Fade in:
Int. Slush — Or Gold — Day
A finished story arrives. Or it doesn't. The difference is everything.
MARTIN
(no formatting cult)
If it's ready — if you believe in it, send it. Keep the query simple. You're a writer; I'm assuming you can communicate.
Use the form below. I'm looking for the work.
Int. The Test — Story First — Day
Story first. Form second. Book, script, hybrid — if it traps me, we're talking.
The telling
A good author is a storyteller. The story has to be novel, it has to interest the people it's for, and — this is the part that matters — the telling can't get in the way. It has to pull you through. Intensity that traps.
The hook
A world I want to explore, people I want to know, or a plot that makes me need what happens next. Prefer more than one. Prefer all three.
Why it hits
A reason it lands on the culture it's aimed at — not homework, not a seminar piece, not ideology with a plot duct-taped on. Story or information: they should feel they need it.
MARTIN
(the only note that matters)
I don't care that this is your first story. I care that it's finished and as good as it can be. You've got chops, and they're on the page; surprise me.
Int. Waiting — Twelve Weeks Max — Day
MARTIN
If it looks like a fit, I'll try to write back. Silence after about twelve weeks means no — not power-tripping, just finite hours. The right stuff tends to leap.
I can't give individual feedback on passes. Don't take it as a verdict on your soul. Keep writing.