opportunity

Destination: uncharted territory

Maximum Z confidence, creativeness, goals, networking, opportunity, pie, Pixar, representation, screenwriting, script, The Lone Ranger, Tracking Board, westerns, writing, writing group
And my journey continues…

First and foremost, thanks to everybody for the hearty congrats. Words of encouragement from one’s peers are always nice, doubly so when it’s from people you know are good writers.

I’ll also admit to sending updates of my recent accomplishments to my old writing group, more with the intent of “Hey kids, ain’t this swell?” rather than “Suck on it, losers!”

And a big mazel tov to the 24 other semifinalists, 10 finalists and the top 3 winners of the Tracking Board Launchpad contest. Best of luck to all of you on your future endeavors! Celebrate in your desired appropriate style. I find pie to always be a solid viable option.

Speaking of which (the writing stuff, not the pie), these are exciting times. I don’t think I’ve ever been this close to something potentially happening with one of my scripts before – he said with fingers firmly crossed.

There isn’t a writer out there, including yours truly, who doesn’t daydream about achieving some kind of success while they hammer away at their latest project.

But things are different for me now, and a new learning curve is underway.  I’m a bit nervous, but still quite psyched about it.

This is exactly what I’ve been working towards, and feel very fortunate to have even made it this far. I hope everybody can experience this kind of sensation at least once.

So all I can do now is keep writing and maintain a positive attitude while staying reasonably sane and level-headed.

I’m a huge fan of tales from the trenches, so any anecdotes of early-in-my-career experiences and such are more than welcome in the comments below.

-Movie of the Moment: MONSTERS UNIVERSITY (2013). I didn’t think there was really a demand for this; the first one seemed more than enough. Despite it’s box office success, I wouldn’t call this another home run for Pixar. A triple, maybe. And kudos to them for making the college experience as G-rated/Disney-safe as possible.

V was interested in seeing it, but she didn’t laugh that much. There were chuckles from both of us, but not as many as you would expect.

Still, glad we saw it, especially in 2-D, and at one of SF’s remaining single-screen theatres. We’re always happy to send them business.

-It’s heartbreaking on several levels to read how much THE LONE RANGER is sounding more and more like a train wreck (no pun intended). Hopefully this won’t be yet another death knell for westerns in 21st century, such as the one I’m working on.  I’m discouraged, but not defeated.

The hurry up and wait countermeasure

Maximum Z creativity, ideas, opportunity, productivity, writing
I suppose watching paint dry is an option...
I suppose watching paint dry is one option…

What a dreadful phrase.

Everybody’s been through this at one point or another. It’s an inevitability, no matter what field you’re in.

I got to experience it twice in the past couple of days. The first was mentioned by a colleague waiting to hear back about one of his numerous projects.  The other’s me waiting for a new batch of script notes.

You work and slave for countless hours, then send the finished product off, eagerly waiting for the go-ahead to move forward.  But it never happens as fast as you want at it to, and it’s killing you.

“What the hell’s taking them so long?” you think to yourself.

Fortunately, the perfect solution is always available to us folks of creativeness, and it’s not as hard as you think – focus on another project.

Doesn’t matter what. Start something new, go back to a previous one, maybe finally dive into that completely different something you’ve always wanted to try.  Productivity is always a good thing.

Worrying about that thing you just sent out isn’t going to do you any good, so you may as well redirect all that anxious energy into something positive.

The more time you spend on this new thing, the less you’ll think about that previous one. And before you know it, progress has been made.

Added bonus – building up your arsenal of material. This way you’ll be well-prepared when asked “What else have you got?”

What are you waiting for?

Maximum Z directing, filmmaking, opportunity, productivity
Yes, this could be yours (megaphone optional)

As much as I wax poetic about decades gone by, I’m incredibly glad I live in the Digital Age. You probably are too.  How else would you be reading this if it weren’t for the Internet?

Modern technology has made it possible for a screenwriter to not have to live in Los Angeles in order to have a career. Sure, you may have to to go there for meetings, but you can literally write anywhere you want.  And you can do even more than that.

Another benefit has become that you can get people to notice you and your work via an online presence, or as my incredibly-talented marketing-savvy wife would say, “create your own brand”.  You think you’ve got what it takes?  Let’s see it in action.  Put it out there for the world to see. Cliched as it sounds, the possibilities really are endless.

Most likely you’re reading this on a computer that has an abundance of tools at your disposal to produce your own material. You can make something in any number of forms – a short, a web series, etc.  You can post it on YouTube, submit it to Funny or Die, even use it as a work sample or calling card.

If people like it, they’ll let you know.  If that’s the case, chances are they’ll also want to see what else you’ve got.  Why not build up your own arsenal of product?

Undergoing a project like this also gives you something else a lot of people may not have: experience. You think it’s easy to put together a 15-minute film?  Getting the story done is just the beginning. Now you’ve got a zillion other things to worry about. Do you have the necessary equipment?  Where are you going to film?  Can you find the right actors?  Do you need more light?  The list feels endless, but the upside is that you will know what it’s like to be more than ‘just a writer’.

Don’t worry if your first efforts aren’t high-quality. Like the first draft of a script, most likely it will suck. But you’ve got to start somewhere, and more often than not, you’ll learn from your mistakes. Nobody does a phenomenal job their first time out. Like every other skill, the more you do it, the better you’ll get and the easier it will get.

The Internet makes for an incredibly even playing field, but it’s up to you to put yourself into the game.