Welcome to Development Hell: 3 Reasons You’re In It & 3 Tips to Get Out

Most screenwriters are familiar with the phrase ‘Development Hell’. If you’ve ever optioned a TV show, or film script and felt like it was your ‘big break’ - only to find yourself months later with zero momentum on your project - you know what I’m talking about. Unfortunately development is a place where excitement and creativity can turn into frustration, and on bad days, bitterness.

If you are in development hell, know you’re not alone. Most (if not all) writers go through some version of ‘writer-purgatory’ where their deal isn’t being closed or their script isn’t moving towards production as fast as they’d like it to. 

That being said, if you’ve been in development for 6 months to a year and you haven’t seen even a glimpse of forward motion, something is probably wrong.

Here are 3 reasons you might be trapped in development stagnancy, and 3 tips to get out of there (or at least make you feel more empowered in the process):

Reasons you and your project might be stuck:

You’re in Rewrite Limbo

The production company or producer you’re working with keeps asking you for rewrite after rewrite before they’ll take it out (rewrites are normal, but if you’re in ‘rewrite double digits’ chances are something isn’t right, and it isn’t you). A lot of screenwriters, especially emerging writers, are so eager to please they accept any and all notes and just keep going back to the drawing board regardless of who the notes are coming from. Not all notes are created equal: notes coming from a ‘junior producer’ are different from notes coming from a studio executive, real financier, potential director, or interested lead actor. Also too many unnecessary rewrites from too many opinions can turn your unique story, written from your unique voice, into a convoluted mess. Also, if you’re doing all this writing for free, you’re being taken advantage of.

You don’t REALLY know who’s helming the ship

Getting ‘optioned’ is exciting. Whether it’s for a lot of money, or just a dollar and a contract, most writers feel compelled to shout their accomplishment from the roof tops as soon as they get an offer. Don’t let your eagerness get the best of you: before making a commitment research the company or person who wants your script. If it’s a company, have they had success making a show like yours before, or do they have the connections to make it a reality? If it’s a producer, are they experienced, and do they have a plan for how they’re going to get your script sold, or show financed? What’s your contract agreement? Have you given them six months to shop your show, or are you bound to them for one or two years? Know who you’re doing business with before you sign on the dotted line so it doesn’t come back and bite you later.

Your Team isn’t ‘Going with the Flow’

It’s called ‘development’ for a reason: it’s not just a period of time when the script undergoes changes, it’s also a time for adjusting the budget, cast, crew and expectations. If your production company, producer (or even yourself) stays stuck on a certain cast member, budget or director they feel is necessary to get the green light on your project you might be in trouble. If you are going after a lead actor who is busy for the next couple years, a budget that is unrealistic to secure financing, or a director or showrunner who can’t commit, you might need to rethink things. Hollywood moves fast and a plan of attack that made sense when you signed the agreement can become obsolete only months later.

Tips to break free of development hell:

Set Your Limit

Like I said above, rewrites are definitely part of the development process, but if you are told to do more than five rewrites and there’s no end in sight - stop. Make sure your agreement clearly states how many rewrites are expected of you, and that any further revisions will only be done if truly necessary (if those notes are coming from attached or soon-to-be-attached directors, lead actors, or future distributors). Yes, you should be willing to work with your team’s notes, but there is a point where it crosses over into being taken advantage of. And, if the rewrites are taking you too far away from the original vision everyone got excited about, consider leaving the project. Even if you’re a newbie you can say: “Given the direction this is going in, I might not be the right writer for it.” Set your limit.

Course Correct  

If you’re over six months into development and you haven’t seen any movement at all (I’m talking not even a hint of a step forward), it’s probably time to refresh and revitalize your IP. You might need to change the story setting, or maybe the age, gender, or race of your main characters. Lower your budget, or increase your budget. Turn it into a series rather than a film. Go after a different lead actress or different director. I’m not saying completely compromise the story you want to tell (as I said in the previous point, you don’t want to change your project so much that it no longer resembles the original idea everyone loved), but I am saying be open-minded. Even though you shouldn’t let a producer or company push you around, if your project is at a standstill, it never hurts to consider coming at it from a different direction.

Build an Airtight Agreement

If you’re in an option agreement that you know isn’t working, get the advice of an entertainment lawyer on exactly what your rights are. Or, if you haven’t signed an agreement, make sure you get one and put in contingencies that relate to performance and progress. But, be realistic: you do need to have a healthy dose of patience during development, it can take years to get a film or TV series made, but an airtight agreement that outlines how your producer or company is going to do everything they can (in a timely manner) to get your project made, can help give you peace of mind. 

What are your tips to survive development hell? Let me know @CaroleKirsch!