Break down your goals

So when we become screenwriters, I think it's safe to say that most of us think we'll write that one magic script, it will be our first of course, and then wham, we'll go on to being rich and famous, lunching with Brad and Angie of course, right? Yeah, doesn't work like that. Even when we read the trades that "Screenwriter sells first script!", I'm guaranteeing you that it was their first script they sold, not the first script they wrote. See, being a screenwriter whether in TV or film is not for the faint of heart. There is no overnight success. Even these young prodigies that might have some amazing writing career at lets say, 23, have probably been writing since they were five years old. I for one, did not hone my craft at five. And you most likely haven't either. So what's my point? That this journey might take a while and you have to be prepared for that. So instead of getting overwhelmed by it taking awhile, maybe you need to set many kinds of goals instead of: "become hugely successful screenwriter in 2015". Because if that's your only goal for this year, or any year, you might be disappointed and give up. So, instead, why not set up smaller goals, ones you can achieve.

For instance, if you're just starting out as a writer, perhaps your goals are like:
1. Take a screenwriting class.
2. Get an outline written
3. Write a first draft.

Maybe that's all you'll accomplish your first year.

If you've been writing a few years and have a few scripts written maybe it's goals like:
1. Enter the Nicholl's and other important contests
2. Find screenwriting producers I can query
3. Reach out to managers and get a script read

Because even those might not end up the successes you'd hope for. You might enter a contest, but not do well, query producers and managers and not hear back. So then you have to alter your goals again. Such as:

1. Take another screenwriting class to place higher in Nicholl's and other contests
2. Get yeses from producers to read scripts
3. Get managers to actually say yes they'll read a script

See the difference on setting goals? Instead of it being an all or nothing in your writing, make them smaller goals and adjust them every year. Every month if that helps. Because I've seen many talented writers drop out of this journey only because I think they thought it would be a quicker one than it was. But if you break down those goals, keep moving that finish line, eventually you're going to reach success. Doors are going to open. And before long, you'll have to tell Brad and Angie to stop bothering you to go to lunch, you're busy! :)

Looking back. Looking ahead.

Every year I do a "where has my career flourished" kind of list and what I can be thankful for. It reminds me that even if my career isn't where I want it to be, it's definitely on its way. So here we go! The reason I do this is because every year, I focus on the positives and I can see the strides I have taken. I ask that you do the same. Because although you might not have an Academy Award yet, or a huge sale, you might have successes that you don't even realize. And those successes you should use to propel you further ahead. Each success, no matter how large or how small, will get you to the successes you want someday. If we ignore these successes, then we give up. And that's just not something I want any writer to do. Ever! So here is my 2014:

1. Still working with really high profile producer. This year he could win a few Oscars himself.
2. Working with a new producer that also has a few actors and movies being nominated for some big awards. Met him from working with #1 producer. Just goes to show why each success can open doors to others.
3. Going to contact another producer that I was working with from #1 producer. He left that company and went to a new company that is also getting Oscar buzz. Again, one door open leads to another open door.
4. Still have a script in development. Not sure what's happening with it. But, it did get me an imdb!
5. Have several big management companies reading my scripts, that have been involved in Black List scripts. So that's kind of exciting to be working with those level managers.
6. Going to get my script to a huge A-list comedy actor because turns out a good friend of mine knows their producer. Who knew!
7. Recently contacted by production company that wants to read several of my scripts. They are looking to produce films in 2015. Hello!
8. Contacted by another director/writer who also has money to produce in 2015. Hello again!
9. One of my scripts is with a huge casting agent that's looking to get an A-list actress interested in my latest feature. Got that same script to so many big industry people, the most I ever have in my career thus far. That was exciting!
10. Finished three feature scripts this last year.
11. Finished the outline to my latest spec TV script.
12. Just finished before New Years Eve, the outline to my next feature script. What timing! So excited about that!

There's probably even more successes I'm not even thinking about because these ones are so big the smaller ones start to not seem as big. But if you were to even look in my previous years, you'd see that every year the successes lead to new successes in the coming years. So sure, I don't have a script in the theaters just yet. But things are happening. It's a momentum that I can feel. It's exciting. People that can get my scripts made are talking to me and wanting to work with me. I am loving it! I can feel 2015 will be a great year. So take a look at your successes. Write them down. Be thankful for them. You have had them whether you know it or not. Don't dismiss them! You're on your way I promise you. Just. Keep. At. It! Happy and successful 2015!

Find the "happy" in the New Year!

So we wish everyone a Happy New Year today but do we really know what we're saying when we speak those words. Happy. It means, "Be Happy". Sometimes easier said than done though, huh? But what I've realized in my years of late is that it's not so hard to do. It doesn't mean ignore the things that bother you, it just means there are so many more reasons to be happy. If we use this in our writing, we can focus on the positive in our career, even if we're not successful yet. Ask yourself, what have been your successes this past year? Did you make new contacts? That's good. Did you reach out to new producers? That's good. Doesn't even matter if they said they'd read your script or if they said they'd produce it. If you got farther in your career, then you're making strides. So focus on that. Do not focus on how far you have to go. Did you write one new script this year? Two? Three? Then that's a lot to be happy about! Maybe you didn't have a strong writing year, but jotted down new ideas, then be happy about that! It's something. It's always something. See, there are always things to be happy about. Even if you have a computer you can write on. Fingers to type on the keyboards. A brain to come up with ideas with.Those are all reasons to be grateful. What you might take for granite, some people might not have at all. So just remember, you can focus on what you can be thankful for and the universe will bring you more to be thankful. Or you can be bitter your career isn't as you hoped it would be yet. And the universe will bring you more of that. I'd rather choose to be happy and watch as the universe brings me more to be happy about. And let me tell you, it's working. The good things are coming. So this year, listen when someone says, "Happy New Year". And mean it when you say it. And by the way, have a Happy New Year. Seriously.

Who cares how many other people are writing screenplays?

I joined a new TV writing group recently. Great group of women. Yes, it's also an all-women writing group, which I'm digging. Nothing against men. But it's fun surrounding yourself by other talented female writers. So a couple are kind of new to the TV world. You could say younger than me. No, I won't tell you by how much! More than one year and less than 100. But what I can tell you, is these gals tend to go to a lot of writing events. Something I've stopped going to because I feel it just takes away from actual writing. But they're single, no kids, unlike me, so have much more time on their hands. But part of the other problem with going to these kinds of events is you see how many other people are out there trying to do what you're trying to do; Attempting to make a career out of something you want to do. Something you've been told could be hard to actually become a paid one of.

So one of the gals said she got really intimidated by seeing how many other writers were there. The others didn't speak up but had that "Oh yes, I was panicking" look on their faces. Luckily, I've been down this path before her and reminded her/them, "Don't worry, most of these people won't finish a first script. And out of those, most won't do a rewrite. And guess how many won't write script #2. Won't keep at it after a year. Won't keep at it after two!" The thing is, most people that are trying to be real, paid writers, are few and far between. Okay yes, many are very talented and hard-working writers and for some reason their careers don't take off. But many of them, most of them, just don't have what it takes to really become a paid writer. So you can either let the amount of people that are also trying to get their writing career launched intimidate you, or you can remember that most of them are just pretending to be writers. That's how I see it. Because if you really love writing, really want a career in this, nothing like too many other writers, should get in your way. Because I also preach "our thoughts create reality". And if you believe it, it will happen. And that's something most other writers don't have either.

RIP writer that could have been

So as writers go, we tend to have writing groups. And these days, some of those groups are online. Which means we end up being online friends with people we never meet in person. Luckily I've "met" some really great writers that way. And one of these, Sandy Corkins-Schmidt, just passed away this week. I never got to meet her. I barely knew her. But I do remember her smiling face, seeing kind words posted from her. I know she placed in several screenwriting contests this year. And of course when everyone online heard of her passing, there were only kind things to be said about her. But what does this have to do with you? Well, she was young. I would assume in her 40's. Which to me, is too young to pass away. So the reason I'm writing about her, to you, is that I hope this reminds all writers, that you need to stop waiting to get those screenplays and TV scripts written. Because we just don't know when it's our time. Life is short people. And if you aren't doing what you love,  you aren't following your passion to be a writer, then why aren't you? For me, my dad passed away when I was 23 and he was only 51. It was the most tragic thing that had happened to me. But it taught me never ever to take life for granite and to live every moment to its fullest. It's given me the passion to always keep writing and never waste my time doing anything unimportant when I could be writing instead.

So please writers, stop procrastinating. Stop watching too much TV when you could be writing your own TV scripts. Stop hanging out with friends ALL the time, when you could hole up and finish your outline or your rewrite. You're a writer. You're meant to write. You have the passion to be a successful writer. And if you waste too much time, you'll never see your dream realized. To me, writers were put on this earth to tell their stories. So tell your story. Before it's too late.

characters and orange juice

So I was watching one of my favorite speakers, Wayne Dyer, on a youtube video and he was speaking about how if you squeeze oranges, orange juice always comes out. That it's made of orange juice and so each time, that's what you'll get, that's its true substance. Makes sense. Then he goes on to say that when people are stressed, they like to blame how they behave or act on other situations or people, but that their true nature is what comes out in those situations. So if they act like a jerk, or angry, or mean, or sweet and happy, that's what they are, that's their true nature. They can blame it on anything they want, but truly, that's their true nature. So it got me thinking that that works for our characters as we're writing them. I've always heard that a true character's nature comes out when put in stressful situations. And it's our job as a writer to create the world to put them in conflict, put them to the test. And what our story will show is our character's true nature. It's nice to think of it that way, knowing it's our job to squeeze that orange juice out. If we're not, we're not telling the story. We're not putting them in enough conflict or stress if we're not doing that. When we're writing our story, we can think of the first 10-20 pages of our story, that we're starting out with a nice, round plump orange that we just picked. That's our character before anything has happened. And then comes the inciting incident. That's when we slowly see that orange juice, or character's true nature, come out. Drip by drip, story beat, by story beat, as the conflict rises, the pressure is put upon them, until we end up with a nice tall glass of a fresh juicy story. A full glass of orange juice. Or, a nice fully fleshed out character and story. Drink up and enjoy!

Don't judge

So I usually write about screenwriting, but today I felt the need to write about what it's like to be judged as a woman in today's world. The reason I felt like doing this is because of the fallout from Renee Zellweger's new face. Before her new critics, she was in the trades and news for not looking good. People tweeted and commented on how horrible she was looking. Really? People? Why is it that from the safety of every one's homes they feel so nasty and mean about ripping apart a person. She's a person, remember? So then recently she does who knows what to her face. Facelift? Botox? Facials? I don't know and I don't care. So now she's ripped apart for no longer looking like she used to. Luckily it seems like she's not caring and letting it roll off her back. And I hope she really feels that way. Because I can only imagine what it's like to be judged by every Tom, Dick and Mary in the social media world. It's hard enough as a woman in today's day and age to get older, but when you're an actress in Hollywood the standards are even that much tougher. So what's an actress to do? I guess learn to develop a thick skin. Easier said than done I'm sure. Because most actors are insecure as it is. If you're an actor reading this and you don't think you are, I bet, you are. And if you can't get a thick skin, stop reading social media and tabloids. It's sort of like a tree in a forest, if you don't read it, it didn't happen. And for the rest of us writers and other non-actors, stop caring what actresses do or don't do. If you have that much time to criticize what an actor does or doesn't do, you've got too much time on your hands. Which is why, I'm going back to my new outline. Ciao!