Do You Have What it Takes?
Wavers, writing, particularly in entertainment is like running a marathon. It is to push yourself further than you ever have before, to hit the wall and burn inside because you want to quit so badly. It's punishing. And exhilarating. And it’s about stamina, determination and training. It's about staying in the race.
Aspiring screenwriters line up at the starting line, the pistol is fired and off they go, joyous and optimistic. It’s a crowded race, fans cheer, the sun is bright and life is good. Anybody can write! It's easy! Movies are fun!
But the writers thin out relatively quickly. The ones with no natural talent or willingness to develop writing skills go first. Splat. Next come the impatient and the unrealistic. Splat. Splat. Next come the writers who are ego-invested and neurotic. Splat. Splat. Splat. Next come the writers who have just grown too exhausted by the ups, downs and near-misses. Splat.
But a few writers remain. Writers with the patience of Job and an almost certifiable single-minded determination. Sure, they get tired. They want to quit. They look back at the other writers crawling off the track with a mixture of pity and envy. They begin to hallucinate. They want to lie down and breathe in the smell of sweet poppies… But they keep their eyes on that finish line no matter what. Those are the writers that make it.
It could take ten years. Can you handle that? It could take ten years, nine scripts, having a baby, needing a new car, hating your day job and your friends and parents taking you aside sympathetically and telling you you're crazy. Are you tough enough? It could take fifteen crappy meetings, a flat tire, 3rd place when you deserved 1st, 29 printer cartridges and 14 tons of coffee. Still in?
Gatorade up, everybody, and do your stretches. Are you in it for the long haul? Do you have what it takes? A support system, goals, feedback and drive? Are you taking classes, networking and writing every single day? We Rouge Wavers don’t mind if other writers stumble to the side and quit with dignity. They just made it easier for the next writer to succeed. And that writer will be a Rouge Waver who just didn't stop trying.
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6 comments:
This is something I have thought about many times. I have only been screenwriting for two years, so I am still pretty new. How long will I go on?
To me, success is being happy. When this no long brings me happiness I will quit. This way I will never feel like I wasted my time, no matter how it turns out. I don't see it as failing.
I agree with your philosophy, Annabel, success is not about material things at all. Moving on to something new is never a failure. Life is an adventure. Sometimes you don't stick to writing consciously, you just can't seem to quit doing it; it's a habit, an addiction and an obsession.
If you find that you can quit writing pretty easily - well, great, there's your decision. Or maybe you stop being interested in writing scripts but you are still drawn to writing. So you start a short story. Or begin to play with poetry. Or write a first-person essay. There are a million ways to be a writer that have nothing to do with the movies. Why writers forget that is beyond the Wave-inatrix. This is not the only game in town.
What helped me keep going for lo these 10 years is that I got the professional validation here and there, of being published. That is such an energy pill, I can't tell you. Then I got meetings on my scripts and though they didn't always turn out well (see Dumb Things I Have Done) it was also a bit of validation; I was good enough to get the attention of an industry professional.
What irritates the Wave-inatrix are screenwriters who say, I've been doing this for THREE LONG YEARS where's my success? It isn't fair! I've written FOUR scripts, my god, I will make a sale any second now!!
The reality is most writers have written 10 scripts before they sell one. There are exceptions of course, but screenwriting attracts the impatient, instant gratification-seekers like no other form of artistic expression. Maybe it's the high payouts they read about in the trades. Maybe they just love the movies and can't separate having a "cool" idea and liking going to the movies a whole lot from the skill set and patience to write them.
The Wave-inatrix works with writers of every stripe from every continent with every level of skill and talent - from total beginners to hobbyists to serious contenders. And I love them all. There's only one writer that best beware the Wave-inatrix: the impatient instant gratification-seeker who fancies him or herself a genius.
You'd never catch a novelist saying I WROTE TWO NOVELS, why am I not on the NYT bestseller list??? OR a sculptor. Or a composer. But for some reason, writers think that screenwriting is quick and dirty money. Well, it might be dirty and once in a blue moon it's quick but actually...it's quite a marathon.
I'm going to continue until I se my name on something. I am mapping out project after project but I would be happy if someone gave me a moderately paying writing on the dumbest show ever.
Hey I'd take crumbs to do a polish. I mean you're a writer when you write not when you sell a screenplay.
That seems very hard to do. I think of all of the specs I am working on as "writing samples."
I have been seeing lots of stories about writers who get writing assignments because they write a certain genre well or because they know structure well.
Sure I want to see my movies made but once you get that credit from a signatory, the road is a lot smoother.
Heck you may be able to get someone to bankroll your movie without an option or large studio.
I have been looking at small producers lately just to get something out there.
If there's one thing I know, you should never get into this for money or glamor. Sure, it can be but not for those in the trenches.
I like the idea that I MIGHT someday make more per film than any actor and not be recognized a lot on the street.
Anyway, keep up the good work. Your words of inspiration are more than valuable.
It’s almost as if I wrote this entry myself. Yup, truer words were never spoken. All the people I started writing scripts with (gosh, more than 15 years ago now!) are selling cars or bagging groceries today. Hey, nothing wrong with that. But those people got into the business for all the wrong reasons. They wanted to make a lot of “quick” money, or they wanted to go to big Hollywood parties, or they wanted to avoid a typical 9-to-5 job, or...well, let’s just say they had no idea what they were really in for.
And yup, there’s the talent factor. I’d say at least 90% of the people who start writing scripts have absolutely no real writing talent. Yes, a very few will develop their talent and go on to write some pretty darn good scripts. But it can take time to develop that talent. So, ladies and gents, the big questions you have to ask yourself: Am I prepared to stick it out? Am I willing to spend the next three, five, seven, or ten years trying to better myself as a writer? Can I still be happy if I never ever sell a single script?
Think about it.
You’re correct that this is about “the long haul.” I had optioned a couple of scripts relatively early in my career, but I didn’t actually sell anything for about six years after I started referring to myself as a professional writer. It was another two years before I saw one of my scripts go into production (and yes, it was worth the wait). Though I’ve had some nice little success since then, and things are going fairly well for me now, it’s still a daily struggle. It’s definitely a roller-coaster ride. But I love it. I love movies, I love writing them, I love everything about this nutty business. I always say, “A bad day writing movies is better than a great day selling insurance.”
Jim
www.TheWorkingScreenwriter.com
I hope I didn't come off as flippant. I guess I should have said that screenwriting has not been a lifelong dream for me, so my commitment to it might not equal that of others. I have always loved writing and I decided to try my hand at screenwriting on a whim. It seemed like an interesting new challenge. I don't know how far down this path I will go, but it has been a fun ride so far. :)
I'm completely neurotic so I'm totally screwed then. I've been screenwriting for 5 years and I'll do it for another 5 if I must to break in and another 5 after that. I have a potential Hollywood contact's email address and the greenlight to send him the first 20 pages of the script I'm rewriting now when I'm finished. I'm absolutely terrified and exhilarated and I'm writing everyday to finish it to the point of exhaustion (because I do have to get up at go to my day job). And at the same time I have the next two projects I want to start at the back of my mind, fighting for attention. I'm only 27 and have a lot to learn but I don't think my writing sucks. I'll shout that from the rooftops. I DON'T THINK MY WRITING SUCKS! After I finished my first script, I thought I was the poo and a couple of people who read called it "brilliant". Looking back now, I can still say with affection, "It didn't suck." Do I have what it takes? My God, I hope so. My problem is taking too long to get things done and I am forever laboring over the perfect word choice. Just get it on the page already. I'll probably finish the race, but it might be after the judges and the other racers and the crowd have all gone home. I need some discipline!
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