-Writer/author/script consultant/friend of the blog Howard Casner has launched a crowdfunding project for his short film 14 Conversations in 10 minutes. Donate if you can! Howard is also offering a great new service for screenwriters – $20 to review the first 20 pages of your script.
-Filmmaker Scotty Cornfield‘s crowdfunding project for his short film Goodbye, NOLA is going strong! They’re getting closer to reaching their goal, but can still use a little help. Donate if you can!
Got your own project you’d like to promote? Drop me a line.
Just give me a sec to get back on my feet. Bonus – drink remains unspilled
The Chinese restaurant script got the standard “Just isn’t what I’m looking for” response from a producer.
Years of experience has taught me how to properly respond to this kind of situation.
“Well, that sucks. Okay. Moving on.”
Thus the struggle continues to gain a new foothold on this constant uphill climb. But I’m in it for the long haul.
Sure, it’s frustrating to get yet another “no” about a script, but getting upset about it won’t do me any good.
And what better way to get over it than by working on something else with the intent of making this one that much better? And there are plenty of something elses to keep me occupied.
A revamping of the outline of an older script continues, with pleasantly productive results (along with some phenomenal feedback on the logline). More insightful notes have come in for the comedy spec. Setting up a few more get-to-know-you meetings with other local writers*.
(*A meeting last week with one writer about her current project resulted in me being able to offer up some suggestions to another writer feeling frustrated about his. He, in turn, felt very encouraged with a renewed sense of hope, and was excited about some possible new avenues to try. I’m just happy to help.)
Hearing “thanks, but no thanks” still stings, but only for the briefest of moments. It’s taken a very long time for me to get to this point.
A few months ago, all that pressure I’d been putting on myself just went away. And I’m a lot better for it now.
And patient.
Success will happen when it happens.
But having it happen sooner rather than later would still be much appreciated.
A few more sets of notes on the comedy spec have come in, and they are good. And helpful. Which is very good.
The value of having connections with experienced and knowledgeable writers once again proves to be a huge asset. Networking, people!
But back to the topic at hand…
It doesn’t appear that a major reworking is in order, but there’s still a lot to do. This is definitely more than just a new coat of paint; more like a thorough renovation. More than a few comments covered the same issues, so working on those and the resulting ramifications will be the starting point.
One of the biggest obstacles when it comes to a rewrite (for me, anyway) is that nagging thought of “How am I going to make this better?” Especially when there’s already something there on the page.
It’s tough to get rid of the old stuff. You worked so hard on it, and now you have to get rid of it? Or change it? Sometimes you gotta just jump right in, totally let go and kill all those darlings. Sounds gruesome, but it has to be done.
And as I have often found in the past, once those changes are made, the new version is usually significantly better to the point that you barely remember that much about the old one. Plus, making those changes gets a little bit easier each time.
Into the breach!
A few additions to the Maximum Z Bulletin Board:
-The filmmakers behind the short film Goodbye, NOLA have set up their crowdfunding project. Donate if you can.
Today is all about promoting other folks’ projects. All I get out of it is enjoying helping out some good people.
-Filmmaker and friend of the blog Scotty Cornfield is getting ready to shoot his short Goodbye, NOLA later this year. A crowdfunding campaign will be launching very, very soon. Until then, check out the website or the Facebook page for updates.
-Previous blog interviewee Barri Evins will be hosting her Big Ideas Tiki Bar Seminar the weekend of June 10-12 in Los Angeles. Barri’s seminars also include 6 months’ worth of individual mentorship. Expert screenwriting advice, 6 months of help, AND a tiki bar? How could you pass this up?
–The Great American Pitchfest is taking place May 20-22 in Burbank. Use code Z15 to get 15% off any package EXCEPT the Writing Partner or Scriptfest ones. But hurry – the code’s only good until May 1st, and the organizers tell me it’s filling up fast. This is a great opportunity to network and hone your pitching skills. I went last year and got a lot out of both.
-I’m a huge fan of the Comedy Film Nerds podcast, and co-host Chris Mancini has launched a Kickstarter campaign for his graphic novel Long Ago and Far Away. As of this posting, they’re getting close to hitting the goal. If you’re a fan of comics and supporting original works, feel free to donate if you can to help get them there.
Got your own project coming up that you’d like to promote? Drop me a line.
A friend emailed me earlier this week to vent his frustration regarding the latest development for pitching his TV pilot. Suffice to say, it didn’t go the way he’d hoped.
“Writing is hard work for me, and to have a project like this dismissed completely deflates me. I think I need to set a deadline (end of 2016?), and if I haven’t gotten a sale or at least representation by then, exit, stage left.”
I can totally sympathize. Who hasn’t been in that boat before? You try and try, feel like you’re making no headway and going nowhere fast.
But setting up a deadline of when you’ll stop once and for all?
Um, no.
As we all know, this is not an easy thing to do. The odds are already stacked against us, and it takes an extraordinary amount of effort, determination and perseverance to keep moving forward. And that’s just to get your first break.
I of all people can attest to feeling like nothing good is ever going to happen for me, and why again am I putting myself through the agony of all of this?
Because we’re writers. WE WRITE BECAUSE WE LOVE DOING IT.
For a writer willing to give up writing is, to quote the late, great Vizzini, inconceivable. As crazy as it sounds, I’d rather write and continue to fail than not write at all. (But in theory would be improving after each failure, thereby resulting in an inevitable success.)
DON’T GIVE UP. You never know when things will work out for you, so continuously having at it will always increase your odds.
Continue to work on getting better. Even if only a handful of people read your stuff and like it, that’s still a victory. And they do add up.
IT’S A MARATHON, NOT A SPRINT. It takes a very, very long time to get to the finish line, let alone at your desired pace. And even then, you’re always striving to improve on it. Take this from someone who writes screenplays AND does half-marathons.
Believe me, there will be shitty days. Lots of them. You will be angry and frustrated. You will see others succeed while you feel like you’re going nowhere. It happens. But that’s the price you pay for setting off on this seemingly impossible journey.
But also keep in mind that you’re not alone. There are lots of us out on a similar path. Feel free to make the occasional turn so your path intersects with somebody else’s. It can help make the journey a bit easier.
My friend responded with a note of thanks and gratitude, which included “I’m ultimately a storyteller, a writer. This is what I exist to do, even if my audience is a small one. I will work hard to find it and share my stories.”
Couldn’t have said it better myself. Hang in there, chums.
Maximum Z 