So, hello everyone at Simply Scripts.  I am not good usually at these introductions, but I thought I'd do one since I want to get to know people here. :)

Well, I live in Northern Ireland.  The city of Belfast (Titanic was built here, impressive right?  Yes?  No?).  I am a student.  I have a part-time job at a fashion retailer.  I am 16 years old.  And my dream, like everyone else here probably, is to make it big as a screen-writer.

I've written a surge of horror/slasher fan fictions.  But recently finished Blake Snyder's Save The Cat! and have since finished my first spec-script.  When I figure put how to apply it to be uploaded, I shall do do it!

So, I have been lurking here for ages.  You all seem nice and this seems like an awesome community.  I hope to make good friends and improve as a screenwriter. :)

Hey, AIK -

Welcome to SS!  Looking forward to seeing your script up on the portal.  Think you'll be in good company here: there are tons of horror fans on the board. And - I assure you - you'll get lots of input (both good and bad.)  Keep your eyes open, be willing to learn ...and you'll have fun.  This is a great group of people....and very educational, too.

--Wonka

Welcome to SS.

Just be honest with your opinions and thoughts and you should fit in nicely.

One quick question, are we allowed to know your name...?

Good luck with your writing.

Arty.

Welcome to SS :) Good to meetcha. Look forward to reading your scripts :)

dena aka pale yellow

Quoted from AmbitionIsKey You all seem nice and

We will feast on your soul!!!

and welcome to the boards.


Phil

Okay.  Hands down Phil's welcoming was the best.  Just sayin.  Lol.

And my name is Curtis, btw.  But I have many nicknames.  Call me Curty or Curty Pie or Curtypop or anything really.  The script I will be posting is my first proper attempt at a spec script and it is a drama, I'll make sure to submit it later. :)

Thanks everyone for the welcomes!

Until your script shows up on the board Curt, you should read/review other people's scripts.  It will help you get read when it's your time.


Phil

I shall do that :). I was wondering if anyone could suggest any good coming of age scripts.  Teenage angst.  Stuff like that.  That be muh wantz, lol.

Welcome aboard, Curt.

If you've been lurking, you know SS is a Quid Pro Quo kind of world, so as Phil recommended, jump in now and make yourself known by reading and commenting on lots of scripts. It will really help when you post your won work.

Hey Curt,

Welcome aboard. Not sure about teen angst, but I would suggest these two:

Left Hand Paths http://www.simplyscripts.net/cgi-bin/Blah/Blah.pl?b-drama/m-1335647344/s-new/

Thistles http://www.simplyscripts.net/cgi-bin/Blah/Blah.pl?b-drama/m-1317851707/s-new/

They combine drama and horror. They involve teenagers. And, imo, will mess you up. :)

Hope you enjoy it here.  

Gabe

Hey curt welcome - no need to repeat the advice above, it's all sound.

My only other thing is to recommend using the portal button, if you didn't already know.

So far, Mr.Ripley, Thistles has been awesome. :). Thanks for the welcome!

Hey Reef, thanks!  And I feel like such a blonde, what's the portal button? Lol.

Quoted from AmbitionIsKey So far, Mr.Ripley, Thistles has been awesome. :). Thanks for the welcome! Hey Reef, thanks!  And I feel like such a blonde, what's the portal button? Lol.

Top of the discussion board - press it and it shows all current active threads.

Leave reviews, Curt. No matter if you think you're not fit to critique. Opinion's are gold here.

Gabe

PS. sorry for not capitalizing C in your name.

Yeah, that's my main concerns about leaving reviews here.  I don't want people to be all "oh, he's only 16.  He's a darn kid, what does he know!" when I am leaving a critique, so hopefully it doesn't go that way!

I'm actually just about half-way done Thistles :)  

And thanks, Reef!

Welcome to the boards Curt!

Yeah, any opinion is better than no opinion...in my opinion.  People are grateful of any input and gladly return the favor.  So best of luck, can't wait to check out some of your writing.

-Johnny

Welcome to SS Curty Popsicles!

I'm excited to read your work, hope to see it here soon.

Johnny *nuts* (Sorry Johnny, we've seemed to be sitting next to each other on the forum train, hahaha)

Thanks John, and I agree with what 'choo said!

And ohhh, I already gots a nickname!  Success!  Woo!  Curty Popsicles, haha.  Thanks!  And I'm excited to get my work here too.  The script I'll post is like my first proper spec-script.

I've written a few fan-fictions (Scream 5, Scream 6, Friday the 13th reboot) but I would never dream of posting theme here since I wrote them when I was first starting out.

I also have written a horror script called The Black Bay Woods.  I might/might not post it here.  Before I post anything though, I will review a couple scripts first :)

YOU'RE ALL SO NICE AND NON-MURDEROUS.

Quoted from AmbitionIsKey Yeah, that's my main concerns about leaving reviews here.  I don't want people to be all "oh, he's only 16.  He's a darn kid, what does he know!" when I am leaving a critique, so hopefully it doesn't go that way!

You write this as if a teen's opinion is worth less than someone older.  In reality, we need opinions from a wide variety of people to see how our scripts hold up.

Read a script and write what you feel.


Phil

Oh - and one more bit of advice about reviews?  My two cents (although I'm sure it'll be echoed by everyone else.)

Don't hold back.  Don't worry about hurting someone's feelings. Say exactly what you feel.  Be respectful, of course.  And don't pick things apart for no reason.

But in the world of writing, constructive criticism is far, far more valuable than sugarcoated praise...  :)

Quoted from AmbitionIsKey YOU'RE ALL SO NICE AND NON-MURDEROUS.

Yeah, well. Give us time.   ;D

;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

I'm the nice one.  Watch out for those wolves in fake sheep costumes.

Welcome to the boards, Curt. Looking forward to some of your work.

Will

Thanks Phil, for the reassurance! :)  I agree with 'ya bout that!

@Wonk -- yea, I agree.  I dislike when people sugar-coat things so in reviews I give I shall make sure not to do that!  

@Dreamscale -- Hi!  And, oh, okay, ha!  I... guess.. I will? lol.

@Crooke -- Thanks!  Oh, I guess you guys can call me Curt, since everyone seems to write that and it gives me an excuse to leave out two letters in my name when typing.  I be lazy.

Welcome to SS Curt!

The more you read other people's scripts the faster others are willing to return the favor.

Don't worry about your age, we have quite a few youngsters on this site. Including Dan Botha aka (Jeff Jr. in training) who's your age. He's come a long way in a short time with his writing and reviews and I'm sure if you're willing to put in the time and energy that he has nobody will even notice that your a teenager.

Best of luck!

- Dirk

Welcome!

The most important thing is to be a seeker, not a parrot.

Good Luck

-ghostwriter

@Dirk -- I shall keep that in mind. :)  And thanks!

@ghostwriter -- Thanks!  And um, I am bot sure what that means but your cool avatar and awesome username is enough to make me say: okay!

YOU GUYS ARE ALL SO WELCOMING!

Quoted from AmbitionIsKey Yeah, that's my main concerns about leaving reviews here.  I don't want people to be all "oh, he's only 16.  He's a darn kid, what does he know!"

Trust me mate, no one on the boards is like that. I'm 15 years old and I have yet to have someone criticize me purely on my age. They're all incredibly friendly and encouraging as long as you treat others the same way.

Welcome to the boards. If you're serious about writing, stick around. It's a great place to learn.

Oh yeah, 'Thistles' is also my favourite script on the boards. I have a feeling you and I are going to get on just fine CurtyPoo/Pie/Pop.

New members are awesome when you give us so many nicknames to reference you by ;D ;D

Cheers and welcome :)

Dan

Quoted from Dreamscale I'm the nice one.

Quoted from CurtyBooBop Hi!  And, oh, okay, ha!  I... guess.. I will? lol.

You're in for a nice surprise ;D ;D. In all seriousness, if you ever get a review from Jeff don't take it personally. He'll ht it hard, but it's all worth it :)

Hey Curt

What about ye mucker? :D:D:D:D  "A wee belfast wain" :D:D:D

Don't gloat too much about the titanic... it didn't have a happy ending :D although it was driven by the english :D:D:D

It's a great site, with great people all willing to help, as was noted don't be afraid to leave reviews, any comments... it's all good.

Mark

@Dan -- Thanks, Dan!  That puts me at ease a lot more.  So, it's nice to hear, especially from someone the same age :)  Thanks for the welcome, and yea Thistles was a very good read!  I love "movies" like that, with gritty, urban indie feels to them so I enjoyed it a lot.

And, hahahahaha, glad choo like all 'dem nicknames then! :P  You seem awesome!


@Mark -- Agh!  Oh my God!  Another Irish?!  Say what?!  Well mate, what about c'ye?  You seem like good craic like, Markkkk!  Hahahaha, it's comforting to see someone use Belfast slang, so thanks for the warm welcome!  And hey!  In Belfast we hardly made the ice-berg, did we "ni" :P

Yea, it so far seems like a really great site with considerate and nice users, I think I'll stick around!  

Yo, Curtster!

Don't trust any of the Americans on this board - especially Arizonians.

Keep an eye on the English and other mad Irishmen.

Only listen to the truth given to you by me and the other few Aussies.

stevie

I'm an old derry head living in upstate ny : D

If you have any questions just pm me

Mark

P.S I have a wee short floating around the portal called " Unlikely Temptations of Christ"  it's a wee bit of craic :D

Check it out if you want to... if not it's all good too.:)

@Stevie: Ha, Curtster.  Another nickname to add to the pile :P  I'm not big on Aussie's at the moment, 'cause my Aunt is out living there at the moment and she cannot find a job.  Damn you Down Undah, give her a job, hahaha.  Either way, you seem awesome!  Thanks for the welcome!

And agh, Mark!  That is my other dream!  Dream 1) Become a professional screen-writer.  Dream 2) Live in NYC.

Cannot believe you went from Derry to NY, good for you!  And excitement!  I am going on holiday to New York City on March 28th, and will  be staying on a 7th Avenue Apartment/Hotel thing for six days!

I'll be sure to give it a look also, if you say it's dah craic like! :P

Quoted from AmbitionIsKey I'm not big on Aussie's at the moment, 'cause my Aunt is out living there at the moment and she cannot find a job.  Damn you Down Undah, give her a job, hahaha.

That's because all the jobs are going to the Kiwis who get sick of New Zealand and move to the "better" country  instead ;D

Good to see you meeting people you can relate to. You'll be just fine over here...

All I know is dat the Irish be awesome!  Okay!  Haha!

And thanks, I deffo love it here already! :)

Quoted from AmbitionIsKey 2) Live in NYC.

Woo-boy.  There, you went and did it!  For the record, both Dogglebe (Phil) and I live in NYC.  Bronx, to be exact (the part of NY with the toughest reputation.)  :)

Honestly, wouldn't live anywhere else!  Although I'd really love to travel more, if the budget were available for such things...

For what it's worth - visited Ireland about twenty years ago, and really enjoyed it. Scotland, too....

But - if you've got any NYC questions, feel free to ask. :)

New York City is somewhere I have always wanted to live in. :)

Hopefully I love it when I finally visit in March!  Yea, Ireland is fun.  It's just boring at times.  Not where I want my life to be.  The weather sucks also.  I haven't had a warm day in five months.  Snow, rain, wind... Yea.  Lol.

And I will, I'm sure my Aunt and Cousin whom I will be travelling with will have lots, so I shall note them and make sure to ask you!  Thanks :)

Great!  Feel free to pick our brains.  Just to start off...  You've probably already done alot of research on NYC already.  But - IMHO - DON'T miss out out on the following trips:

* Chinatown
* A HUGE trip to the East Village, and all the restaurants and shops! (This will probably take an entire day)
* Then a walk through Times Square, just to see all the neon...  :) (With glimpses of the Empire State Building, Grand Central,  and 5th avenue, and maybe the Museum of Natural History - if you're into such things.)

:)

I went the opposite way from Janet..
I moved from the city(queens)  to upstate New  York... the quieter life :) but still driving distance of the city.

I also arrived on "holiday"  for the st paddy's parade 13 years ago..
An Italian wife 2 daughters and an US Citizenship later...

Enjoy your trip... NY is without the 2nd greatest city ever(after Derry of course)

Mark

@Janet -- I deffo want to visit Chinatown, apparently the atmosphere is amazing.  And I'm staying somewhere on 7th Avenue so tackling Times Square will be a breeze!  I wanna ride a subway, I wanna go to Trinity Church, do a tour, so many things!

@Mark -- And what?!  Mark, that is amazing!  That is such a fairytale!  Right on, muckarrr!  

And I noticed a typo.  You said Derry.  Clearly you mean Belfast, right? :P

Janet brings up some good things, but there are plenty more.

Saint Patrick's Cathedral is pretty incredible, whether or not you are Catholic, or even religious;

While the Statue of Liberty is very difficult (if not impossible) to get into now, you can always see it from the Staten Island Ferry.  It's a very impressive ride and it's free.

The Museum of Natural History is awesome.  Two words for ya:  dinosaur. bones.

The Intrepid Air Sea and Space Museum should still have the Challenger space shuttle.

The East Village is something you want to do at night, particularly Saint Mark's Place.

If you were of drinking age, I could've told you where to go for drinking.  Too bad.


Phil

Wow, Phil all of that sounds great!  Gah, I wish I could fit it all in!  I'll only be in NYC for six days, and knowing my cousin and Aunt they'll wanna go shopping mad!

Welcome Curt

You seem to be a very friendly, people person...

That's refreshing and always welcome.

I, for one, look forward to reading your script and as mentioned by several people here, age makes no mind. You're getting a great head start on your writing.

I didn't even think about writing until a few years ago and I'm now 50.

Have fun, write a lot and by all means...

If you see a fight brewing on a thread, let me know about it, so we can get into it together.

Take care

Shawn.....><

Shawn, you seem like my 'kinda guy!  Yes, I would say I am a people person for sure!  I love meeting new people, I already feel like this is an awesome community of clearly talented writers!

I am glad people on here do not seem to think age matters.  It is so nice to see such open-minded, likable people!

And, hahahahaha @ the fight thing!  You're awesome, man! :P I am totally against violence, but I will watch at the sidelines and cheer you on with a pitch fork for sure!

Saw your review on that feature, Curtis.  Very good from someone just coming out of the gate.  Very concise.  Keep up the good work.


Phil

Hey Curtis.  (I'd call you Curtie Pie, but I see you're only 16 and we have laws against that kind of thing here in Ohio.)

Welcome to the boards and you seem to me making your rounds already.  I'm sure you'll get a lot and some great feedback when your script goes up.

And Phil was right, that was some great feedback you left on 'Thistles'.  (I'll get back to that on the thread in the morning, or tonight, depending if I can get my sick son to sleep tonight.)  You brought up a point about the script that I just can't figure out.

Anyway, welcome again and I'm sure I'll be seeing you around.

And by the way, thanks, Gabe, for recommending 'Thistles' to him, and thank you to everybody else for the kind words on the script.

- Mark

Hey Curtis,

2 be Sure, 2 be Sure.

You're in the right place to learn screenwriting and making friends with like minded screenwriters.

Enjoy !!!

Regards Alex

@Phil -- Thanks man!  I've had experience reviewing scripts so I am glad it shows :)

@Mark -- And haha, I agree 'bout the CurtiePie thang, so you best just refer to me as Awesome Guy or, preferably, Curt, lol.

And thanks Mark, I hope when my screenplay finally appears, I get a few comments at least :)

And sure, no problem!  Thistles was a great read, you have the script there for an amazing gritty, urban independent :) I would totally own the DVD if it was made into a movie!  Thanks for the welcome, you seem like a cool dude yourself.

@Alex -- Thanks Alex :) Your avatar makes you instantly adorable and kind and OMG TOO CUTE TO HANDLE.

Hey Curt,

I sent you a pm (private messge). Did you get it?

Gabe

Just replied, Gabe :)

Quoted from Curt I am totally against violence, but I will watch at the sidelines and cheer you on with a pitch fork for sure!

Are you sure your from Belfast? :D:D

By the way... before I went to bed last night you had the top 5 entries in the portal, then this morning you had the top 5... did you sleep?? :D:D:D

Just kidding, great to see you participating and leaving great intuitive reviews.

I'm sure you'll get a few reads on your script.

Mark

Haha, I a, npt your typical "Belfast hard lad" I stand out like a sore thumb here.  Track-suits, being tough?  No no, not me at all :P

Sleep?   Sleep, what is sleep?  And yea, I did sleep just left myself online all night then get back online earlier, haha!

And thanks, I hope to get some reviews, especially from people who have screenwritng experience.  The next time I hear my mother say, "Oh, it was great!  I loved it!" I will throw a potatoe at her.  Lol.

Quoted from Curt Haha, I a, npt your typical "Belfast hard lad" I stand put like a sore thumb here.  Track-suits, being tough?  No no, not me at all

Good for you Curt... sadly I grew up in the 70's and 80's and it was very hard to get away from. I'm glad I did.

You seem like a smart lad and at 16 your writing screenplays and not getting involved in the typical political bullshit that gives our country a bad name and for that I take my hat off(I'm not wearing one, but if I was) :D

Quoted from Curt The next time I hear my mother say, "Oh, it was great!  I loved it!" I will throw a potatoe at her.  Lol.

Awww a mother's love... we can do no wrong :)

Mark

Aww, thanks Mark.  Yea, it's hard sometimes.  Most of my friends are all focusing on drugs and drink and girls and being pains in society.  Whereas, I am "different" cause I love to write, I read for pleasure, I have a job, I'm a little bit of a loner.  

But I don't care.  In the long run, I am the one who'll make something out of my messed up life, haha :P And ohhh, I think I know what you mean about the political shit that has been ruining our country.  So annoying.  I tend not to get involved though wi religion our politics :P mainly cause I do not care for either.

And tell me about it!  I'm 16 and still my mothers "baby". Lol.

Hey Curtis, bit slow to chime in here but welcome to Simply. I hope you enjoy the site and hopefully you'll learn a lot here.

Thanks!  For the welcome, obv.  I really am enjoying the site, and I do hope to learn here also :D

Welcome aboard, Curtis.

I’m a bit late to the party and with over 50 posts, I’m sure a few has already given you the old quid pro quo speech.

Enjoy SS and best of luck to you. :)

I may be jumping to conclusions here, Coop.  I don't know why I get this impression.

But something tells me you might... MIGHT... be a Big Bang fan.  

Yay for Sheldon. <3

And yes, have gotten the speech!  Thanks for the welcome though :D  

Quoted from AmbitionIsKey @Alex -- Thanks Alex :) Your avatar makes you instantly adorable and kind and OMG TOO CUTE TO HANDLE.

Thanks It's a fair contrast from a previous one i had complaints about.

Curt, welcome aboard--i think you'll find everyone here to be the genial types; after all, we are all striving towards the same goal (I think--sometimes I wonder when I read some of the scripts!).  The primary thing is to review things with a critical eye and not worry whether your review might be a little harsh.  We're trying to provide constructive reviews that improves the writer's work, not trash it or discourage them from writing in the future.

Will try to get to a full review of your posted work soon!  

Gary

Thanks very much, Gary.  I feel very welcomed now!

I also agree, when reading scripts, I wonder if screenwriting is really something the person would like to pursue, so I get'cha, haha.

Thanks so much, I look forward to your thoughts

-- Curt