The past few days have been the standard rollercoaster. Some good stuff, some not-so-good stuff, with a small percentage of the latter being very not-so-good.
But there were a few glimmers of hope within the darkness. More on those as/if they develop. Any positive vibes and crossed fingers are always appreciated.
During this time I was reminded of the phrase “Don’t worry about things over which you have no control.” I took that to heart, and it’s really helped.
There are SO MANY things about screenwriting that are out of our hands. Stressing out about them doesn’t do us any good, and I’d much rather work on the things over which I DO have control.
Things like figuring out the story of my new spec, coordinating with guests for my podcast, getting the crowdfunding ready for my short film, reading friends’ scripts and giving notes.
(Two little things that have really paid off – a few minutes here and there to interact with other writers on social media or email, and maintaining a “What needs to get done today” checklist.)
Taking care of any of these helps me feel productive and less stressed because I AM GETTING STUFF DONE. Some of it may take longer than hoped or expected, but each one constitutes a step in the right direction. Even just writing about it helps.
If you feel this way, just remember that you’re not alone and there are always things that you can do to help make your screenwriting journey a little easier.
The past few weeks have had their share of ups and downs.
Made a little progress on developing the new spec, but still a long ways to go. Have to keep reminding myself it’s an ongoing work in progress, and these things never come together immediately, so feeling frustrated about less-than-productive times is perfectly okay. Each day yields a small result, which is great.
The animated script didn’t make the top 10 in an animation contest, which was disappointing, but I did get some eye-opening notes about it, with more on the way, so looks like there’s at least one more rewrite in my future.
Still having a ball doing The Creative Writing Life podcast (on Spotify and YouTube), with more great guests lined up for August. Also mulling a couple of ideas for topic-based shows.
Been a bit lax on getting things moving for the short film, so hoping to correct course on that one.
It would be easy to let the negatives overpower the positives, but I’m in this for the long haul. It might take longer to reach that finish line, but I know I can get there.
The most important takeaway from all of this is that I like doing it. Even on the not-great days. Brainstorming, writing, interacting with other creatives. It’s all good stuff.
Otherwise, it would seem too much like work. And that’s no fun.
Nice to see you again. Mind if I ask you something?
In June, there was an event on Twitter (I’m not calling it the other thing) called ScreenPit, where writers listed the loglines for their scripts in the hopes of garnering interest. Trust me when I say there were A LOT of scripts listed. Some I’d read before, some I’d heard of, and most that were new to me.
If something caught my eye – the title, the logline, the concept, I’d reach out and ask the writer if I could read it.
Nobody said no, and they were all thrilled to be asked.Some even asked to read my stuff.
This whole experience reminded me of a post from Dec 2016. Enjoy.
Sometime last week, I received a very nice compliment via on online forum regarding the quality of the script notes I give. A mutual associate of ours chimed in with the grumbly “Well, he never does it for me.”
To which I responded “Because you never ask.”
I don’t know what this writer’s standard M.O. is for getting notes, but from what I can gather, usually involves them posting “Anybody want to read my stuff?”
There’s nothing wrong with that, but the drawback is you run the risk of getting feedback from somebody with less experience than you, or worse, has no idea what they’re talking about.
This is why networking and establishing relationships with other writers is so important. If someone posted a generic request for a read, I’d be less inclined to respond. Even if I knew the person. I figure they’ll probably get a few other responses, so why bother?
But if someone came to me specifically and said “If you have the time, would you be able to read this?”, I wouldn’t hesitate to say yes. This shows me that they value my experience and opinions, along with respecting that I can’t simply drop everything to accommodate them. They’ll also include an offer to read something of mine, if I’m interested.
Sometimes I’ll get an email asking me for a read, and it might be because of any number of reasons. They’ve read my stuff before and think this new script is similar. They know I have an eye for fill-in-the-blank. All of this could only have come from myself and this other writer having already established a good professional relationship.
While I always encourage writers to get out there and network, it’s also important to build on those connections once you’ve got them. You don’t have to become somebody’s best friend, but being supportive or offering the occasional words of encouragement really go a long way. Plus, people are much more likely to remember that sort of thing, adding to the likelihood they’d be willing to help you out.
More than often I’ve read about another writer’s projects and introduce myself, tell them how I found them (usually via the forums) and of my interest in the script in question, then ask if they’re cool with me taking a look at it. It’s a rare occurrence when someone says no.
Both of you are writers constantly striving to improve, and some good, solid feedback can play a big part in that. And that can be best achieved by getting to know other writers and treating with the same respect you’d expect to be treated with yourself.
-Like I wrote about a few weeks ago, the 9-week summer session of Kaia Alexander’s Entertainment Business School begins on August 5th. This weekend is your last opportunity to sign up and have access to the wealth of info, advice, and guidance about the business of show that Kaia has to offer. And if you use the code PZ50S24, you’ll get $50 off the enrollment fee. Kaia really knows her stuff, so if you’re serious about wanting to learn more about having a career in screenwriting or TV, her course is a great place to start.
Got some incredibly helpful notes for the animated fantasy-comedy, so some major revising is in progress.
Bonus – one set of notes was from a longtime associate who’s always been a big fan pushing me to do better. They thought this script did exactly that, and that it really shows how far I’ve come since my earlier work and what I was capable of. You love to hear that – especially from somebody whose opinion you hold in very high regard.
There’s a contest deadline coming up in a few weeks, so I want to make this thing as rock-solid as I can before sending it in.
Confidence levels feeling strong and steady.
Hope you have an excellent weekend that also involves feeling good about your writing, and maybe some pie because it makes things that much better.
A few weeks ago I completed a hearty rewrite of the animated fantasy-comedy. Notes from readers continue to trickle in.
Responses have been generous with their excitement and enthusiasm about it, along with some extremely insightful notes.
I’ll admit to hoping the script was strong enough as is, but there’s no denying the effectiveness of those notes, which means at least one more draft in my future.
Not crazy about that, but if it needs some more work, then so be it.
I’m not as prolific – and definitely not as fast – as other writers, but this approach works for me. I’d rather take the time to really fine-tune something than rush through it and have it not be as solid as can be.
The silver lining here is that each draft is better than its predecessor, as you would expect. Each round of notes helps contribute to making the script and my overall writing better.
It might seem just out of reach now, but I’m confident that both I and this script will eventually get there.
Maximum Z 