Writing for the Screen

What is a Pitch …?

And Why and How Do You Do It?

▶ By Joshua Malkin

Strangely, I was fairly far along in my screenwriting pursuits before becoming fully aware of a disappointing wrinkle. In order to make a living in Hollywood, I wasn’t just expected to write. A screenwriting career would be accompanied by the unsavory prospect of presenting film stories aloud, face-to-face, and sometimes face-to-several-faces-at-once.

This ran counter to what I appreciated about writing in the first place—the opportunity to groom every thought and phrase prior to presentation. I’d long regarded the written word as a shield, assuming that “me on paper” was much stronger than “me in a room with strangers.” I’m shy, and the prospect of public speaking made my palms ...