Here’s to our biggest fans

Couldn't do this without you
Couldn’t do this without you

Even though writing is primarily a solitary activity, there are often times when we just can’t go it alone.

Friends and trusted colleagues can only take us so far. The rest of the time we need somebody else.

But not just any somebody. Somebody extra special.

Somebody who’s there for us no matter what.

Somebody experiencing the ups and downs right along with us. Somebody who shares in our joys and frustrations.

Maybe they’re a writer too, but chances are probably not, but it doesn’t matter. They know what it is we’re trying to accomplish, and how tough it is, and offer whatever support they can.

They’re there for us in countless capacities. A sounding board for potential ideas. The editor or proofreader who sees our work before anybody else. The gatekeeper of our writing sanctums.

They provide encouragement when we’re feeling low. They sympathize when we suffer from writer’s block. They are the ones we look to for solace when the long-awaited answer is ‘no’.

But they’re also the first person you want to tell when something good happens.

They are our support, our motivation, our inspiration. They help us to move forward, keep trying and carry on.

So pass along your gratitude to your someone. Let them know how much you appreciate everything they’ve done to help you and your writing.

This is a tough enough journey as it is, and without them, it would be much, much harder.

Stepping into the arena

That's one way to eliminate the competition (no pun intended)
That’s one way to eliminate the competition (insert rimshot here)

If your inbox is anything like mine, chances are you’ve been getting a lot of emails lately touting the pending deadline of more than a few contests.

For the most part, I usually ignore them. Maybe the Nicholl if I have a script ready, but rarely any others, if any at all.

But a little more confidence in my abilities and encouragement from other writers is making me gradually change my mind.

I’m seriously considering biting the bullet and submitting a script, warts and all, to a few competitions over the next few months.

It’s one of those things every screenwriter should do at least once or twice.

But which ones? There are a lot to choose from, ranging from the obscure to the high-profile.  While there’s nothing wrong with the Brand X Screenwriting Competition, you have to admit it doesn’t carry the same cachet as being a finalist in Austin, PAGE or TrackingB.

Everybody has different criteria for what they’re looking to get out of a particular contest. While a cash prize is nice, most are seen as stepping stones to making industry connections and getting representation.

Some offer script notes – a handful do it for free, but almost all charge extra for it. It’s not something I’d do, but that’s me.

If you’ve decided this is the year you take the plunge, then do your homework and research the ones you’re interested in to find out they have to offer. What kind of reputation do they have? How was the experience for previous entrants and winners? Do the prizes justify the amount of the fee?

No matter which ones you decide on, keep in mind you are going up against a lot of other writers just as eager and ambitious as you. Do you think your script is ready to take them on? Like, REALLY ready?

Even if you have a tiny amount of uncertainty, how much time is there between now and the deadline? Use this to your advantage and give your script an extremely thorough read-through (or two) and fix what needs to be fixed. Nobody likes finding a typo after the fact.

Do whatever you can to make your script ready to go, cross your fingers when you hit ‘submit’ and hope for the best.  How long you wait until getting back to your current project is up to you.

Good luck.

The second half is all uphill

The first and last time I do a race like that. Maybe.
The first and last time I do a race like that. Maybe.

A few weeks ago, I did a half-marathon that was easily the hardest I’d ever done. The distance wasn’t the hard part – it was that most of it involved going up and down a small mountain. Radical inclines, steep dropoffs right next to the path, the whole shebang.

Sure, some of it was extremely daunting, and sometimes I had to walk, but I was determined to keep pushing until I crossed the finish line (2:22:26, which wasn’t too bad, especially taking that whole mountain aspect into consideration).

The whole time during that first half, as I was working my way up, there were two thoughts that kept me going:

1. Even though this is harder than I expected, I want to keep going and do the best I can
2. Once the halfway point is reached, it’s literally all downhill from here

While the first thought can easily be applied to writing a script, the second one – not so much.

There’s a reason the midpoint of a script is sometimes referred to as The Point of No Return. Not only is your protagonist now fully committed to achieving their goal, but so are you.

While their situation becomes more daunting and their goal more unreachable, it might feel just as insurmountable to you.  But, as I once again utilize the running analogy, your diligent training and extensive preparation have made you ready to take this on.

You know what has to happen between here and the end. The stakes are raised, and only you can ensure a satisfying finish. All you can do is dig deep, draw on your reserve strength and keep pushing yourself until you’re done.

Make sure you pace yourself and take your time. Rushing can only hurt you, so stay focused.  It may seem like the end will never arrive, but you’ll get there before you know it.

What’s great about finishing a race is you get a medal, and most likely the desire to do better next time. Finish a script and you’ve got a finished draft and hopefully the desire to make it better.

Meeting again for the first time

handshake
Hi there

A day short of one year ago, I wrote this.

Since then, through social media and community forums, I’ve connected with writers from all over the world as well as several from right here in my neck of the woods.

Whether it’s exchanging feedback on a script or offering up a solution to a story problem, or even just meeting for a get-to-know-you chat over lunch or coffee, networking and communicating with other writers can provide a kind of support system that benefits everybody involved.

The other day I met with a guy very busy with several projects, each one offering up a special brand of stress, but he wouldn’t have it any other way. He’s getting to write as well as be involved with the actual production of projects he’s written. Who doesn’t want that?

(An interesting side note – he has severely cut back on his involvement with Done Deal Pro because the negative comments and constant in-fighting became too overwhelming. I don’t blame him and have pretty much done the same thing.)

Try this little experiment to get you started: connect with up to 5 writers a day for one week. Do it through whatever format you want – a blogger you enjoy, Twitter or a respectable forum (Despite the aforementioned issues, DDP is still pretty good). Don’t forget to be polite. Give it a go and see what happens.

Saving now for future use

Behold! Filing cabinets of the 21st century
Behold! Filing cabinets of the 21st century

When was the last time you looked through your idea file?

You know the one. That desktop folder or flashdrive where you keep all those random thoughts and story ideas you’ve jotted down over the years.

You do have one, right? If not, you really should start one.  It’s easy. Just write stuff down, hold on to it and never get rid of it. Never.

Chances are a majority of these ideas probably won’t make it past the logline/story concept stage, and it’s even more likely you’ll have forgotten about them after a relatively short time. But don’t let that stop you from constantly adding to the file.

Each idea is a good reminder of the potential you saw within that story. Why else would you have written it down?

It’s also a nice little ego boost/confidence-builder to be reminded of your own creativeness. “I don’t remember coming up with that.”

I’ve mentioned many times about being ready when someone asks you “What else have you got?”. This guarantees you’ll have something ready to go, even if it’s just a couple of sentences that take all of ten to fifteen seconds to pitch.

You never know what’s going to work. That throwaway concept you came up with years ago could end up being your next project.

So the next time you take a break from whatever it is you’re working on right now, open up that file and see what’s in there. You might be surprised, intrigued, pleased or even thrilled.

The possibilities really are limitless.