Too many beginners focus only on how
to write a script without bothering to learn what it takes to BE a
screenwriter. They believe writing a script is easy and only dream of that
million-dollar sale. All they have to do is get the right software, attend the right
classes, read a couple books and they're set for a six-figure development deal.
After all, we all have access to a computer keyboard, and we all think we could
write...
Well, as you'll soon find out, it's
a little more complicated.
Let's explore some of the realities
of screenwriting success by looking at what successful screenwriters do on a
daily basis:
1. HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL SCREENWRITERS HAVE A DRIVING REASON TO
WRITE
Most successful writers have been
writing for years, and they didn't last or get to where they are today without
having a driving and passionate desire to write. All writers have a variety of
reasons why they write, some more or less admirable than others. Whether it's
their primary way of expressing themselves, an outlet for their fantasies or a
desire to entertain people, real writers don't get satisfaction out of doing
anything else. They love writing for its own sake.
But before you throw out your
screenwriting software because your motives are less than pure, remember that
there are no good or bad reasons. You just need a DRIVING reason. Even if most
writers say they to do it because they love it, there are just as many
successful writers who hate writing, but are still driven to do good work.
Whether any writer admits it or not, egotism is a strong motivating factor in
writing. And we shouldn't be ashamed to admit it. We all want recognition. And
you could have any reason to write -- money, fame, glory, revenge, or to prove
to someone or yourself that you can do it -- as long as you're passionately
DRIVEN by it. You have to have that obsession to write, the flame within, the
'burn' as Lew Hunter calls it. All the successful writers I know have a passion
for life, for their work and for excellence, regardless of their motives.
2. HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL SCREENWRITERS SET A HIGH STANDARD OF
EXCELLENCE
Put simply, highly successful
screenwriters are successful because they do the job better than anyone else.
They can discriminate between good and bad writing. When starting out, they
took the necessary time to develop their craft. They knew what it took to
succeed. Today, they're ruthless in their desire to do their best. They have to
be. Their livelihood and reputation depend on it. As a beginner, you need to
know what this standard is and raise your work above it. Read great scripts and
compare them to yours. You'll see the difference on the page and, hopefully, it
will inspire you to raise the quality of your own work. As Ernest Hemingway
said, 'the most essential gift for a good writer is a built-in, shock-proof
shit detector.'
So what's the difference between
good and bad writing? The consensus among professionals is that if the writing
moves them in any way, if there's identification with a character, involvement
in the story, surprises and emotional satisfaction, it's good writing; if it's
unoriginal, clichéd and boring, it's bad. As a screenwriter trying to improve
your craft, you need to discriminate between good and bad writing before anyone
of importance (the buyer) makes up their own mind. In this town, you may get
only one chance to impress.
3. HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL SCREENWRITERS TRUST THEIR INSTINCTS AND
WRITE WHAT EXCITES THEM
Successful screenwriters don't let
the marketplace rule their imagination.
They choose to write what excites
them and never second-guess their instincts.
The most often-heard advice is to
write what you know, but what you know may be boring to you and a mass
audience. Better to write what makes you FEEL, what excites you, intrigues you
and fascinates you, because, ultimately, the only thing you really know are
your emotions. You shouldn't worry about trends, and you should definitely not
write what you just saw in the theaters because by the time you start, you're
already two years behind.
Second-guessing yourself will only
kill your original voice. All you can do is be true to what you want to do and
hope other people will respond.
Now there's nothing wrong in
following the marketplace, reading the trades and asking producers or agents
what they're looking for, but decide to write a script only if what they're
looking for is what excites you. And you should still think about the
universality of your script. Some people call it the 'commercial' factor, and
the argument of art vs. commercialism has been debated since the dawn of mass
entertainment. The bottom line is about entertaining an audience. Unless you're
writing to amuse only yourself, chances are you want millions to be moved by
your story. And you'll only become a successful screenwriter if you write what people
want to see and studios want to make. It doesn't mean you have to be a slave to
box-office statistics, but that you have to weave your unique soul into the
universal themes that have been shown to be successful around the world.
4. HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL SCREENWRITERS WRITE REGULARLY AND SET
WRITING GOALS
You'd be amazed how many writers
want to sell their script for a million dollars, but they still haven't written
it. They keep going from conference to conference, attending seminars and
buying books without actually writing anything that closely resembles a
finished, professional screenplay.
Successful writers are highly
disciplined. They make writing a priority.
When people say 'I'm too busy' to do
something, it usually means there are other things they'd rather do more. It's
quite simple: If the desire to write is not followed by actual writing, then
the desire is not to write. Successful screenwriters don't wait for
inspiration. Sure, there are times when they get blocked, or procrastinate for
hours, but somehow they still produce pages. They know what's at stake and that
their job is to write and come up with material by a certain deadline.
Their most common habit is to set
writing goals. Whether it's the number of hours of actual writing, number of pages
per day or number of scenes, they produce a given page count on a steady basis.
If you make a pact with yourself, reward yourself if you have to, that you
won't leave your desk until you've completed a certain number of pages, you'll
be surprised at how soon you'll have a completed screenplay. It's all about
taking small steps at a time. The difference between successful writers and
dreamers is that, at the end of the day, successful writers have more pages
written than the day before.
5. HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL SCREENWRITERS UNDERSTAND THE RULES OF
THE GAME AND ADAPT TO THEM
Aspiring writers are generally
sheltered from the industry. All they know from entertainment news sources are
the 'glamorous' articles and the sound bites about projects sold, dollar amounts
and players involved. It's only after selling something and being thrown into
the system that they discover the realities they must adapt to.
Writer Aljean Harmetz once said,
'There are fewer stars for writers on the Hollywood Walk of Fame than there are
for animals.' This pretty much sums up how the industry feels about the hand
that feeds it. It's a puzzling paradox that writers are essential to the
survival of the industry, and yet, they are undervalued. Put every screenwriter
on a bus out of town, and see how quickly the industry comes to a halt.
Producers have no movies to make, directors have no scripts to shoot, actors
have no lines to speak, agents make no commissions, and so on with every job
from caterer to director of photography. No one has a job without a script, and
yet, screenwriting is the most disrespected element in the movie-making
process.
Aspiring writers need to realize
that until they sell a script, or at the very least, win a major contest or are
represented by a legitimate agency, they don't exist. If executives think your
script will advance their career, they'll like you. If they don't, they'll
ignore you. If you can't handle these inconsistencies psychologically, set
yourself up for major frustrations and depression.
Successful screenwriters adapt to
the realities of the system and generally accept its flaws. They understand
it's still a medium driven by stars and directors, that their work will get
rewritten, that they'll get fired without knowing it, and so on. They know the
only control they have is the quality and output of their pages.
6. HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL SCREENWRITERS EVOKE EMOTIONS IN THE
READER
It's difficult to believe that the
single most important element in any story, the most compelling reason why
people go to the movies, read novels, watch television and see plays, is often
the one element missing from most beginners' scripts. And that is the
experience of emotions. The power of any screenplay lies in its ability to
connect emotionally with the reader, and ultimately, with a movie audience. But
the overwhelming evidence from aspiring writers leads me to believe they THINK
TOO MUCH and FEEL TOO LITTLE when it comes to writing their scripts.
Take a look at newspaper ads for
today's movies, which are nothing more than a promise for what an audience will
feel by watching the movie. Some examples: 'pulse-pounding, nail-biting,
tension and excitement, electrifying, highly-affecting, mesmerizing, powerfully
seductive, provocative and intense, superbly gripping, fascinating, intriguing,
spellbinding, stunning, packs an emotional wallop, hugely satisfying, grabs you
and won't let go.' Can your script match these promises to a reader?
Every time you sit down to write,
you should be afraid of losing the reader at any moment. The worst sin in
Hollywood is for the reader of a script or the audience of a film to say, 'So
what?' I can't tell you how often I have thought these two words. No reader
recommends a boring script, and no audience pays $8.50 to be bored for two
hours. Successful screenwriters rewrite their script until it not only moves
them personally, but also any reader giving them feedback.
FINAL THOUGHTS
If I had to leave you with one
thought, it would be this: The only question in your mind shouldn't be, 'How do
I break into the business?' but 'How can I write a great script that will
excite anyone who reads it?' Remember that every successful screenwriter
eventually wrote a great script that got the attention of a producer, an agent,
an assistant or a reader. If you have that one screenplay in a thousand, the
one that moves a reader EMOTIONALLY, I promise you Hollywood will take notice.
But first, you must develop the right habits, the behaviors, skills and
attitudes to get you there. Try them out. If they work for you, fine. If they
don't, develop your own and move on. Don't take it too seriously. Relax. Write.
Play. Write. Eat. Write. Laugh. Write. Make Love. Write. Sleep. Write. Repeat
daily as necessary.
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