Confessions of a Failed Screenwriter

Thanks for posting this. I wish you would've specified some of the "little things" that some writers do.


Saulisa

Thanks!


Saulisa

i read it there, it was a great read, thanks very much for writing it.
have you totally given up then? or will you still write for pleasure, etc?
i do understand. i've written a script i'm really proud of, and am really struggling with the other side of it: writing query letters, the whole concept of "selling myself", etc. just trying to get someone to read it is a marathon. i'm in the uk, so not as concerned about the LA thing, but being rejected left right and centre before anyone even reads your script is frustrating. i have received 100% positive reviews on triggerstreet, but that's not really something i can say in my query letter, so it's just a spam from some unproduced bloke, which is just not worth their time to bother looking at. having read loads of amateur scripts myself, i understand why. so infuriating!

great, i'll give that a read.

i'm just finishing up the novelisation of one of my screenplays actually - my first novel.

you're right in what you say - perseverance is key, and the enjoyment of writing is important. writing JUST to get noticed is pretty foolish. however, if you enjoy it, and keep hammering on the door, who knows?

good luck to you

Glad that you've not entirely given up and really interesting article.

Wow very interesting article. I really liked reading the comments as well.

The hard truth is that most struggling screenwriters shouldn't be writing screenplays. Many writers who love movies want to make the shift into screenwriting but simply don't have a knack for dramatic writing. This is a fact.

A lot of novelists adapt their books into screenplays, which didn't deserve a dramatic adaptation. Novelists are under the impression that a film adaptation of their book is the highest form of praise. Some books should simply remain books. There's nothing wrong with that. It's okay. Really.

Most screenwriters don't realize that they're not screenwriters. And just because you've written a screenplay doesn't mean you've written a screenplay. Denial can only last so long until your queries go unanswered (because your concepts suck) and your scripts are rejected.

I think the craft can be learned, and writers can get better after the eighth, ninth, tenth script. But most don't last that long - probably because they didn't want it bad enough. One writes screenplays and makes movies because there isn't anything else he can do. It's simply not a casual pursuit. Dilettantes cannot survive in the film business because there are people who want it so bad they will outwit, outplay and outlast. If your life doesn't depend on writing scripts and making films, it's not likely to happen.

If you want to make a movie. Make a movie. It's a very difficult thing to do if your plan is to make one that gets distribution and finds an audience. But it's not impossible.

I wanted to make a movie. And made one. And then another and another. All have had worldwide distribution. (I'm not claiming they were good, but I got them made.) I did it while holding down a very active full-time job and a part-time job too and even a wife and child. There can be no excuses for something you desperately want to achieve. You'll always make the time and find the way for things you must accomplish.

Hollywood is a town of perpetual motion. And the arts is about action. Only doers survive in the world of film-making.

creativexec said:

If you want to make a movie. Make a movie. It's a very difficult thing to do if your plan is to make one that gets distribution and finds an audience. But it's not impossible.

I wanted to make a movie. And made one. And then another and another. All have had worldwide distribution. (I'm not claiming they were good, but I got them made.) I did it while holding down a very active full-time job and a part-time job too and even a wife and child. There can be no excuses for something you desperately want to achieve. You'll always make the time and find the way for things you must accomplish.

Hollywood is a town of perpetual motion. And the arts is about action. Only doers survive in the world of film-making.

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I'm quoting this part because I think this is the advice most screenwriters/writers need to hear. And because it's ridiculously good advice. I was one of the people who had romantic notions of how successful I could be by that one screenplay that is just so fantastic it'll find an audience and just take off. And then I realized how ridiculous I was being.

I have friends who write like I do, I have friends who are better at working a camera than I am, and I have friends who know what makes a better shot to make something visually stunning. But because I have these friends I know that I'm in a better place to just start creating films than staying at home wondering how great I'll be once someone reads my great script. It's a great thought but highly unlikely to happen to someone like me. So instead I'm doing what I love and making movies because I can. And I'm working to save up more money for better equipment, etc. That all affords me the chance of entering to film festivals and seeing what happens because who knows? At least I got the experience of having my script come to life.

Do it because you love it and you cannot live without it. Don't do it expecting overnight success. You're better off trying to make a name for yourself by being proactive than taking a path filled with what if's. It's easy for writers to get passive and think eventually success will come. I wish more writers (some who I know and went to college with) would realize you're better off taking a leap of faith and just start doing what you love instead of someone else doing it for you.

Also, because I love looking up how writer/directors got started, look up Edward Burns, David O. Russell, Tarantino, Kevin Smith, Steven Soderbergh among other directors/writers. Most of them got their start by making their own films and submitting it to Sundance. It's worth a shot starting to create your own visions and works and seeing where that can lead.

whatsupbuttercup said:

...I know that I'm in a better place to just start creating films than staying at home wondering how great I'll be once someone reads my great script.

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Yup. Less dreaming, more doing.

That's a great article! I actually saw it a few months back while attending Full Sail's Master's program. Very informative! Thanks for sharing!

I recently came upon this article outlining 3 different paths you can take to get your movie made: http://www.filmmakingstuff.com/3-ways-how-to-become-a-filmmaker/

It's definitely not easy and takes a lot of dedication (and falling into the right situation at the right time), but it's nice to know there's more than one way to do it. This link definitely puts it in simple terms, but I think the point is you have to start somewhere. All in all, dreaming and waiting doesn't work--you gotta do the work!