confidence

Yay (your name here)!

Maximum Z confidence, encouragement, manager, query letter, representation , ,
My own cheering section? You shouldn't have.
My own cheering section? You shouldn’t have.

While progress moves along slowly on the outline and the podcast, I got a nice surprise in my inbox yesterday: a manager I’d queried two weeks ago asked to see the script.

Even though it may result in absolutely nothing, just the fact that this happened was enough to brighten my day. Getting this kind of news is a real confidence-booster.

Chances are your close friends and loved ones know how much time and effort you put into your writing. They can see how hard you’re working. As much as you strive to succeed, they’re rooting for you just as much.

So being able to tell them you’ve been able to move ahead in your quest, even if it’s just a little bit, is really nice. You feel good. They feel good. Smiles all around.

There may be setbacks along the way, but enjoy little victories like these. Because eventually they can become big ones.

-Super Bowl fever has gripped the city where I live (hint: it ain’t Baltimore). My team of choice is the Steelers, but I’ll make an exception and say Go Niners.

Eyes front, mister!

Maximum Z confidence, creativity, query letter, screenwriting, script, self-confidence, westerns, writing
The solution isn't on somebody else's paper
The answers you seek won’t be found on somebody else’s paper. Which sounds a little more ‘zen’ than it should…

The emailing of queries continues, as does the struggle to force myself to stop checking my inbox on a too-often basis.

Wait! A new email just came in! Did somebody respond? Nope. Groupon for a bikini wax. How about now? Nope.  Screenwriting newsletter that seems to come every two months. I really should just unsubscribe from that. Now? Nope again. Netflix confirming they received my disc of JUSTICE LEAGUE: DOOM.

Over and over and over.

The more this scenario plays out, the more frustrating the whole thing becomes. Why isn’t anybody responding?  I sent that two whole days ago. Doesn’t anybody check their email?  Oh no! What if nobody wants to read my script? All that work for nothing! I’m a failure! Doomed to gnash my teeth every time somebody sells their you-call-that-an-original-concept spec for low-to-mid six figures! Aaauuughhhhh!

*collapses on floor in fetal position*

And….scene.

It would be so easy to fall into this kind of trap, but it’s also easier than you would think to just take a deep breath and let it go. I’ve done my part. The rest is up to my query recipients. All I can do is hope they’re interested and want to read my script.

If so, great. If not, no big deal. Comes with the territory. It took me a long time to accept this.

I’m a writer, so writing is what I need to focus on right now. It’ll satisfy my need to be creative while drawing my attention away from the queries. Hunkering down and diving into the outline is good for what ails me.

And it’s a western, so how can I resist the call to immerse myself in a world I’ve created loaded up with cowpokes, shootin’ irons and yellow-bellied sidewinders?

Added bonus – in the event somebody likes my first script and asks the all-important “What else ya got?,” I’ll be this much closer to having something ‘else’ to offer.

Hold on. Another email just came in.  Back in a sec.

Lo, the cowboy ponders his fate

Maximum Z adventure, confidence, creativity, Django Unchained, ideas, originality, outlines, productivity, Rossio & Elliott, screenwriting, script, story, Tarantino, The Lone Ranger, westerns, writing
Guns + horses + good story = winning combo

Ah, air travel. When it works in your favor, it’s a very pleasant experience.

When it doesn’t…well, let’s just say it’s a good thing I had a pen, some paper, an outline to work on and an abundant supply of spare time.

I worked my way through the first act of my western-adventure, making changes and setting up setups where applicable. I still like how this is coming together. All that work fine-tuning the previous script is really paying off for this one.

But there’s one thing still nagging at me. Some significantly high-profile westerns are headed our way: Tarantino’s DJANGO UNCHAINED at Christmas, Verbinski/Rossio/Elliot’s THE LONE RANGER next summer and Chan Wook-Park’s THE BRIGANDS OF RATTLEBORGE sometime next year (in theory). All very different takes on the genre, and no reason why none of them won’t be successful.

So while I plug away at my story, the angst that plagues every writer kicks in: is it still worth the time and effort to do it?

In the end, there’s only one definitive answer:  Of course it is.

This is a story I’m very enthusiastic and passionate about, so to not write it would simply be a big mistake. It’s got familiar elements but based on an original idea to make it fresh and exciting.

And if those three films are successful, that could potentially create a demand for more scripts of that nature.

Which is where mine comes in.

All the more reason to hunker down, dive in and make sure this thing is done right.

The thrill of gaining momentum

Maximum Z confidence, rewrite, screenwriting, writing
Hang on!

Ever have one of those days where you feel absolutely unstoppable? That you possess the ability to deftly take on any challenge and emerge victorious, not to mention completely unscathed?

Kind of how it is for me at the moment. Oh, how I wish I could bottle this for use at a future time. Like when my brain hurts from trying to think my way through a story problem.

I suspect a lot of this comes from really liking the results of the Act One rewrite. It feels a lot stronger now. (Next up – the daunting task of taking on Act Two.)

That sense of accomplishment is a huge ego boost for anybody, so cherish it and hang on to it as long as you can, because you know it’s not going to last. Sad, but true.

-I met with a script consultant yesterday (on a purely social level), and she was genuinely overwhelmed/surprised at how busy I was, especially in terms of producing material – the rewrite, outlining the new script, the blog, developing the podcast. It never occurred to me I was actually doing that much.  It’s all just part of what I do.

But it’s nice to know it impresses somebody.

(Incidentally, she offers one-on-one consulting, and a great weekend seminar on how to really improve your writing, which also includes a year of mentoring. Both definitely worth checking out.)

It’s a routine, not a rut

Maximum Z confidence, productivity, screenwriting, writing
Time to get to work!

It’s all about moving forward.

After way too much procrastination, I sat myself down and worked on the end of Act Two. What I came up with is okay; more of a temporary placeholder than anything else. But it also reminded me why I need to get my ass in gear and set aside time each and every day to write.

And this is something you should seriously consider, especially if you’re not doing it already.

Getting into a daily habit of writing is beneficial on several levels: It develops your skills. It sharpens your thought process. You make headway in whatever you’re working on. It opens your eyes to story details you otherwise might have missed.

All this from however long you can spare. If you don’t want to measure it by time, think of it in terms of what’s on the page. A certain number of scenes or pages per day. Maybe to the end of this particular sequence. Whatever works for you.

Not only will you get that much closer to getting done, but you’ll feel pretty darned good about yourself for making that progress.

It all boils down to making that commitment, and sticking with it. You’ll be amazed the good it will do you.