We’ve all seen splashy headlines about a “million-dollar script sale,” so I’m often asked about the nitty-gritty details of such a deal and how it actually breaks down contractually. Is it just like being handed a briefcase full of cash and off you go to the Bahamas to party hearty? Well, not quite.

Where do ideas come from? My young son asked me this question the other day and I was reminded of a project I was involved with a while back at director Ridley Scott’s company. 

I happened to catch an episode of Only Murders in the Building last night and it struck me that I’ve been lucky enough to meet several of my heroes over the years because of my screenwriting career. Case in point, Steve Martin. 

When I look back on all the screenplays I’ve written over the years – some better than others, some produced, many not – it occurred to me the other day that one of the unintended benefits of toiling in the screenwriting trenches is that sometimes, you get to become an accidental expert in unexpected arenas.

The first 10. That's about all you've got these days. In the past, you could expect a studio exec to make it to page 25, the end of Act One.

I used to talk to my agent multiple times a day -- talking shop, creatively brainstorming and strategizing potential sales avenues. Together, we would formulate a plan and then go forth and execute it.

So you've come up with your next big original movie idea, and your screenplay vision calls for a sweeping, tent-pole $100 million+ budget?