self-confidence

Yet another go-round on this neverending rollercoaster

Maximum Z Black List, manager, query letter, screenwriting, script, self-confidence, westerns, writing , ,
Ups, downs, twists and turns. It's all part of the process...
Ups, downs, twists and turns. It’s all part of the process…

Yesterday was…eventful. Almost like condensing my establishing a career in screenwriting into a single day.

Good: somebody actually downloaded DREAMSHIP from the Black List!  Nice, especially since it entered double-digit basic views a couple of days ago. Hoping to get a professional review sometime in March.

Not-so-good: a manager who read the script passed, claiming “while I enjoyed the read and did think it was well-written, I just couldn’t get excited enough about it to warrant taking on a new client or project right now.”  I’m still not sure exactly how to interpret this, but it still boils down to “thanks, but no thanks.” Oh well. C’est la vie.

(Gotta admit it’s somewhat of a silver lining that just about all of the rejections from those who read the script mentioned how much they liked it.  Just not enough to take it to the next step.)

So what now?

Easy. Spend a few moments feeling sorry for myself, put it behind me and soldier on to the category labeled “Promising,” in the form of  the overwhelming need to start on pages for the western.

The only way I could feel better was to write.  Doesn’t matter if the outline’s not 100 percent. I HAD to do this; not only as a form of catharsis but to feel like I was actually moving ahead and remind myself of the potential awesomeness of this story.

So I did. It was only half a page. Nothing fantastic, but at least it was something.

(just wondering – are you still supposed to write ‘FADE IN’? I’ve heard both yes and no.)

It’s been quite a while since I started a new script. Any writer will reinforce the concept of nothing as intimidating or challenging as a blank white screen, with that little blinking cursor just sitting there, ready to spring into action.

The key is to keep the cursor moving.  Which is exactly my plan.

The awesomeness comes later.

My mettle is being tested, and then some

Maximum Z goals, Joss Whedon, motivation, screenwriting, self-confidence, Spider-Man, synopsis, writing
Some days can feel like this...
We’ve all been there, Spidey.  Metaphorically speaking, of course.

A week after receiving my query letter, an agent responded, asking for a one-page synopsis.  Fortunately, I had one ready to go and sent it, trying hard to not get my hopes up.

The response came just under an hour later, including this:

“Sorry to say it doesn’t promise a unique storyline with surprises that would appeal to the young audience.”

Okay…

Not sure I would necessarily agree with most of that, but then again, I’m slightly biased.

What could have made them say this? Was my synopsis bad? Did the gist of the story not come across? Is this just another way of saying “Thanks, but not what we’re looking for?”

Hard to say.  Oh well.  Nothing else I can do about it.

So with my hopes temporarily dashed on the rocks below, onward I continue.  (Don’t worry. My hopes are pretty resilient, and should be back on their feet relatively soon.)

Probably like a lot of writers, there’s always going to be that dreaded feeling of second-guessing myself. Did I do enough? Is this right?

I could (and do) ask myself these questions, but the more time I spend worrying about them, the less productive I am.

It all comes down to doing the best I can, putting it out there and seeing what happens. Hopefully, it’ll yield positive results. If not, I’ve got no choice but to fix the problem where I can and see if that works.

They don’t call it a never-ending process for nothing, you know.

I’ve been working at this for quite a while, getting a little closer to success each time. The goal is obtainable, and I can do this. This long, drawn-out part can be pretty frustrating, but I’ve made it this far. A little longer won’t be that bad.

-Movie of the Moment: CABIN IN THE WOODS (2011)  I don’t really care for horror, but this was fun. If Joss Whedon is involved, you know it’s going to be written smart. I’d heard there was a unique twist to it, and there was (no spoilers here).

What was most impressive was how they took a lot of horror movie tropes and made them integral parts of the plot, including the all-important setting up and paying off.

Cleaning up after all that dirty work

Maximum Z agent, creativity, manager, query letter, representation, research, screenwriting, self-confidence, writing
Yeah, it kind of felt like this...
Yeah, it kind of felt like this…

Well, that’s that.  The queries have been unleashed, and the process of getting it done was truly exhausting.

Most of the work was research. Lots and lots of it.

Equipped with a few lists of potential recipients, I scoured IMDBPro (signing up is highly recommended) and Google to check the status of each name, agency, management firm and prodco I had.

Are they still in business? (a good percentage were not)  Do they accept queries?  Is the person still there? If not, where are they now? What about that place?  Do they even handle screenwriters? Would they be interested in my script’s genre?

Some of the major houses (CAA, WME, etc.) don’t list any contact info apart from address and phone number, so unless you know somebody there, you’re just plain out of luck. A lot of them also have a disclaimer somewhere on the website stating they don’t accept unsolicited materials anyway. Better to focus on the ones that do.

Proof these lists are not entirely accurate or up-to-date – one listed office info for somebody who apparently died in 2009.

Believe me when I say this is not a small-scale project.

Something else to keep in mind – depending on your determination, you’ll be sending out an immense number of queries, and most likely the responses, positive or negative, will be few and far between. If you hear back at all.  Remember – these places are getting bombarded with queries from writers just like you every single day.

Not getting an immediate response can really be quite a blow to your self-confidence, but unfortunately it’s the way things are.  All you can do is send it out and move on.  Like I wrote last time, use this as an opportunity to redirect your attention towards something else of a productive nature.  Write something. Read something.  Exercise. Whatever it takes.

So while I wait, I’ve got an outline to improve, some podcasting equipment to master and a pumpkin pie that needs baking.

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.

My jets can cool no longer

Maximum Z feedback, networking, rewrite, screenwriting, self-confidence, social media, writing ,
Oh, how I love visual jokes
Oh how I love sight gags

I had it all planned out. The rewrite’s done, but I won’t be able to send it out for professional notes until after January 1st, so until then, I’d have plenty of time to research the best places to query and work on my western outline.

It was nice to think that.

But as is usually the case, things have changed a bit.

A trusted colleague sent some extremely helpful notes, and more are due from another.

*side note – I connected with both through social media and networking. Proof it has benefits!

It would seem a short rewrite session is in my immediate future.

I welcome these latest developments.  They contribute to making the script as strong as it can be, and that’s what counts the most.

Added bonus: a lot of this first set of notes deals more with format, rather than story, so fixing them won’t be too difficult.

Even better added bonus: the notes ended with the words every writer lives to hear: “I wish I wrote this.”

If that ain’t a confidence-building good omen, I don’t know what is.

-Winter break begins this weekend at our house. Hoping to take V to see THE HOBBIT and LES MISERABLES during that time. Anything a parent should be concerned about with either? (She hasn’t seen LOTR, but seems eager to catch HOBBIT)