Your own progress is what matters

I always do a year-end review just to check in with myself, keep myself writing, and inspire myself to keep going. We writers all need that from time-to-time, don't we?

Well, this year has been my most successful year thus far. But it doesn't mean I'm supporting myself with my screenwriting career just yet. I have a new writing partner and together we got a huge production company interested in our comedy that they've attached themselves to. They've sent it to a big director and we're waiting to hear if he's attaching himself. We also finished a WW2 drama that I'm co-producing with two really big producers. And I finished a third comedy feature that when it's ready, I'm getting to a really huge producer. Plus, I gained a manager for the first time because of my comedy that has interest.

But even though I have a lot to be thankful for, I'm still not where I want to be with my career. But I'm definitely on my way. And like I've done in previous year-end reviews, it's important for us writers to relish the positive. We writers tend to compare ourselves to others that are reaching more success, whether financially, screen credits, meetings, the list is endless! But we have to remember that every writer has their own path. What might be a success for one writer one year, could be the success another writer sees the next year. When one writer wins in a contest one year, another screenwriter can see success a couple years later in a different contest. So what I'm saying, is do not compare yourself to anyone but yourself!

Did you do better in a contest this year than last?

Did you write more scripts this year than last?

Did you have more meetings this year than last?

Or even did you just get your butt in front of the computer more this year than last?

Whatever looks like success for you, is what matters! Sometimes our success can look small when we compare ourselves to other writers. But if we compare each writing year from one to the next we can see how far we've come. And that's all that really matters.

So what did your success look like this year? Whatever it was,  use it to have a successful 2020! You got this!

Writing is like getting your heart stomped on

So you finally see your career taking off. You get to the point where producers want meetings with you. They want to read pages of things you're working on. You're allowed on the set, without being chased off! It's happening! And it's all so exciting. Only the problem is, it's scary too! You're finally where you've always dreamed you'd be. But once you're there, your dreams are on the line. It's no longer just dreaming. It's seeing your dreams happen and possibly be even better than you ever imagined!

It's enough to make your skin crawl and make your heart feel like it's going to jump out of your chest! But it makes sense. Being a writer means you have a passion for what you do. And passion comes from your heart. So your heart is involved and pulled and tugged. And the things you create, are from your imagination. They are your babies, as we've heard many times. So if someone is going to critique our baby? Oh my god, look out! That's going to hurt. So that's why when you're seeing your dreams come true in this career, you can feel so vulnerable. Because it's as if you're like hi, here's my heart, now take it, stomp on it, rip it apart, pour acid in it, and then give it back so I can walk around with this battered thing. Ugh!

I can feel it with the script I'm working on now with the producer I only dreamed of working with. And he's actually calling me back on a more frequent basis. For the longest time it felt like I had to remind him, hi, I'm still here, we're still working on this right? Now he actually has the time, and he's actually waiting for pages. But as I'm sending them, it's as if I were sending my kid on an overnight trip for a week! And believe me, I haven't even done that!

So what's a writer to do? Well, first thing, breathe. If you've got the attention of a producer, no matter what caliber, you're doing something right. So remember that! Then, remember, they want to make this film, they are looking to make something wonderful. And if they are placing their trust in you, it's because you showed them some sort of talent. Then, unless you had your cousin Sue write your script and you put your name on it, you obviously know how to write a script. Remember that! You know how to do this! You are in this place because you're supposed to be!

Even as I'm writing my script for this producer, I just keep telling myself, I'm just doing what I've been doing all these years. It's really no different. The only difference is that I care more what he thinks. But I can't let that psyche me out. I just do what I know how to do. And what I love to do! No more, no less. If I psyche myself out, I'll fail. So breathe, and write. And exercise! That always takes the stress off of me. And before long, you just may see your best script yet. With a producer who can actually get it made! Voila! Imagine that.

Why screenwriting is like Minecraft

So, maybe you do or don't know what Minecraft is. But it's a video game where you create things in a video world. So for instance, my 9 year old plays, and when he does, he has to build things like homes, or dig for gold or diamonds, and search in buildings for boxes that hold things he can use to protect himself against bad guys. That's the quick description of the game.

So what does this have to do with screenwriting? Well, I was watching him play yesterday and it donned on me, wow, he's really come a long way. Because the first day he played, he dug the earth and fell through the universe and his character died. It took him awhile, but eventually he got the hang of digging and not dying. And now he's really good at it. So yesterday I noticed that he learned how to find new lands and grab certain tools in one land and then use them in other lands so that he could collect things for even more lands. He's developed skills that have benefited him in this video game. So now he's not dying as easily and he's really created this whole video game world.

And it donned on me, isn't this what our screenwriting careers have been? At first, we might have presented pages in our first screenwriting class and our pages might have bombed when we read them out loud. It seemed painful and like we "died" right away when we let the class hear our pages. Then perhaps we took more classes, read more books, learned that taking a scene class or a dialogue class could actually make our script stronger. So that the next time we read pages, people actually liked what we wrote. And then that lead to a new writing group that was stronger. Which lead to doing better in writing contests. Which leads to meetings and getting managers. It doesn't happen over night. It takes learning the lay of the land, how to navigate the world.

So even though it might not happen as quickly as one would like, it does happen. And before we know it, we're gathering tools to help us survive in this crazy business called show. I wouldn't tell my son to give up as he's being chased by bad guys in the Minecraft world, or looking for tools. Nor should we give up as writers. Each tool and skill we develop helps us get further and further in our careers and craft. And as we move forward, we just become better adept and stronger to survive even longer, for new battles we might come up against. And hopefully, maybe one day, we have created the world we always dreamed of.

Do you push past your fears?

You may not realize it, but every single person in power has most likely faced their fears. I don't know each and every one of them. But I do know what it feels like when I get past my comfort zone and push past my fears. From what I've read in books on people who reach their success, they all go through that. So are you pushing past your fears or are you letting them take over and filling your life with regret? My feeling is that life is too short. That if we don't go after the dreams we have for our life, then what is the point? I got a message email today from one of my favorite spiritual authors, Neale Donald Walsch, about fear and this was his take. "...that fears are nothing more than states of mind. Napoleon Hill said that, and he was right. The moment you move into fear over something ask yourself, "Why am I making this real? What is there inside of me that drives me to do this?" There is a huge difference between fear and caution. Caution moves forward with care, fear stands still, paralyzed. Avoid paralysis at all cost. It is not good for the soul -- and it gets you nowhere". So if this is true, then when we fear having a meeting with a high-powered producer, even though we may feel paralyzed with fear, nothing bad is going to happen to us. It's not like we're putting ourselves in danger or harm's way. So we just need to push past that. Even just this weekend a friend of mine at one of the TV studios wanted to ask for a promotion. The person she was approaching was kind of outside of protocol. But in order to get the promotion she was going to have to do this if she really wanted to succeed. She risked getting fired if the person she went to also agreed what she did was not kosher. There were people at her work warning her it was a mistake. But my take was that these people were jealous. Because they were making her feel insecure. (Remember a previous post about when writers are jealous? This has to do with that, even though it wasn't a writer). This whole ordeal was making my friend sick to her stomach and she almost decided not to do it at all. She felt paralyzed by her fear! But I let her know, it was nothing but fear. It wasn't a real danger. That she was meant to go after this career or she wouldn't be having the passion for it. So I told her, she had to have the meeting. She did. And the head person could not have been happier! She's open to hearing exactly where she sees her career going. It's going to turn into a discussion about what my friend wants, but she's on her way! I've had my own numerous times of fear, each and every time I've had pitch meetings, or phone calls with producers, or lunch meetings. Each time they get easier and I'm sure eventually they won't be a big deal. But right now, to me, they are. But I acknowledge my fear and I push through it. I just say, okay, there's that fear trying to stop me. I'm not going to let it! And then I go on my way. I've seen other writers who have let it get in the way. They don't know they are. But they sabotage every opportunity that comes their way. They end up spinning their wheels for opportunities that are easier and don't lead any where. And they can't understand why they don't have true success. But it's fear! They would much rather do something with less success possibility because it keeps the fear at a minimum. But then they will be living life with regret. And that's no life! So go after what you want. Face your fear! And before you know it, you'll be living you dreams!

PItching to Disney - when you're "there"

So a friend of mine sent me a website from a writer, Stephanie Palmer, and her experiences about pitching to producers and what it's really like once you get to have meetings. As I read her experiences, I realized, oh yeah, that is what it's like! And it made me realize that at one point, I didn't know what it was like and I always wondered what it would be like once you do get to start pitching for "real". So I thought I'd share my experiences for those who are curious and getting ready to be at that point someday on their own. At first I thought I'd write them all in one blog post, but then I realized giving them each their own post might be better so you can see how they were all different and my experience with each.

So here's my first. Pitching to Disney. This was the short film I had sold. Luckily I had a writing partner at the time that had worked on several sitcoms so he had the experience already of being in these kinds of meetings. I noticed that at first I was intimidated by these nice producers. But when you first get that meeting you don't know if that's what your experience is going to be. So the first meeting I kind of just smiled and listened to my writing partner, a lot! LOL

Once the first meeting was over, I realized, okay, that was soooooo not a big deal. So the next time I was able to relax and shine as a writer. It was no different than any other meeting I'd had in advertising, where you really just talk, and share ideas, and listen. Listen! These producers are the ones that will hopefully hire you someday, so listen to what they want, what they feel strongly about, and be willing to take their feedback. You don't have to do everything they want. In fact, don't. They are hiring you for your style and your ability as a writer. So if you don't take their feedback, don't say that then and there. Take in all their notes, nod, do a lot of uh-huhs, and then next time you meet if you think there's a better way to address their notes, then tell them why and how you dealt with it. But only if you really see a better way. Don't do it to be difficult! If you are, they'll never want to work with you again. And you'll get a rep for being difficult.

My friend at FOX who works in research told me that once you get that rep of being difficult to work with, people will talk, and then you won't have meetings any longer. If you're a good writer and have a reason for not using their notes and can make the story strong, then yes, that will always keep you working.

So after a few meetings with Disney, I really started to feel comfortable. That's the key to working with producers. They want to know that you're someone they'd hang out with, be friends with. Let your personality shine. I write comedies, so I also like to joke around with friends. So making the room comfortable by being easy to talk to is how I handle working with producers. It's sort of like a date. If I can make them want to spend time with me, then there's a good chance they're going to want to work with me.

So as weeks went on, we found out that we were one of the few writers left out of like 60 teams. That was kind of cool! Then we had the meeting of, "yes, we're buying your idea!" Which was even cooler. Then got to go to the department where we sign the contract and get paid. Even cooler!

It never got made, as it turned out Disney Feature had two similar ideas being made. But that's okay too. It just showed that we had an idea worthy of their Feature department. And it was my first sale. All good.

So here's Stephanie's website on pitching. http://www.goodinaroom.com I think there's some pretty good stuff there. So check it out when you have a moment. Next blog I'll write about, my pitch to a big TV Network. Now THAT was cool.