disappointment

From the archives: Knew this wasn’t going to be easy

Maximum Z action, comedy, determination, disappointment, fantasy, frustration, outlines, perseverance, persistence, screenplay, screenwriting, script, short films, writing , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Allow me to offer up a literary amuse bouche before moving on to this week’s hearty entree.

Some good progress on the rewrite of the fantasy-comedy – about halfway through the outline. Taking the “write it out one scene summarization at a time” approach. It includes lots of notes to myself, significant editing, and some rearranging/inserting of scenes from multiple previous drafts.

Decided to do the same for the action-comedy outline. Quite eye-opening, and what feels like a pretty good foundation. Still a ton of work to do, but off to a good start.

Looking forward to the ongoing work on both.

But let’s switch gears and focus on what this post is all about. WordPress has added a feature that shows you posts that appeared on the same date in the past. Since this blog has been around since 2009, something pops up just about every day. Such as it was with this one from July 3, 2020 (everybody remember the fun that was lockdown?), and everything in it still rings true.

Also of note: I mention the idea of writing – and potentially making – shorts. Nice to see that part actually came true.

Enjoy.

Many, many years ago, while attending the Screenwriting Expo in the City of Angels, one of the seminars I went to featured an “industry professional” as a speaker. I put that term in quotes because I couldn’t tell you who it was or what they did. Maybe a writer-producer or something like that. It was good enough for the folks running the Expo.

There were probably 20 or 25 of us in the audience. This guy walked to the front of the room, and the first thing he said was, if you’ll pardon my paraphrasing:

“I don’t know who any of you are, how experienced you are, or how may scripts you’ve written, but I can guarantee that just about all of you will fail at this.”

Well, ain’t that an encouraging lead-in. Everything he said after that is pretty much a blur, because I found it to be…

Shocking? Most definitely.

Disheartening? Pretty much.

Accurate? Maybe. But he was speaking from his experience. No doubt he’d seen an endless stream of writers come through, give it their all, and despite their efforts, subsequently crash and burn.

It’s easy to overlook the fact that this was well before you could make a movie with your phone and a laptop. Resources and DIY filmmaking opportunities were much more limited than they are now.

His comments really struck a nerve. Is this what I, along with everybody else in the room, should think? Were we just wasting our time? Were our chances THAT small? Should we just give up and go home?

I couldn’t speak for anybody else, but I had a little more faith in myself than he did.

Like I said, I forgot everything after his opening – the sooner I got him out of my head the better – and gradually replaced it with a few thoughts of my own:

-Yes, this is a HUGE mountain to climb, let alone get to the top. Is that intimidating? Hell yes. Is it going to stop me from trying? Hell no. Much as it sucks, it’s better to try and fail than to give up entirely, so I’ll keep trying. As long as it takes.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll continue to do so: I really like doing this, and even though I’ve endured my fair share of disappointments, I keep going – because I like the process of writing.

It’s taken me a long time to develop my skills just to get to this level, and I know there’s  room to keep improving. The challenge to myself and my writing abilities is one most welcome.

-Do I have a chance of eventually being able to call myself a professional writer? Hard to say. Some might say I already am, but that might be an individual matter of perspective. For me, until I see my name onscreen accompanied by “Story By…” or “Screenplay By…”, it doesn’t apply. my efforts will continue undaunted, unabated and undeterred.

Count me among the writers who are content to just be working. Sure, a huge paycheck would be great, but I’m also cool with writing a low-budget horror, or taking on an assignment, or doing an uncredited rewrite. IT’S ALL ABOUT THE WORK. The more I get to do it, the more I’ll enjoy it.

-For a long time, it was always “I need to find that somebody who says ‘yes’; somebody to open that door for me”, and to a certain extent, that still rings true. Getting representation, meeting with REAL industry people, and so forth.

But in the meantime, there’s absolutely nothing stopping me from making my own stuff. For the past few months, I’ve been dabbling with writing short scripts. Five to 10 pages, a handful of characters, one to two locations. Something that presents not only my writing skills, but also that I know how to tell a story in the most visual way possible.

Added bonus – a ridiculously short production time. It could be made over a few days (or a long weekend) with a minimal crew.

Feedback and notes from writing colleagues who’ve also made their own short films have been helpful and encouraging.

All of this, of course, will be a little more feasible once society slowly returns to “normal”. Until then, I’ve got plenty of time to prepare. Why not start creating our own opportunities?

-As much as I dream about all of these great things happening, I’m also a realist. I know that the journey to achieve this kind of success is a very, very long and tortuous one. Disappointment abounds.

I’ve no intention of giving up, no matter how frustrating things get. And there will be A LOT of frustration.

This is what I want to do, and despite all the negatives, I still enjoy doing it.

Thus the soldiering forward continues. Shoulder to the grindstone and all that…

From the archives: If only you could eat a bad script

Maximum Z baking, comedy, determination, disappointment, fantasy, frustration, PAGE, perseverance, persistence, screenplay, screenwriting, script, westerns, writing , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Rather a tasty metaphor, no?

I’d originally planned to repost this because I liked what the topic was discussing. It became especially pertinent after reading the first line. The past repeated itself this week with my fantasy-comedy also not advancing to the quarterfinals in PAGE this year. It stung a bit – especially after an earlier draft accomplished it two years ago. But it is what it is, and I’ve gotten past it as I focus on more important stuff. In the meantime, enjoy this post from July 2016.

Before we get to the gist of today’s post, let’s address the elephant in the room: my western did not advance to the quarterfinals of the PAGE contest.

Honestly, I was a little surprised; I thought it would have done better. After a brief wallow in disappointment, I shrugged my shoulders and moved on. It’s just another one of those things over which I have no control. I still have a ton of confidence in this script and might submit again next year. Also waiting to see how it fares in Austin and the Nicholl.

True, it was a rather lousy way to start the weekend, but over the next couple of days, I managed to redirect my focus, which included a nice long run that involved traversing the Golden Gate Bridge, and attempting something I’ve always wanted to try:

Making a pineapple upside-down cake (from scratch, naturally).

Guests were coming over for dinner, and I’d made pies for them before. But this time,  I wanted to try something entirely new and preferably a little challenging. I’d say this falls into both categories.

I scoured the internet for an ideal recipe, found one to my satisfaction, and followed the directions to the letter. The result? It looked like it was supposed to, and that’s where the similarities end. A little too sweet and the center was still kind of goopy. Nevertheless, my guests still liked it, and K & I split the last piece after they left. Not bad for a first attempt.

Why did it not turn out the way I expected? A lot of reasons. The oven’s a piece of junk. It didn’t bake long enough. The ingredients and the amount of them probably need to be tweaked. No matter what, I know now that I can adjust all of these next time and get closer to the results I seek.

Except for the oven. It will forever remain a piece of junk until it dies. Which can’t happen soon enough. But I digress.

Notice all of the comparisons you could make between baking and writing a script? Trying something new and long-sought-after. Seeking advice and guidance. Following the guidelines. Doing what I was supposed to. An okay-but-was-hoping-for-better initial result. Planning ahead on what to fix/adjust for next time.

If a less-than-determined baker ended up with the cake I made, they’d probably denounce the whole process, give up entirely and probably buy pre-made stuff at the supermarket. But we’re made of sterner stuff. We hit a snag or some kind of unforeseen development, and we compensate as best we can. We learn what not to do next time. Sometimes you end up with something jaw-droppingly amazing, and sometimes you end up with something totally inedible.

With this whole experience behind me, I can now focus on projects of the immediate future, which includes another round of editing and revising a script, and making a pie or two for a dinner party this coming weekend.

It’s my intention to have the results of both of these undertakings be totally and utterly irresistible when they’re done and ready to serve.

So many plates!

Maximum Z adventure, burnout, community, disappointment, frustration, organization, progress, rewriting, science fiction, screenplay, screenwriting, script, time management, writing , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The past few months have not been as productive as I’d hoped, writing-wise.

My initial intent for this year was to complete the rewrite of the sci-fi adventure. January started out strong, but more and more other projects needing attention kept shoving it to the side to the point where it’s practically invisible.

I’m hoping to get back to it soon.

In the meantime, there’s been an inordinate amount of other stuff going on. It’s getting to the point where I worry about burnout and spreading myself too thin, which could result in nothing getting done.

And that’s definitely the last thing I want to happen.

I’m trying to focus on one thing at a time, and also not stress about what I’m not focusing on. It can be challenging, but I’m working my way through it.

Another interesting aspect of this is seeing a lot of other writers touting their latest progress. Scripts completed, deals signed, etc. I’m happy for them, but can’t help but feel like I can’t get out of first gear.

I wouldn’t call it writer’s block; more like an inadvertent short attention span. I work on something, then remember I need to also work on this other thing, so I work on that, and so on and so on.

Sometimes it feels overwhelming, but doing what I can to keep things under control and manageable.

Granted, there are also times when things go smoothly and get completed. Those victories, no matter their size, are always savored, as well as act as a reminder that yes, I can do this.

I’m sure more pieces will begin to fall into place and that most of this will eventually get back on track.

Until then, one plate at a time.

As determined as ever

Maximum Z ambition, blog, books, career, determination, disappointment, discipline, encouragement, frustration, goals, motivation, perseverance, persistence, podcasts, San Francisco, screenplay, screenwriting, script, short films, writing , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

This is the 1200th post of this blog, so a little reflection is in order.

I started this endeavor in 2009 with the intention of chronicling my journey towards becoming a professional screenwriter. As you can probably tell from the lack of industry announcements that include my name or a script of mine, it hasn’t happened.

Yet.

Has it been frustrating? Most definitely. I’ve come close a few times, including having two managers and some of my scripts being considered at a few production companies. Daydreams of signed contracts and checks clearing were inevitable, but as often the case, things fell apart along the way.

I allowed myself a moment or two of “woe is me”, then got back to working on my scripts.

Like I recently wrote about, they’re significantly better than my earlier ones, and I’ll do what I can to make the next ones even better.

But for as many negative things that have happened, there’ve also been a decent number of positive developments along the way.

-publishing three books collecting a lot of the interviews I did on this blog

-being a guest on a friend’s podcast about writing, which led to co-hosting the next iteration of said podcast, and now being the sole host

-being invited to be a panelist talking about screenwriting at the San Francisco Writers Conference, then a panel moderator, to coordinating the whole Writing For Hollywood track

-writing a short script with the intention of actually filming it, with the wheels now in motion to see that come to fruition. Watch this site for the forthcoming announcement of the crowdfunding campaign.

It really has been a rollercoaster ride navigating my way through trying to make things happen. There’s been a lot of disappointment and frustration along the way, but I’m fully committed to seeing this through. It might not happen as fast or as soon as I want, but I’ve no intention of giving up.

Support from the screenwriting community has made quite a difference in helping sustain that. From giving and receiving notes to words of support and encouragement, they’ve all played a role in helping keep me going.

And while I’ll admit to feeling those tinges of jealousy when somebody else publicizes their writing-related wins and successes, I’m also extremely happy for them because I know they’ve worked hard to get there, and hope they’ll do the same for me when it’s my turn.

And I do plan on my turn happening.

Someday. Hopefully soon.

Looking back, looking forward

Maximum Z action, adventure, animation, Austin Screenwriting Competition, comedy, contests, determination, disappointment, fantasy, frustration, PAGE International, perseverance, persistence, representation, rewriting, science fiction, screenplay, screenwriting, script, writing , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Since this is the last post of 2023, it’s only fitting – and probably expected – to review the events of the past 12 months, as well as lay out the plans and hopes for the next 12.

This was a pretty good year for me on a few fronts.

After a significant amount of rewrites, my animated fantasy-comedy did okay with contests. It placed 3rd in Family/Teen/Animation for StoryPros, made quarterfinals in PAGE (first time breaking that barrier) and was a 2-time Second Rounder at Austin (first time for that one as well, and 2 times because I entered 2 drafts and each made it).

Because of the strike, and then being hit with consecutive bouts of Covid, I wasn’t able to do much with putting the script out there – something I’m hoping to fix come January.

I also finally made it to Austin and had a phenomenal time. I got to meet a lot of the amazing people I’m connected with on various social media platforms, as well as a few established pros.

As for 2024…

Currently working on the rewrite of the sci-fi adventure, and have been laying the groundwork for a new one – an action-comedy. Hoping to have both done by this time next year.

Since there’ll be more focus on the writing, I’m taking the year off from contests. Just seems like the right thing to do – and will save a decent chunk of change. No plans to go to Austin either. Maybe in ’25.

Also hoping to get things moving on the representation front. Since I’ll be skipping contests, I’m looking into some of the programs offered by Roadmap Writers. Heard lots of good things.

And I know I’ve mentioned this before, but I’m really hoping to get the ball rolling on filming the short script I wrote a few years ago. I’ve been really fortunate to have lots of offers of help and guidance to assist me in reaching that finish line.

There were a good deal of moments this past year involving self-doubt, uncertainty and just feeling not good enough. It’s been a long arduous journey just to get to this point, and there’s still a long distance to go. It can be frustrating, but I know I can keep finding the strength and determination to keep going. It helps to have so many people in my corner, metaphorically cheering me on.

At the end of each year, I usually say something like “Here’s hoping the new year brings bigger and better things on the screenwriting career front.” This is year is no different. There will no doubt be more heartbreak and feelings of inadequacy, but I like doing this too much to even consider the idea of giving up. Yes, I hope things work out or at least advance to some next levels, but if they don’t, I’ll still be plugging away and enjoying the journey.

Can’t close things out without saying thanks for coming along with me on this ongoing rollercoaster ride, and I wish you nothing but the best for all your projects in the coming year, and hope it’s truly phenomenal for you.

-Also wanted to thank everybody who sent in for last week’s Script Showcase. Hope you got some read requests!