I know what you mean. I have Final Draft Pro, I've written many spec scripts. In the 90s I pitched a script - at the time it was the only one I had worked on. The agent loved the idea except: "We're friends with the Russians now. What else have you got."

I was a member of a screenwriting support group in Santa Rosa, CA. SR Junior College had an excellent screenwriting classes and a few of their students had scripts bought and produced as TV shows and films. I had taken some screenwriting classes there. And wrote, produced and directed some short films.

I was approached by a production development group about 4 years ago to develop a novella into a screenplay. It was expensive. The contract was presented after I agreed verbally to the go-ahead. I was to work with a development producer who had worked on The Martian and something else. I backed out because it felt like a sleazy venture and the cost was over a couple of thousands.

Hollywood is a fickle mistress with narcissism and lots of ass-kissing - an understatement to be sure.

You are a good writer. Screenwriting is craft that is incisive and quick. - a minute per page...