New Web site caters to undiscovered writers

Aspiring screenwriters can create the next best script

Eric MacDonald says there’s a huge group of undiscovered writers out there looking for a way to transform their weekend projects into professional scripts — and to do so not in solitude, but instead with the help of writers just like themselves.

Now, with his new Web site — www.zhura.com — MacDonald said that realm finally exists. The free site, which has been up for a few months but officially launches today, serves multiple purposes for screenwriters. The site automatically sets users’ work to a professionally-approved format, a feature necessary to ever get your work read in Hollywood and one offered by a few other sites. But unlike those others, it’s also a social networking site that establishes a community of writers who can collaborate on scripts, give feedback and collect ideas.

“It’s the next step logically in the evolution of screenwriting,” said MacDonald, who works in Boston.

The site targets people who are either aspiring writers or just looking for a hobby. Members can create profiles, determine how much of their work they want to keep private or make public and invite other users to join groups for brainstorming. Through the site, users can take a crack at writing anything from sketch comedy to feature films. 

But the collaborative process will be the most interesting part of the site to watch evolve, according to MacDonald.

Members can also protect their work by selecting from a range of copyright levels that allow other members to do everything from simply making comments to actually making revisions, he said. 

“What if you broke down the walls of the writers’ room and created a platform where anyone in the world can contribute to sketch comedy?” he said. “It’s a really interesting concept, and it’s one that will put the old question to the test: What if the people can write the content that they later enjoy?”