You can take a hit

In the boxing world, if a guy gets hit, he gets back up. That's his(her) job. He gets hit, he gets back up. He gets hit, he gets back up. Well, writing is no different. I mean, metaphorically of course. Hopefully we aren't really getting hit. But each step we take in screenwriting has so many chances for us to feel like we got knocked down. But we can't stay down. We have to get back up. And each time we do, it moves us closer and closer to seeing our dreams of being a paid screenwriter come to fruition.

I remember my first time I had to print out a script at Kinko's. I was so scared to take it there. I know, silly. But I was! I lived in Hollywood and was so afraid that only "real" screenwriters printed scripts. And that if I went there, they'd laugh at me and tell everyone there, "Get a load of this girl who thinks she's a writer!" Okay, little did I know that there were thousands of other people trying to be screenwriters too and they didn't give it so much as a glance. But for me, that was a hit. I had to take that chance that I'd get knocked down. And it didn't happen that time, I dodged that hit and that allowed me to go in for the next possible hit. Taking more screenwriting classes. Joining writing groups and getting critiqued. Entering contests! Sending out queries! There were rejections upon rejections. There have been many. But they have also opened me up to "yeses" too. So you have to take those hits. Because without the hits, we wouldn't have the success. And each hit makes us stronger and stronger.

So do it. Go for it. You have to at least try or you'll never know if you could have one day been the champ. Okay, that's really corny. But hey, I had to go for the whole boxing thing, didn't I? But you get what I'm saying. Keep trying. The bell hasn't run yet!