Proofreading Edit & Critique Service For Screenplays, Screenwriting, Novel Writers

Go forward and win!

Screenplays
Editing $45.00 Flat Fee: Includes evaluating for script formatting to industry standards, spelling, grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, etc.

Critique $50.00 Flat Fee: Includes evaluating the four basis elements of a script- introduction, development, climax, conclusion, & character development ( are very detailed) Critiques also provide suggestions for improvements and enhancement. 

Editing & Critique combination discount $75.00 Flat Fee (when both services are ordered)

Rush Jobs $60.00 flat fee (rush jobs are done for editing ONLY. Sometimes writers need their scripts edited within a short time to meet a deadline. Rush jobs take 2 to 3 days. So send your script 5 days before your deadline. That way the editing will be done in 2 to 3 days, and I'll have 2 more days to review the edited script.)

Query Letters: $25.00 Flat Fee (this will not change.)
Synopsis: $25.00 Flat Fee(for scripts only)

Turnaround time:
Editing: 2 week
Critique: 2 week
Editing & Critique combination: 3 to 4 weeks
Letter: 2 weeks (it takes this long because the script must be read or else the writer sends a summary instead)
Scripts can be received as email attachments or by postal mail, whichever works best for you.  



I have been getting a lot of request for loglines. I give different prices . Since I have so many requests for this service, I decided to set a single fix price.

Logline: $5.00 Flat Fee

A synopsis or summery is required. It well be used to form the logline. The logline is just one line.


Contact me at ahicks4298@q.com, or call at (360) 696-4298. Ask for Frances.



Scripts for Film Shorts
Editing $25.00 Flat Fee: Includes evaluating for script formatting to industry standards, spelling, grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, etc.

Critique $30.00 Flat Fee: Includes evaluating the four basis elements of a script- introduction, development, climax, conclusion, & character development ( are very detailed) Critiques also provide suggestions for improvements and enhancement. 

Editing & Critique combination discount $40.00 Flat Fee (when both services are ordered)

Rush Jobs $30.00 flat fee (rush jobs are done for editing ONLY. Sometimes writers need their scripts edited within a short time to meet a deadline. Rush jobs take 2 to 3 days. So send your script 5 days before your deadline. That way the editing will be done in 2 to 3 days, and I'll have 2 more days to review the edited script.)


Turnaround time:
Editing: 2 week
Critique: 2 week
Editing & Critique combination: 2 to 3 weeks
Scripts can be received as email attachments or by postal mail, whichever works best for you.  

Script / Screenplay Development Service 
This service provides a detail scene by scene outline based on a script or story idea.
● It outlines the whole story starting from the beginning of the story to the end of the story.
● It develops and tells the story, explaining what happens in each scene.
● It provides the description and action paragraphs for the script.
● The writer can use the outline to write the script. It basically tells the story fully and how it pays out from start to finish. The writer only has to provide the dialog.

Sometimes writers have trouble developing the plot for their stories and making them compelling. This service helps remedy this. The outline helps keep the writer focused and simplify the script writing process.

If you are interested in the scene by scene outline, contact me. I will gladly send an example of a complete scene by scene outline.

Grow, ideas! Grow!

Fee: $100.00 
Turnaround Time: 4 weeks



Books
Editing $95.00 Flat Fee: Includes evaluating for  spelling, grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, etc. No changes are made to story content.  This is only done for books that are complete.

Critique $125.00 Flat Fee: Includes evaluating the introduction, development, climax, conclusion, & character development ( are very detail) Critiques also provide suggestions for improvements and enhancement. 



Query Letter: $25.00 Flat Fee (can be written from synopsis)

Turnaround time:
Editing: 5 week
Critique: 5 weeks
Letter: 2 weeks (when only a letter is  requested, the writer must send a synopsis of the book. The synopsis is used to write the letter.)

Books are received by postal mail, or email attachments. If sent by email, use the following formats: wordpad, notepad, MSword.doc, or Wordperfect.

All payments are received by Paypal, cashier check, or money order.
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Testimonials:

“Wow, terrific notes, you truly have an excellent service.  And your price is unbeatable.  Thank you so much for the time and effort you spent.  I’m fortunate to have found you.  I would recommend you to anyone who wants their screenplay to be top-notch.”   - Carlo Simone, screenwriter, Canada

"Thanks for a very thorough and well structured review. I really can't thank you enough for the obvious effort that went into this and the valuable ideas and inspiration for the rewrite coming out of it.

Cheers and all the best. " - Damian, UK,  film script writer

"Thanks so much for taking Funk City to task and asking the questions that define how much farther the writer will need to go to see improvement in his work. A very useful tool and it's these questions that I will have to satisfy in order to get the script into the shape that it deserves. The critique was  very thoughtful and detailed ." -  Rickey, UK, novelist

"Hi, Frances.
Thanks for the critique of 16 Pysche. You certainly know your stuff and have given me plenty of food for thought." - Tim, USA California, screenwriter 

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If you are interested in my services, feel free to email me or call at (360) 696 - 4298. Ask for Frances.

Email Contact: ahicks4298@q.com   ormailto:ahicks4298@msn.com


I will be happy to work for you!


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InkTip: The Marketplace For Screenwriters

All of the writers I have been working with have asked what is a way for them to query agents and producers other than mailing off queries. I tell them to try InkTip. In my opinion it is the best for new writers to get connected with  a producer. Several clients have been fortunate to make a sell through InkTip, after we got their script in good form of course. If you are interested in InkTip click below.

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Go forward and win!

If you need help with formatting your script, try my editing service for screenplays.

Screenplays

Editing: $45.00 Flat Fee

•  Evaluating formatting to industry standards
•  Spelling, grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, etc.

Critique: $50.00 Flat Fee
 Includes evaluating the basis elements of a script

•  Introduction
•  Development
•  Climax
•  Conclusion
• Character development 
•  Mid point development

Critiques also provide suggestions for improvements and enhancement. 


Payments are made by Paypal or cashier check by mail.


Feel free to contact me at ahicks4298@q.com or call at (360) 696-4298. address or ask for Frances.




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Search terms: Film script format, writing film scripts, screenwriting services, coverage service, screenplay formatting margins, screenplay writing, screenplay format example, Search terms: screenplays, screenwriting service, edit and critique service, writing screenplays, screenplay format, loglines, query letter, film scripts, movie scripts, screenplay format, screenplay synopsis, script synopsis, treatment, proofreading service for writers, novels, writing services, fiction writing

QUICK TIP: HOW TO DEVELOP YOUR CHARACTERS

Developing a character is like growing a tree.

1. Make a character study for each of your characters, defining the five traits discussed here: name, age, appearance, relationships and personality.

2. With a clean copy of your manuscript, get out a different colored highlighter for each character. Go through the manuscript one character at a time. Highlight whenever that character speaks and/or acts. If you try to do too many characters at the same time, shifting from one color to the other, I guarantee you will make a mistake at least once.

3.  Now read only the dialogue and actions of one of those colors. Does everything your character says sound true to her? What about her actions? If not, rewrite the passages that seem forced.

4. Did you notice one character, or maybe several, who appear in the beginning but not in the end, or vice versa? If so, they probably aren’t necessary to your story. Try deleting them or perhaps combining them with another character.

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Exploiting The Unlikely Character

How important is it to have your writing be fresh and surprising for a contest, agent or producer?
Very important.
It immediately identifies you as a writer with TALENT. It sets you apart from all the stale scripts that came in this week and means you are "someone to watch" at minimum.
In this article, we're going to work with one way to give your story, characters, action, and dialogue a unique spin. It came from the Fresh & Edgy Screenwriting Class and is one of seven FRESH Formats.

MOST UNLIKELY CHARACTER SAYS OR DOES _X_

We expect one character to say the standard line or take the standard action, but it comes from a character we'd never expect. So it is more interesting, even surprising. And the aftermath adds a new dimension to that character.

There are two simple ways to do this:

1. You have a line or action that you absolutely need, but it feels tired and cliche.

So try it with different characters saying the line or taking the action and select one that surprises us, but still fits the extreme of that character.

OR

2. You have a character saying a cliche line and you don't really need the exact line. So brainstorm the unlikely lines for that character to say or actions for them to take.

Using either method will accomplish the same result. You'll have an unlikely character saying or doing something that will be surprising for the audience.

CAUTION: I'm not saying that you should take your characters out of the realm of who they are. Many times, you'll start with a line that another character should say, but with some tweaking, it will become a line that fits the "unlikely character."
Now that we've discussed the steps for this format, let me ask a quick question:

If someone is being tortured and another person doing the torturing, which would you expect to be whining?

To answer that question, let's look at the opening scene from SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE.

---

Page 1...

OVER THIS the screams of a man under torture. The screams are coming from the curtained stage.

VOICE (O.S.)

You Mongrel! Why do you howl when it is
I who am bitten?

NOTE: There it is! One man is being tortured, but the voice wants to know why he is howling. The voice complains about his own personal pain -- being bitten.

INT. THE ROSE THEATRE. STAGE. DAY.

The theatre owner, PHILLIP HENSLOWE, is the man screaming. HENSLOWE'S boots are on fire.
He is pinioned in a chair, with his feet stuck out over the hot coals of a fire burning in a brazier.
He is being held in that position by LAMBERT, who is a thug employed by FENNYMAN, who is the
owner of the VOICE. The fourth man, FREES, is FENNYMAN'S bookkeeper.

FENNYMAN

What am I, Mr. Lambert?

LAMBERT

Bitten, Mr. Fennyman.

NOTE: Now, we see that it is Henslowe that is being tortured, but Fennyman continues to whine about being bitten. He even enlists the assistance of his men to complain for him.
It makes for fun dialogue and an ironic scene.

FENNYMAN

How badly bitten, Mr. Frees?

FREES

Twelve pounds, one shilling and four pence,
Mr. Fennyman, including interest.

HENSLOWE

Aaagh! I can pay you!

FENNYMAN

When?

HENSLOWE

Two weeks, three at the most, Aaaagh! For
pity's sake.

As the scene continues, there's a negotiation. Henslowe has a play...from Shakespeare...and offers a partnership. They haggle in what resembles a movie business negotiation. The writers, Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard made some brilliant decisions as they wrote this opening, one of them being the selection of an unlikely character to whine.
If you are thinking this is a small thing, look again. Having the unlikely character take an important action can create a major twist or even introduce a main character in a fresh way.

---

Consider these movies and you'll see the value of this simple technique.
A TOUCHING MOMENT...

SABRINA -- The chauffeur's daughter has spent her life feeling like she was less than the wealthy people he served. After a series of failed relationships with the sons, she decides to go back to Paris. As she is packing, the chauffeur tells her how he listened to his boss make stock deals...and invested each time. "He bought, I bought. He sold, I sold."

She says "What are you telling me? That you have a million dollars." He responds "No. Four million." It is a touching moment because it changes the image of the father and the status of the daughter.

THE MOTHER OF THE FUTURE

TERMINATOR -- An incompetent waitress is hunted down by two killers from the future. In the midst of the chase, it is revealed that she, a ditz who can't get a date, is the #1 target of the Terminators because of her unborn child who will lead the rebellion.

I SEE DEAD PEOPLE

SIXTH SENSE -- Bruce Willis has one client -- A young boy who sees dead people and must come to terms with it. But Bruce has a series of problems of his own. In the end, it turns out that the most unlikely character (the boy) solves Bruce's problems by helping him recognize that he is actually dead.

WATCH HIS FOOT...

USUAL SUSPECTS -- The whole movie, we've been listening to Verbal Kint beg, bargain, whine, and relate the story of the most terrifying man on Earth -- Keyser Soze. Verbal is being held in the police station and just wants to negotiate a deal. He doesn't want to go to jail and he doesn't want to face the wrath of Keyser Soze.

Who is the most unlikely character to be Keyser Soze? If you don't know the answer, I won't spoil it.

---

WHAT'S IT ALL MEAN?

I could go on and on about times this technique has been used to create fresh writing. It happens in movies like The Godfather, Mission Impossible, Schindler's List, Casablanca, and at least 100 more. Sometimes it is used in a small way, sometimes, it is the most important twist in the movie.




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How Dramatic Are Your Lead Characters?

Four years ago, I gave a lady feedback on her first 3 pages with the agreement that I could use it as an example.  It was a great decision because it uncovered an extremely important principle...

...Your lead characters need to be DESIGNED to create drama! 

Before she sent me the script, the writer launched into how much she loved her main character and how I couldn't possibly get the true value of the character out of three pages.  She wanted me to experience ALL of the drama that happened to her lead character, which is a reasonable request, but something about it bothered me. 

I asked her to email me her lead character's profile, also.  Here is what she emailed me:

--------------BEGIN PROFILE----------------------

DESCRIPTION:  JERRY is a strong farmer turned coach who would never harm a flea.

TRAITS:  Kind, generous, caring, strong.

SUBTEXT:  Jerry has always wanted to travel, but never complains about it.

--------------END PROFILE------------------------

The story is about a small town football team who ended up playing in a nation-wide football contest.  It is a Hoosiers for football -- except that it didn't have the coach who was kicked out of the college league for hitting a player or the alcoholic father who embarrasses his kid or the sister who won't let the star player play for the team or the town who hates the coach. 

In fact, it didn't have ANY CONFLICT AT ALL.

Now, look back at the profile of Jerry.  DO YOU SEE ANY DRAMA springing from that character? 

Neither do I.

For drama to happen around this character, it would have to happen TO THIS CHARACTER.  In reality, Jerry is a parasite for this story instead of a character who generates an amazing story.  He is a passive character that should be a low level supporting character...at best.

IMPORTANT:  You want LEAD CHARACTERS that bring drama to the story.  Even if they are reluctant at first, there's something about these characters that INSTIGATES or naturally causes some kind of conflict.

KEY POINT:  If you create dull characters, they'll say dull things and take dull actions.  But if you create characters that naturally cause drama, interesting action and dialogue will spring up throughout your screenplay. 

For this example, I'm going to take the Jerry character down one path.  When I worked with the writer, we went down multiple paths, that each had Jerry be dramatic in different ways. 

Also, remember, I'm only focusing on making this character more dramatic.  There are many other things that could be done to make the lead be the perfect person for us to follow throughout this story (see those in the Pushing The Envelope class), but let's start with increasing the drama. 

Here is a partial profile for our new Jerry:

--------------BEGIN PROFILE 2----------------------

DESCRIPTION:  JERRY is a farmer/coach who is trying hard to control his
violent rages.

TRAITS:  Kind, generous, strong, vicious.

SUBTEXT:  Jerry is using farming to cover his fugitive status from an
argument that turned into a homicide.

--------------END PROFILE------------------------

Just notice what that did for the drama.  Instead of this sweet coach who couldn't bring drama to the high school theater group, we have a guy who has violent rages, who can be vicious, and who is hiding a very dark secret.

The more successful his football team becomes, the more the risk that Jerry will be identified and arrested.  But he loves the kids he's coaching and is going to have to decide between giving them his all, risking arrest, versus hiding out and ending their chance of becoming great.  That gives him an emotional dilemma that will run throughout the story. 

And someone is watching him -- someone who suspects that Jerry may be the fugitive.  At some point, his past will catch up with him and that will give us an emotional and violent climax.

How much more drama does this character bring to the story when compared to the first?   100%, 200%, or 500%?

Now, look at the "before and after" profiles of Jerry .  Which of the two Jerry profiles will be easier to create dramatic scenes with?   Which profile will naturally create more unique scenes?  Which will naturally have more interesting dialogue?

Are you seeing this, yet?

All I did was give Jerry one interesting trait and some subtext.  I didn't really create anything new in the description.  It was simply a combination of the vicious trait and Jerry's need to cover his fugitive status.

BTW, we could do the same thing to make Jerry more humorous, more afraid, more outgoing, more conflicted, more insane, or any other outcome you choose.

This is just a matter of knowing the vision of the story and having the character fulfill that vision in the most interesting and dramatic way.  So you create different versions of Jerry until you find one that fulfills all three criteria listed above.

Remember, we're looking for more dramatic characters; thus more dramatic and extreme traits.

-------------------

If you like this way of working with characters, you'll love the

Pushing The Envelope class
Learn the MAXIMUM ENTERTAINMENT model that had the TV show LOST be the #1 show on TV for five years running.

1.  Get to the Essence of whatever you write.
2.  Tell the story through Inherently Dramatic Characters.
3.  Put those characters in Challenging Situations.
3.  Write each scene through Maximum Interest.

This profound model can double the quality of your writing and turn any script into a page-turner.

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