Talk to me. What do you think about this break from good to great? What's been hardest for you in getting your sample to the "blazing hot" level?

Those are different questions than "Is this pretty good?" And they tend to solicit different responses.

Don't just ask "What do you think?" Ask: "Do you think this script is not just good, but GREAT? Do you think this sample would make a potential manager not just interested, but excited to sign me?"

So how do you know if your work is not just good, but great?

Ask smart people. Could be peers at your level, could be more established writers. But ask them specific questions.

When you’re trying to get a manager or a staff job, you’re competing for limited spots with hundreds of other talented writers. Managers and showrunners can't take a chance on "shows promise." They need scripts & writers they're excited about right now.

The truth is, that’s just not how things work. This is a business, and an incredibly competitive one at that.

Many emerging writers imagine that managers are looking for work that “shows promise.” They assume that, though their work falls far short of their heroes, if they’re smart and have good ideas, representation and “entry level writing jobs” might be around the corner.

In 2025, a sample that moves your career forward has to already be at the professional level. It has to be the kind of script where someone finishes reading and immediately wants to meet you.

Going from Good to Great is what took him from Assistant to Staffed.

What does that look like?

Notice, I said it was good. Not great. Not blazing hot. Not the kind of script I wanted to send to my industry friends right away because WOW you have to check this out.

Just solid. Workmanlike. Really pretty decent.

It wasn't until I saw his sample that I diagnosed the problem.

His sample was good.

Does that sound like a problem to you?

When I met with him, I couldn't tell why. He was smart, personable, hardworking. He knew how to tell his own story in meetings.

A client of mine is now a working TV writer with a great career. Five years ago, he was a writers assistant who just couldn't make the jump to his first staff job.

I completely agree, Vincent!

Congrats!