Very early on you might find this choice has been made for you. People tend to want from you what they know you can already do, so your initial successes can define your path quite markedly.
It’s a classic complaint you hear from a lot of writers.
In my case, despite a keen interest in many different genres, I know I’ve been tagged as rather a dark, very male writer, who can do strong story, can actually deliver on female characters unlike most dark, male writers, but basically am the sort of writer you’ll go to when you want a crime script.
That has tended to mean the lighter, or the more fantastic, stuff I have written has struggled to find an home.
For example, I have developed a treatment for a great, family Event piece with another writer (an Easter Day Ealing comedy) and it’s sitting on the shelf because people get nervous – they aren’t sure I have proven I can deliver light, family style viewing.
It’s annoying on the one hand, as I know I can do much more than crime – and I have a kind of contemporary gothic romance about a circus that I’d kill to see made – but on the other hand it’s not a problem, because it does mean people come to me when they want a dark crime story precisely because of that reputation.
As there are a lot of crime shows being made, and developed, I keep working.
My point is: experiment like crazy when you are starting out – you might not get the chance later.
How To Write A Screenplay
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Interesting! I didn’t realize writers got so easily “typecast” for a particular genre.
It’s quite a subtle effect, and can surely be got out of over time with enough work, but its a real enough effect. Some novelists get over it, with their readers at least, by rebranding themselves completely for different genres of books.
This really opened my eyes Phil. As a former (never-was) actor, I had fallen (shoved maybe) into typecast roles (gee, I wonder why – long hair, California surfer boy). I never thought it could happen in writing. But to be brutally honest with you, your cop drama stuff is brilliant. So there. Sorry. But it is.
It would be interesting to read that Easter script though… huh? Think about it. You know where to find me.