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If approached by someone to take a writing assignment on spec your initial knee-jerk reaction would more than likely be “Absolutely not! I am the greatest screenwriter that ever lived and I should be paid at a gold-bar-per word rate”. However there are times where accepting it could be beneficial to your career.

Of course any screenwriter starting out is doing it for free. If you don’t have a spec script to show at some point then you’re not a screenwriter you’re that guy who “hasn’t written a script yet but has alot of great ideas he’ll someday put to paper”. Or you’re a waiter.

However when it comes to writing on assignment for free the first and most logical question is “What am I getting out of this?”

Lets face it, kids. The only thing lower on the Hollywood food chain than a successful screenwriter is an aspiring screenwriter. And the odds are stacked against us to get that next level. So in order to start leveling the playing field you’re gonna have to make some sacrifices for your craft consisting of time and effort.

Its should be a surprise to no one that the film industry runs on connections. And those business relationships are worth their weight in gold. This not only goes for those already established in The Biz but those aspiring like yourself. You never know who is gonna be the next big thing, be it producer, director or writer. This is something to keep in mind when someone asks you to write a project for them.

But overall it comes down to two simple questions –

Who

As I just mentioned above you never know who might help send your career into the stratosphere. However (as with everything else in life), common sense needs to play a key factor in all this. Should you write the script for a guy who has a connection to Brad Pitt because he’s his long lost brother? Or is it the struggling actor who had a minor role in a decent independent film but made a few connections along the way? Anyone making grand claims but needing the help of a struggling writer to take over Hollywood should be instantly suspect in your mind. File it under the old adage “If something sounds to good to be true then it probably is”. Also be on the lookout for anyone asking for, in addition to your talent, any sort of “investment”. The wonderful thing about living in this technological era is that its easier to check out someone’s claims and credentials on such websites as IMDB. But if you’re ultimately still on the fence just listen to your instincts.

What

Equally important is deciding which project you accept in your consideration. If you’re willing to write for free then you damn well better believe in it. Your ongoing enthusiam and belief in the project make great condiments to helping you survive another dreadful dinner of Top Ramen noodles. That belief should be steeped in simple box office logic. Why would you waste your efforts on a three hour-period-piece whose two chances of getting made are slim and none?

This leads to the other consideration — Effort. You already know you’re giving up time but how much are you willing to give up? I was once offered the chance to write a script about the Vietnam War through the eyes of a helicopter pilot. The perspective did have some potential so I considered developing the script . . . At least until I learned that he had cases and cases of research ready for me. But what finally drove the stake through the project’s heart was the fact Vietnam War movies had completely burned out at the box office. I just couldn’t see myself wasting so much time and effort on something that was never gonna happen. And neither should you.

One last thing to keep in mind regarding a free writing assignment is contracts, which is far too complicated issue to discuss here. Just remember that producers will fill you with empty promises in order to write on spec for them. Do not write a single word until a written agreement is created regarded your future compensation.