I got this email today. It read, in part:
I am looking to license a script for a tv show and to be quite
honest I have no idea where to look for writers that are submitting there work
for licensing or purchase.
the script for a book? A Toy? A play? A song? Well, regardless of how you’re looking to use the script, most TV shows & movies are owned by studios, so you’d be
licensing the script/characters from them, not the writers, for whatever project
you have in mind.
I got this reply:
Basically I’m looking to find a writer to write a tv show for
me. I was thinking about it and most likely I won’t find someone with a script
that fits what I’m looking for. I’m not exactly sure. If I can find a writer
that has a script that is close to what I’m looking for then it will work. If
not then I need to find a writer that can write a tv show for me. Where can I go
to find available writers?
Walk into any Starbucks or restaurant in L.A. and shout: "Is anybody here a writer?" Then stand back and try not to get trampled. Seriously, though, I guess a lot depends on who you are (a production company? An investor? A toy company? Or just a guy with an idea and no idea how to sell it?), what kind of show you’re trying to do (is it an infomercial? A reality show? A documentary? A game show? A sitcom?), and what you have to offer the writer in return.
In the absense of specifics, I’d say you have a number of options.
You could contact the major talent agencies and let them know a) who you are and b) that you are looking for a qualified writer to do X project. The agents would check you out and, if you passed inspection, they would recommend clients they felt could do the job for the money being offered.
You could take an advertisement out in Variety and The Hollywood Reporter: "Wanted: A writer to do X. Please send your qualifications and sample scripts to..bla bla bla."
You could contact the various film schools, letting them know you’re looking for a talented young writer to do X project for X dollars.
That’s the best advice I’ve got for you given the limited info you’ve given me.
Why do I have a sneaking suspicion that this is not a high-powered Hollywood producer you have here? Or even a toy manufacturer. Or someone who knows what the word ‘license’ means.