OMG! I'm reconsidering writing a screenplay and submitting it to contests and other platforms. Through my research, I've discovered that scripts can easily be stolen. It's recommended to register them with the Writers Guild of America (WGA) or to copyright them through the Library of Congress/U.S. Copyright Office. Unfortunately, this adds additional costs to the submission process.
Now, I don't feel like continuing with my screenplay. It could take a couple of years to even find out if it's been stolen and is being developed into a movie potentially worth millions of dollars (I'm not claiming my script is fantastic, but hey, ya never know). Then, I would have to prove ownership, likely necessitating the hiring of a lawyer. No thanks, I don't need the stress of worrying about all that.
While novels can also be stolen, it doesn't seem as prevalent. If a book is stolen, the copyright should be easier to prove, and there's probably less money the thief can make. This situation seems less stressful. Moreover, novels tend to pass through fewer hands.
I understand that the copyright notice on the copyright page should be sufficient to protect your work, but like I said, I'm not a lawyer. I think I might have copyrighted the first book I wrote, but I haven't done the same for the others. I have noticed some of my books appearing in other places, but I highly doubt these thieves are making much money and will likely stop selling them eventually.
So, what am I going to do? I'm going to stop writing the screenplay and move directly into the novel. The plot is already roughly sketched out, and I'm still planning to use Eric Edson's "The Story Solution" to continue with the plotting. Although I won't receive the book in the mail for a couple of days, I'm sure its method will also work well for novels. I'll just need more Hero Goal Sequences.
Published novels have been made into movies. So if I happen to write anything worth adapting into a movie, I'll be overjoyed.
~ Connie