Can I sell a pitch or do I need to write the screenplay?

Question:

I’m a young writer and I have an agent. I have not sold anything. I have this great idea and I want to pitch it, but my agent tells me that I should write it. What do you think?

Answer:

There are a lot of different factors to consider here. The first question is if the script that you have written tonally matches that of your script. If the answer is yes, and your script has gotten you a lot of attention, then you have a better chance at pitching.

I’m a big fan of pitching. The worst that can happen is that execs tell you that you need to write it. Also, you get valuable notes that can help you write the spec!

Now, you should always be writing. Even if you are developing a pitch at the same time, you should be writing a screenplay.

The other big question is the genre of your pitch. If there is a great hook to it, and you feel you can do a good job in the room with a pitch, then go for it. If you are pitching a drama, forget it, just write the script.