fought her husband… now she fights the system.”

Theme

Domestic Abuse – Intimate Partner Violence – Child Protection and Apprehension – Homicide Trial – Jury Deliberations – Battered Woman Syndrome Defense

Location

Set in the American Pacific Northwest at the village of Clearwater and city of Port Townsend in Jefferson County, Washington State, on the Olympic Peninsula.

Era

Current – modern day.

Duration

18 months from inciting incident to denouement.

Protagonist

Deeana (Dee) Finnigan — 28-year-old wife and mother of boy 10 and girl 8.

Antagonists

Lyle (Finn) Finnigan — 31-year-old husband and children’s father.

Society — portrayed through dysfunctional bureaucratic structure and incompetent representatives of the criminal justice and social service systems.

Brief Storyline

Deeana Finnigan suffers 11 years of domestic terror at the fists, boots, mind, mouth, wallet, and penis of her husband, Lyle (Finn) Finnigan. Their children, Logan (age 10) and Millie (age 8), witness a deteriorating marriage and escalating violence.

Finn is on the run from a Seattle drug gang he’s double-crossed as well as arrest warrants for narcotics trafficking. He hides the family in a cramped cabin near the remote village of Clearwater on the west coast of Washington State’s Olympic Peninsula.

On a cold winter night, Finn returns to the cabin drunk. Dee’s made mac & cheese along with wieners for supper. There’s little else to eat in the place. Finn and Dee argue over the meal. Finn slaps Dee and grinds hot food into her face. He knees Dee and puts the boots to her on the floor. Logan and Millie cower in a corner, watching. Finn is enraged. He takes a rifle and threatens to shoot the family. Finn then drags Dee to the bedroom. He rapes Dee and passes out cold.

Dee’s finally had enough. She takes the rifle and shoots Finn while he’s unconscious. The first shot badly wounds Finn in the face, blowing off his lower jaw. He wakes and tries to get at her. Dee reloads to shoot Finn again. The rifle jams. Finn is incapacitated due to shock and blood loss. Dee gets Logan’s help to find another rifle and finish Finn off. Dee takes Logan and Millie to a neighbor’s house and calls the police. They’re taken to the Jefferson County seat at Port Townsend.

Investigation determines three shots were fired. One bullet got Finn in the jaw. One missed. One fatally struck Finn in the back. Dee states she fired all shots. She claims self-defense—shooting Finn to ultimately protect herself and her children from what she knows is looming, certain death. The investigators doubt Dee fired the fatal shot and believe Logan did—Dee is covering up to protect Logan. The District Attorney rejects Dee’s self defense stance. He takes the position Dee had plenty of opportunity to take the kids, leave, and have authorities intervene as the police and social systems dictate.

Dee is charged with second-degree (non-capital) murder and faces life imprisonment. She’s represented by the public defender. Dee can’t make bail. She’s half Native Indian from a Canadian reserve and considered an international flight risk. Dee remains in custody awaiting trial. Logan and Millie are apprehended by social services and made wards of the state. They’re placed in a foster home. Because the police and DA are trying to establish who fired the fatal shot to Finn’s back, a no-contact order is placed between Dee and her kids.

Dee sinks to despair. She attempts to hang herself in jail. At her lowest point, Dee undergoes a catharsis. She’s mentored by a female jail guard. They work on upgrading Dee’s education and communication skills. Slowly, Dee builds confidence. She begins to fight for what she truly wants—justice, freedom, and her children’s welfare. Dee pushes the system. And the system pushes back.

The DA hands Dee a bargain—plead guilty to manslaughter with five years in prison. The public defender wants to run a temporary insanity defense. Dee refuses both offers. She stands her ground. Dee maintains she was forced to kill Finn in ultimately protecting herself and her children, all the while denying that Logan fired the fatal shot which would have had her acquitted of murder. Years of continuous spousal battering, plus a justice and social system failing to aid her, placed Dee in a mind state where she had no option—it was kill—or eventually be killed.

The State Child Protective Services assign a spiteful social worker to oversee Dee’s children. A court application rules Logan and Millie aren’t allowed to visit Dee in jail. Dee learns the kids are being bounced between homes. Now they’re in a facility run by questionable hosts. With her jail guard’s help, Dee turns to the media.

Dee’s plight attracts intense public interest. Advocates from women’s groups surround Dee. They use the power of mainstream, internet, and social media to raise awareness of Dee’s case. Sympathizers work to crowdfund money for a competent legal defense. From jail, Dee quickly becomes a sensational face for battered women and children’s’ rights.

The criminal justice and social service systems throw continuous obstacles at Dee’s struggle to regain her children and freedom. Her private advocates are an enormous support. They find a top legal team who are passionate about the “Battered Woman Syndrome”. All work with Dee to shape that portrayal.

But as the prosecution and defense build their cases, disturbing details rise from Dee’s past. What she’s hidden, and what new evidence investigators uncover, are devastating. Rumors leak out. Stories spread. Some of Dee’s friends become foes.

After 18 months, Dee’s case goes to trial. Testimony is dramatic and unexpected. A torn jury faces forcing the law as it stands or conceding to humanity as it exists. Their decision comes down to one recurring question—not who fired the fatal shot—but why didn’t Dee just pack up the kids and leave before things became fatal? The answer lies in the Battered Woman Syndrome.

The jury struggles between wants of the system and needs of the individual. They see an enormous precedent being set with the Battered Woman Syndrome defense becoming open season on abusive men. Jurors also doubt Dee’s credibility about who fired the fatal shot into Finn. By now, most suspect Dee coerced Logan and is covering up.

Deliberations are lengthy. They hotly debate application of the law, validity of the Battered Woman Syndrome, and the parameters of self-defense. Two camps form in the jury room. Those who see the law as black and white. Those who see many shades of gray.

Overall, the jury sympathizes with Dee. They show empathy for her state of mind at the moment of the killing and her family situation. Unanimously, the jury directs an acquittal.

Dee is freed. Logan and Millie are returned. The verdict is appealed and upheld. Dee settles into a new life with her kids. She parlays her experience into helping other battered women and their children around the world.

Recurring Story Questions

Why didn’t Dee just leave? And why cover up for Logan when, at 10-years-old, he can’t be prosecuted and Dee could easily be freed?

Human Issue

The story explores Dee Finnigan’s character change from hopeless submission as a battered wife to ultimate triumph by taking defensive action against overwhelming legal and social obstacles.

Stakes

Dee’s life. Her personal freedom. Her children’s future. Worldwide precedent for the Battered Woman Syndrome legal defense. Long-term education and assistance to other victims of domestic violence.

Protagonist Character Arc

The story opens showing Deeana Finnigan displaying all the classic battered woman characteristics that come from learned helplessness. Dee is terrified of Finn but, in her mind, has nowhere to run. To survive, she’s submissive and does everything to keep from setting Finn off. Dee has poor self-esteem. She self-loathes and feels worthless. Dee’s weak mentally, physically, and spiritually. Still, she’s ultimately protective of the only thing that really matters to her in life—her children.

After experiencing the horror of Finn beating her in front of their kids, coming within a trigger’s pull of killing them, and then being sexually violated, Dee reaches an emotional plateau where she lies on the bed in desperation. She floats toward a sense of calmness and makes the decision to kill Finn.

Inwardly, Dee experiences peace. Outwardly, she’s shaking so bad that she can’t hold the rifle. Her limited control turns to chaos when Finn is wounded and claws to get at her. Terror, horror, and panic overpower Dee. Her thought process breaks, and she reacts instinctively to have Finn finished off.

Once Finn is dead, Dee is filled with relief. Her thought patterns return, and she focuses on her children’s welfare. Finn is no longer a threat, and she knows she’ll survive. Mentally, Dee makes plans for their future. She cooperates in the investigation. Dee is convinced she’s totally justified in shooting Finn. It never occurs to her the authorities would view otherwise.

Dee is incredulous when she’s arrested and charged for murder. In her eyes, killing Finn was the only recourse available to prevent her own death and her children’s demise. Her internal relief and elation at Finn being eliminated quickly ends when she’s locked up, denied bail, and loses her son and daughter to the “system”.

In total despair and at rock bottom, Dee tries hanging herself in her cell. A jail matron intervenes. This turning point lets Dee reach a catharsis or “venting the tank”. With help from the matron and advocates found through social media attention, Dee finds a progressive legal team who take on her case. The “Battered Woman Syndrome” is their card, and they play it hard.

Dee’s world view changes while she’s incarcerated, defending herself and her family as “the system” plays out. She remains steadfast in regaining custody of her son and daughter. This conflicts with her refusal to agree to a lesser charge and gain early release. Dee gambles on taking the high road for the long haul, gradually realizing that true justice will pay greater rewards than short-term compromise.

Dee also realizes greater forces are emerging, and she’s now serving a role for educating and inspiring abused women and their children. She understands the historical legal precedent she’s setting by invoking the “Battered Woman Syndrome” defense. A greater purpose drives Dee’s will to survive, be set free, create legal history, and share her story in helping other families with domestic abuse issues.

Dee experiences betrayal and disappointing setbacks when damaging information surfaces about her past. She is devastated but reacts by facing them, not denying her foes. Dee develops in inner confidence that she’ll be vindicated. Her belief in ultimate victory becomes unshakable, and her will to win is unstoppable. She finds inner peace through self-examination rather than religious redemption which is offered in spades.

Once Dee is acquitted, she shows class. She is gracious with gratitude, appreciate of all, and reflective about moving forward to help others.

The issue of who fired the fatal shot—Dee or Logan—is never resolved.

Protagonist Emotional Range/Arc

Weak – Submissive – Scared – Helpless – Self-loathing – Worthless – Protective of Children – Terrified – Enraged – Shocked – Relieved – Confused – Sickened – Trapped – Despair – Suicidal – Catharsis – Redemption – Hope – Will to Survive – Succeed – Encouraged – Inspired – Intent – Toughness – Fight – Focus – Will to Win – Betrayed – Disappointed – Nervous – Courageous – Confident – Triumphant – Gracious – Thankful – Appreciative – Reflective

Character Cast

Family and Associates:

Deeana (Dee) Finnigan — Protagonist and battered woman – jailed and tried for murder

Lyle (Finn) Finnigan — Antagonist and wife beater – shot and killed

Logan Finnigan — Son, age 10

Millie Finnigan — Daughter, age 8

Ramona Robinson — Dee’s twin sister

Andrea Sparrow — Dee’s close friend from the Canadian reserve

Valerie (Val) Bonamassa — Dee’s friend in Seattle

Muriel Finnigan — Finn’s mother – Dee’s mother-in-law

Linton Finnigan — Finn’s brother – Dee’s brother-in-law

Louise Labee, nee Finnigan — Finn’s sister – Dee’s sister-in-law

Barton (Black Bart) Smythe — Seattle Drug Gang Enforcer and DEA Informant

Police & Forensics:

Detective Alvin (Al) Kangas — Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office

Detective Stacy Rooke — Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office

Sheriff Hendrik (Hank) DeVries — Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office

Officer Patricia (Patty) Lloyd — Forensic Investigator, Washington State Patrol Crime Scene Response Team (CSRT)

Coroner Heather Tamagotchi — Jefferson County Coroner’s Office

Moses (Uzi) Galil — Seattle DEA Agent and Informant Handler

Criminal Justice System

C. Mitchell Dowd — District Attorney, Jefferson County

Jonathon Boatwright — Prosecuting Attorney, Jefferson County

Melissa Steele — Assistant Prosecutor, Jefferson County

Wallace Froude — Public Defender, Jefferson County

Emily Coulson — Lead Trial Defense Lawyer

Duncan Campbell-Elliot — Assistant Trial Defense Lawyer

Judge Morris Fish — Presiding Jury Trial Judge

Dr. Margaret Barr — Battered Woman Syndrome Expert Witness

“Margo” — Jail Guard Matron / Dee’s Mentor

Social System

Annie Lambert — Social Worker

Care Serene — Social Worker

Grace & Greer Grimsby — Foster Care Hosts

Karla Truman — Social Service Adjudicator

Media & Advocates

Ellen Capier — Port Townsend News Reporter

Rachel Vanstone — Women’s Abuse Social Media Leader & Primary Advocate

Cynne Simpson — TV Talk Show Moderator

Jennifer (Jenny) O’Donnell — Seattle TV Reporter

Gerald Gideon — Seattle Radio Reporter

Nathan Rott — NPR Investigative Reporter

Audrey Washington — CNN Investigative Reporter

Reverends John & Isobel Burke-Gaffney — Evangelists from the Reformed Baptist Church

Maria Mercedes Hernandez — Online Feminist Advocate

Nikki Daum — Native Indian Representative

Anastasia Lee — Crowdfund Organizer

Jury

12 Members Referred to as Nicknames Given by Court Staff.

“Kay” — Court Bailiff and Jury Messenger

Episode Structure

Episode One — Beating and Finn’s Death

Episode Two — Charge/Arrest

Episode Three — Children Apprehended

Episode Four — Suicide Attempt

Episode Five — Legal Adversaries

Episode Six — Black Bart

Episode Seven — Exposing Dee

Episode Eight — Trial Proceeds

Episode Nine — Retire to Deliberate

Episode Ten — Verdict and Denouement Message

Kill Zoners — Help yourself to this film treatment format. It’s not universal in the business, but it worked for me to get an option purchase.

Questions—Who out there has worked in the film industry, and who wants to? Who’s familiar with treatments, and who wants to write (or has written) a film treatment to shop their work around “Hollywood”?

30 thoughts on “Building a “Hollywood” Film Treatment

  1. What an insightful post, Garry. Great to read am actual treatment, esp. the Protagonist Emotional Range/Arc which is so clearly spelled out step by step. That tool can certainly be applied to novel writing as well.

    To take it a step further, when the antagonist is a person (rather than a system) would you create a similar range/arc?

    You always teach me something useful and interesting. Thanks!

    • Thanks, Debbie. For sure, the same applies to developing the antagonist character. Something just occurred to me about systems having arcs. Social systems are composed of people who are driven by emotions and agendas. Take, for example, the current Woke movement.

  2. This clarifies the term “treatment” for me. I was thinking it was more along the line of a one-page summary but this example shows that treatments are more detailed than that (a quick google search said 2-5 pages).

    I was a bit confused about the end of the treatment–the section where it says Episode One – Beating…. etc. At first I thought it was being pitched as a series but clearly the references are tied to the progression of the film. I’m not quite clear on how the use of ‘episode’ in a treatment relates to the act structure of a screenplay?

    Thanks for sharing this example.

    • Good morning, BK. The Fatal Shot was pitched as a 10-part series for netstreaming production where the character arc develops over a longer time than a stand-alone story like a “movie” requires.

      I’d say the best way to compare film to books is a film teaser is like a one-page publishing query. Once the concept gets attention, the writer is asked for a synopsis or multi-page treatment. If that flies, the next step is a full manuscript or working screenplay request. The Fatal Shot hasn’t gone that far yet, but the purchaser was fine with me sharing the treatment. In fact, they wanted to test the reaction.

  3. Thank you. I too thought a treatment was about a page or two.

    I have a friend in the movie business. His name is easy to find in the credits about every other year. One thing that fascinates me about his work is the timeline. One of his projects should be on screens this November. It has been in the works since 2020. Another maybe Memorial Day 2023. It also started pre-Covid. Two other projects made it to streaming during Covid. Most are 3 years in the works and some don’t have publicly known titles until less than a year from release.

    • I’m led to believe the same thing, Alan. The development stage, which takes in the writing, casting, filming, etc,, takes a good two to three years on the average. It’s a long, slow burn and I’m under no illusions that The Fatal Shot will ever reach the screen. If so, it probably won’t have the same name.

  4. Fantastic breakdown of what does into a film treatment, Garry. I had read a few books on screenwriting many years ago. I took a workshop from J. Michael Straczynski, created of the Babylon 5 TV series, at a conference, and read his book on scriptwriting, along with Syd Field and Blake Synder. Your treatment is far more detailed than the ones I read or attempted. (I didn’t attempt for very long 🙂

    Most of my screenwriting study was focused on simply learning story structure rather than aiming to get into the film industry.

    The detailed character arc was something I hadn’t seen before, and probably shows how out of date my limited screenwriting knowledge is.

    Certainly I’ve fantasized about working in the film industry, though my focus remains on novels at the moment. Thanks so much for sharing this today. Hoping to hear that you’ve “broken in” to the film industry in the not-too-distant future!

    • Hi Dale! I started studying screenwriting to expand my storytelling skills. What I found was a craft far different from novel writing, but I’m enjoying it. I’ve read Blake Snyder’s Save The Cat which is a mainstay screenwriting resource. However I found Syd Field’s The Foundations of Screenwriting to be more helpful from a practical point. Another big boost was taking Anne Helmstadter’s online course called The Story Immersion Project.

      • I’ll have to check out The Story Immersion Project, Garry. Thanks! BTW, speaking of Syd Field, during our ongoing Perry Mason rewatch here, I’ve noticed he penned several episodes of that classic show.

  5. Great post, Garry. In one way or another, I’ve been involved with eight films for studios. Film rights for two of my books were purchased outright, two were optioned, I was hired to write four screenplays, and I’ve got two projects in development now. Of those, only one is an original story (as opposed to adaptations)–and that’s one of the projects in active development.

    Oh. And none of them has ever made it all the way to the screen.

    Treatments are tricky. The 20-year-old junior “development executives” who are the first-line gate keepers by and large have the attention span of a cocker spaniel, yet for newcomers to the industry, they are the essential first step in moving a project forward. In my experience, the next step for a project that makes it past the gate is for said junior development executive to write a “coverage sheet,” which boils the treatment/script/book into an easily-digested single page. The producer will then decide whether or not the project feels viable.

    For the current original project I’m working on (a 10-episode series), my cowriter is also an independent producer, and we’re taking a different approach from yours. We’re rolling the dice on brevity–a pitch, rather than a treatment, along with a completed pilot episode. If it gets picked up, we’ll get screen credits for “written by” along with executive producer and creator. Each of those brings lucrative fees. If the series runs for five seasons–a magic number for a series–I’ll start shopping for an island to buy.

    Lots of “ifs” in there.

    • Thank you, John. Great insight in your comment. Yes, a lot of “if’s” and I’m not under any misconceptions that this treatment will go anywhere. And if you do cash in on a five-season series, I’ll sell you an island. It’s called Vancouver Island.

  6. Very good post, Garry!

    And some interesting connections…

    * I went to school with Farrah Fawcett (Univ. of Texas at Austin). I should have approached her to be in one of my student film projects. But I was shy. Then ran into her on the beach in L.A. years later. Asked if she wanted to go out someday. She declined. ;-(

    * I worked in “Hollywood” for about a year (lived in L.A. for 20+) doing merchandising for TV/film stars. Although Hollywood is, as you say, a concept, it’s also a real place. It’s on Google Maps!

    * With my current Option-Purchase, the producer is going direct to pilot script (adapting from my book). Which tells me that they’re aiming for a TV series vs. film, although they have rights for both.

    * My entertainment attorney (in Hollywood 😉 once asked me if I was interested in writing a spec script. I said I didn’t have time to learn a new skill set. Maybe I’ll change my mind.

    Best of luck on The Fatal Shot!

  7. Fascinating, Garry. Your posts are always enlightening.

    I haven’t thought much about film projects, although I did read Blake Snyder’s Save the Cat. I still have a lot to learn about writing novels.

    Best of luck with The Fatal Shot! I’m looking forward to seeing your name on the credits.

  8. Thanks, Garry. Just to give the curious a look at the range of possible treatment structures, here’s another:
    https://johnaugust.com/downloads_ripley/alaska_writeup.pdf
    I’m not recommending August’s format, however. I prefer Garry’s

    A friend was contracted to write a treatment based on a best-seller. When he handed it over, he was thanked. “Where’s my check?” he asked. He was informed that “It doesn’t work that way.” Essentially, he was told they wouldn’t pay him unless he could prove in court they were obligated to do so. Hiring an attorney would have taken more time, money, and effort than the contract amount justified, so he chalked it up to experience. The client? A mega-organization, usually seen everywhere in Hollywood.

    • That’s an interesting and different treatment for. Thanks for sharing, JGA. What an awful experience your friend had! It’s downright criminal theft.

      • Yes, it was shocking. 1. He had no agent; 2. He should have held his hand out for the check, THEN passed over the treatment. He was dazzled by the public image of Mega-Organization Usually Seen Everywhere.

  9. Garry, thank you so much for the detailed treatment exploration. Very interesting. I just wanted to add that many producers would like to see a Lookbook as well. It used to be a director’s tool to sell their project.
    A Lookbook contains images of settings and characters conveying the tone of the movie or TV series. It also includes a logline, synopsis, character sheet, and author’s bio.

  10. Sorry I’m late, Garry! A wicked storm blew through here and knocked out our power for twelve(ish) hours. What a nightmare.

    Anyway, this is a fascinating peek behind-the-scenes! Fingers crossed for you. 🙂

    • Excuses. Excuses. Next thing it’ll be is getting hit by Soviet satellite debris.

      Seriously, Sue my BFF, I’ve heard that only like 2-3 percent of treatment options ever get green lit, so I’m not using “The Fatal Shot” for a loan collateral. “Occam’s Razor” on the other hand… 😉

  11. Garry, thank you for your generosity in sharing this treatment. I had no idea that a treatment was so detailed. I learned a lot reading your post.

    • My pleasure, Linda. If you Google treatments, you’ll find they run anywhere from one to twenty pages so there’s no set format. I’d say a one-page is more like a teaser while mine – at 12 point and double spaced – runs thirteen pages.

  12. Great blog post, Garry! I will share it with screenwriters I mentor and consult with here in Northwest Montana (near Debbie Burke!). Many thanks for sharing this so clearly and effectively.

    Re writing treatments or working in the film industry — Been there, done that!

    I worked in the film industry as a professional Reader and Story Analyst for literary and talent agencies, production companies and TV/cable networks for over 35 years. I “retired” but currently mentor and consult with writers locally and via Zoom who are creating feature length screenplays.

    I’ve written many treatments for my own scripts and also those of others — including a treatment “for hire” that got me, the producer who hired me, his film’s production manager and his line producer a “free trip” to the island of St. Maartens for a “location scout” trip courtesy of the island’s film commission! They were impressed by the 20 page treatment, which I created from our story discussions and also travel guidebooks. I now coach writers on creating their loglines, pitches, and 1-2 page sales synopses, which are the hardest things for writers to create for their own stories — much easier to write them for someone else’s story!

    Looking forward to more of your blog posts — again, thanks!!

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