As a script consultant, I work closely with writers to help them develop their screenplays. I help them develop plot, character, tone and texture, as well as identifying problem areas in the script that keep any or all of those things from working as well as they could. I also help writers figure out a game plan for how best to market their work - from identifying who the buyers for that type of script would be in the marketplace, to helping them solicit representation for themselves and their work (ie agents, managers, attorneys, other producers/production companies, etc.).

EDUCATION | I attended Wright State University and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts

HOW TO GET STARTED | There are a lot of people who do what I do, and they come at it from different angles. My approach to a script is through the eyes of a producer. I treat each script as though I were looking at it to produce - and make my suggestions from that perspective. Other consultants are working screenwriters themselves, or former development executives from the studio film world, mainly. In order for anyone to be qualified to do this job, you've got to have a good sense of story, know what makes a successful screenplay (and yes, I am talking about structure!), and have read THOUSANDS of scripts. It also helps to be a really good listener. Every writer is different, as is their process. It's important to be able to know HOW to talk to a writer - and that's as much an instinct as it is a learned discipline. If you're interested in this line of work, I would suggest (in addition to reading thousands of scripts) reading and digesting every screenwriting book you can get your hands on - from Joseph Campbell's "The Hero With a Thousand Faces" to Blake Snyder's "Save the Cat" - and everything in between. Taking screenwriting classes from produced writers is also an invaluable tool.

MUST HAVE TRAITS | Patience, intuition, good reading glasses, analytical, compassion

how I got started | I started my career as an Off-Broadway actress in New York, having studied with some of the best acting teachers in the City. I worked with many up-and-coming playwrights, mostly on new plays. Eventually, I found that I had a good sense of story, and an ear for what was and was not working with the plays on stage, and ended up working as a dramaturge on many of those same plays. This led me to producing theater, and because I also loved film, I started teaching myself what went into a great screenplay, too. My first produced film was a beautiful marriage of my two loves - "Finding Neverland" was based on a play that my partner and I optioned from a playwright I had worked with years before as an actress. After having worked with dozens of screenwriters on projects I was developing, I branched out to help writers of screenplays that I wasn't going to produce just get their material in better shape, and my third career was born.

why this job?| I LOVE working with writers. While producing is incredibly rewarding, not all of the projects you develop get made into films, so it was great for me to find a way to actually get paid during the months (and sometimes years) between the times when you get the cameras rolling. When I can help a writer find his/her voice, and help them take their work to the level where THEY can be recognized and paid for doing what THEY love, there's no better feeling.

why I love this job!| I LOVE working with writers, helping develop their work, and seeing the world through a different lens. I LOVE working in my pajamas. And, I LOVE getting paid to read.

my typical day| I get up early with my family, and am usually at my computer by 8:30, where I answer emails, catch up with where my various projects are headed, and return calls to the East Coast and Europe. In the middle of my day, I am either reading, writing notes, reading, reading, or doing phone consultations or in-person consultations if the writers are in or around LA. In the early evening, I answer writer's queries from my website and work on my calendar. After feeding the family and putting my son to bed, I am back at the computer either working on script notes, watching films, and then reading - til bedtime.

what they are | You're not going to connect with every writer, and not every screenplay is worth saving. It's tremendously challenging to be able to talk to every writer in a language that they can understand, and to get to this "shorthand" in a very condensed amount of time. When people are looking to you for a professional opinion, and that opinion isn't favorable, the onus is on the professional to give the most constructive and honest notes possible, while juggling often fragile egos. All of that and there's not a predictable paycheck.

all about growth | People love movies, and with the advent of screenwriting software like Final Draft, everyone believes they can be a screenwriter - so there will always be a need for a script consultant. However, your repeat business is completely dependent on your integrity and the quality of your work, so your future employment really rests on your own shoulders.

my website| http://www.scriptswami.com