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.
Monday, June 3, 2013
Sunday, June 2, 2013
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.
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.
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Put one foot in front of the other
One of my favorite inspirational authors and speakers, Doreen Virtue, had a post on her Facebook page awhile ago. "Every goal and change is accomplished one step at a time. Keep your focus centered on the current step that you’re taking. Don’t worry about the ones that you’ll take next week, month, or year". Isn't this so true, especially for writers? But are we all really doing this?
When it comes to writing, it's all we can and should do. Maybe it's the first class we take, or the first writing group we go to, or the first time we let others read our pages out loud. We don't know how long the journey will take till we reach success. But it's not about that. It's about being a writer. Getting our words on the page. That's all we can control. Looking far into the future of when success will hit, that's not our concern. If we worry about that, we may never succeed.
Does a famous athlete worry about how he'll perform in the Super Bowl or any big game? Nope. If he does, he won't succeed. In fact, just the opposite will happen. What makes a good athlete is doing what he does best. Not worrying about the outcome. And I think as writers, we need to do the same thing. I've seen too many writers disappear from their dreams because they focus on the final outcome of success. And when they don't see it happen in the schedule or timeline they hoped, they drop out. But what if they were on the verge of reaching that success? Or what if success would have been greater than they imagined, but it would take 15 years, instead of two? Don't worry about the timeline. Just know that you're always becoming a better writer. You're finding your voice. You're stumbling upon new stories all the time. Meeting new people that can help you achieve your dream. When all that lines up, you will succeed. But for now, just put one foot in front of the other. That's all we have. Now. Worry about what to do now. Which is write. Then go do it. The rest will happen when it's time.
When it comes to writing, it's all we can and should do. Maybe it's the first class we take, or the first writing group we go to, or the first time we let others read our pages out loud. We don't know how long the journey will take till we reach success. But it's not about that. It's about being a writer. Getting our words on the page. That's all we can control. Looking far into the future of when success will hit, that's not our concern. If we worry about that, we may never succeed.
Does a famous athlete worry about how he'll perform in the Super Bowl or any big game? Nope. If he does, he won't succeed. In fact, just the opposite will happen. What makes a good athlete is doing what he does best. Not worrying about the outcome. And I think as writers, we need to do the same thing. I've seen too many writers disappear from their dreams because they focus on the final outcome of success. And when they don't see it happen in the schedule or timeline they hoped, they drop out. But what if they were on the verge of reaching that success? Or what if success would have been greater than they imagined, but it would take 15 years, instead of two? Don't worry about the timeline. Just know that you're always becoming a better writer. You're finding your voice. You're stumbling upon new stories all the time. Meeting new people that can help you achieve your dream. When all that lines up, you will succeed. But for now, just put one foot in front of the other. That's all we have. Now. Worry about what to do now. Which is write. Then go do it. The rest will happen when it's time.
Saturday, May 18, 2013
Don't be so critical
I think it's just an artist thing, but we tend to be really hard on ourselves. And truly, I think there's enough people in the world who are waiting to do that for us. So if there's one person who we should feel safe around, it's ourselves. It's what puts writers into writers block, for fear of writing crap. But if we don't get it on the page, we'll never get that moment to write something brilliant. I've definitely seen friends who have stalled at writing anything, because they've listened to that inner critic and given it too much power. I've told them all, just get it on the page!
I think for me, reading The Artist's Way has really helped. I read it years ago. But the author makes you write daily pages without reading what you write. But the good thing about that is you get in the practice to just get something on the page without being critical about it. I've taken that practice and use that with my screenplays. So I'm always writing. Always getting something on the page. I don't worry if it's any good. If it's on the page, you can at least get it to be good. If you keep it in your head, then you have nothing to work with. But once it's on the page, you've got a start. And a start can turn into a finished product.
I've even noticed with my 9-year-old son who's an artist. And he'll be so critical of his work. I try to teach him the same thing. Just get it on the page. Once it's there, you can redraw, learn knew techniques, eventually get better and better and better. I think he's listening to me. But seeing my critical self in my child definitely reminds me how harsh we artists can be. And it's such a detriment. So the next time you're hard on your writing treat yourself how I treat my child, with love and compassion and encouragement. If artists aren't creating, the world will truly suffer for it.
I think for me, reading The Artist's Way has really helped. I read it years ago. But the author makes you write daily pages without reading what you write. But the good thing about that is you get in the practice to just get something on the page without being critical about it. I've taken that practice and use that with my screenplays. So I'm always writing. Always getting something on the page. I don't worry if it's any good. If it's on the page, you can at least get it to be good. If you keep it in your head, then you have nothing to work with. But once it's on the page, you've got a start. And a start can turn into a finished product.
I've even noticed with my 9-year-old son who's an artist. And he'll be so critical of his work. I try to teach him the same thing. Just get it on the page. Once it's there, you can redraw, learn knew techniques, eventually get better and better and better. I think he's listening to me. But seeing my critical self in my child definitely reminds me how harsh we artists can be. And it's such a detriment. So the next time you're hard on your writing treat yourself how I treat my child, with love and compassion and encouragement. If artists aren't creating, the world will truly suffer for it.
Friday, May 17, 2013
Sometimes procrastinating is a good thing
Okay, I'm not talking about watching TV every single night and forgetting that you're a writer. But when you're sitting down working on a script, and here and there you find your mind wandering, I truly think this is part of the process. Heck, I'm writing my blog to you right now as I'm writing my latest comedy. I think what it is, is that our little brains are doing a lot of work when we write. And every so often, our brain gets tired! It's like, hey, you've been squeezing out brilliance all day, do something else for a couple minutes!
So yes, I do find myself posting on Facebook or reading the headlines on Huffington Post or writing my screenwriting blog. I figure as long as I'm banging out pages that I'm happy with, then I'm doing what needs to be done. I'm not forgetting that my main job is to write. But by letting my story breathe, letting my brain focus on something other than the story, I'm actually coming up with the story.
The trick is making sure you're not letting other things get in the way of your writing. For me, I make sure I stay in my seat at my desk. I also make sure that I see my page count increase. If I haven't added any pages, then it would be time to worry. But we don't really know what goes on when we create magic on a blank page. And I really think that part of that magic, is letting our mind do what it wants. And sometimes that means procrastinating. Since I've just done some of mine, it's now time to go write a few more pages.
So yes, I do find myself posting on Facebook or reading the headlines on Huffington Post or writing my screenwriting blog. I figure as long as I'm banging out pages that I'm happy with, then I'm doing what needs to be done. I'm not forgetting that my main job is to write. But by letting my story breathe, letting my brain focus on something other than the story, I'm actually coming up with the story.
The trick is making sure you're not letting other things get in the way of your writing. For me, I make sure I stay in my seat at my desk. I also make sure that I see my page count increase. If I haven't added any pages, then it would be time to worry. But we don't really know what goes on when we create magic on a blank page. And I really think that part of that magic, is letting our mind do what it wants. And sometimes that means procrastinating. Since I've just done some of mine, it's now time to go write a few more pages.
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Where's the marching band?
So I had a meeting with the big producer I've been working with since last year. We were finally going to meet on the outline for the story we're developing together. So I expected at least two or three rounds of notes on the outline before I got to write the script. Well, guess what? He tells me he has almost no notes and that he'll email me what he has. But that basically I should start writing the script! Woo hoo! The words I've longed to hear since last year! He tells me to start sending him pages, 20 at a time. I'm just ecstatic! He also tells me he's going to set me up with a manager, and starts naming all these A-list managers. Woo hoo again! I couldn't believe it! Pinch me please!
So then I leave his office so excited and I'm texting my husband, "Good news!" And I'm walking to my car. And then I drive home to pick up my son from school. And then we do homework. And well, that's it! I had to live my life just the way I did before I got the good news! And I was like, wait, isn't something amazing supposed to happen after I get such amazing news?! Isn't there some awesome marching band like out of Dr. Seuss's book where the boy looks out the window and some fantastical band just marches past him. I wanted that! I wanted horns, and confetti, and something amazing! But that didn't happen. It was good news, and life went on.
And now, I'm writing the script, but just like every other day. I guess it just means all those normal days when I was writing scripts just for me, they were preparing me for the day when I'd be writing it for someone this big in Hollywood. So even though there's nothing as earth shattering as I was hoping it could be, it means I'm prepared for it. And truthfully, that's exciting enough.
So then I leave his office so excited and I'm texting my husband, "Good news!" And I'm walking to my car. And then I drive home to pick up my son from school. And then we do homework. And well, that's it! I had to live my life just the way I did before I got the good news! And I was like, wait, isn't something amazing supposed to happen after I get such amazing news?! Isn't there some awesome marching band like out of Dr. Seuss's book where the boy looks out the window and some fantastical band just marches past him. I wanted that! I wanted horns, and confetti, and something amazing! But that didn't happen. It was good news, and life went on.
And now, I'm writing the script, but just like every other day. I guess it just means all those normal days when I was writing scripts just for me, they were preparing me for the day when I'd be writing it for someone this big in Hollywood. So even though there's nothing as earth shattering as I was hoping it could be, it means I'm prepared for it. And truthfully, that's exciting enough.
Saturday, April 20, 2013
How to get rid of the excuses that keep you from success
So most screenwriting blogs are about technique. And that's fine. We writers definitely need that. But what I like to write about is how to move past our blocks that help us reach success. So right now I'm listening to one of my favorite authors, Wayne Dyer. His new book is called, "Excuses Begone". This book I must say, has done more for me than any thing I've ever read or heard. Ever. Maybe it's because I've read a lot of books like this and it's just that it's finally resonating with me. The premise is that it's all about how we are aligned with an inner source that is who we are, and what our life purpose is. Now, if you're not religious at all, I'm sure you can have that inner source be whatever power that makes sense for you. But what's important, is that this book really helps you reach the screenwriting success you've been looking for. It helps you understand why we make excuses, where they come from and how to finally just say, no more! The premise of the book is that we allow these excuses to keep us from reaching the potential of who we are meant to be. So it finally helped me see, that in order to reach my success, I have to stop believing these excuses I've listened to my whole life. The funny thing is, we don't even realize we're doing them. But as I was listening to the book, I could see how many stops I've had in my career. How many blocks I'd allowed in my career. And it finally helped me push beyond them.
Since this book, I've set up a meeting with one of the producers I've been working with, but he had been too busy lately. But I went beyond my comfort level and got his attention in a way I'd never done before. I also reached out to a friend who's husband is a big wig at a studio. Something I felt uncomfortable to do up until now. I've also reached out to many producers and managers that up until now, I'd never have felt comfortable doing. I even got a gig through a producer I worked with years ago, but just never contacted him. But why not? I reached out to him and he had an assignment for me right away. Although it was a short film, it was something that could eventually get me a lot of attention. And the fact is, each assignment is something that allows the universe to build upon my success. The fact is, I'm allowing success to happen. I'm in the flow of it.
So, if this book sounds at all interesting to you, I think you should check it out. I'd like to hear if it helps you like it's helped me. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.
Since this book, I've set up a meeting with one of the producers I've been working with, but he had been too busy lately. But I went beyond my comfort level and got his attention in a way I'd never done before. I also reached out to a friend who's husband is a big wig at a studio. Something I felt uncomfortable to do up until now. I've also reached out to many producers and managers that up until now, I'd never have felt comfortable doing. I even got a gig through a producer I worked with years ago, but just never contacted him. But why not? I reached out to him and he had an assignment for me right away. Although it was a short film, it was something that could eventually get me a lot of attention. And the fact is, each assignment is something that allows the universe to build upon my success. The fact is, I'm allowing success to happen. I'm in the flow of it.
So, if this book sounds at all interesting to you, I think you should check it out. I'd like to hear if it helps you like it's helped me. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.
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