Great observations, thanks. One thing I thought of as I read it was that, just as film executives get enamored with things that feel new--like deals--and eschew things that feel old--like development--so too do writers often feel the pull of the new script idea, which seems so much more clear and vibrant than the current one they're in the middle of writing. This is especially true if you're adrift in the sea of Act 2, trying to keep things moving and fresh, trying to concoct twists or give characters more depth. But executives have to remember that development is where the movie actually gets made, and we writers (and I'm pointing a finger at myself here) need to remember that slogging through the script, turning out the pages and the rewrites, is how that initial alluring idea of ours gets turned into an actual finished screenplay.

It's a spectacle, that's for sure. I'm skeptical in part because of the hype and because I've followed the blog for some time now and often find myself lacking enthusiasm for the same scripts he does. But, I'll reserve judgement while reading it (I put it aside at about page 20 if that says anything - though I intend to get back to it shortly). If there's one thing I've learned, it's how vastly different analyses can be had from the same script by different readers. In the end, it's all about finding the one person who will open the doors for you. Regardless of what I end up thinking personally of the script, I'll be keeping my fingers crossed for the writer.

CJ, that is a great takeaway from the post. One reason why the development process gets old is because it's hard. And that is reflected not only in execs tiring of it, but also screenwriters themselves. As you point out, this can happen even when we are writing a spec script and face those inevitable struggles in Act Two. Your advice -- "trying to keep things moving and fresh, trying to concoct twists or give characters more depth" -- is really good. If you find a section boring or confusing, guess what? It's probably boring or confusing! So dig deeper into the story to figure it out and find those special diamonds in the rough. A great example is today's Q&A with Chris McCoy. See his comments on developing characters. And if you create characters who you love to spend time with, chances are so will a reader.

TBBB, that's absolutely true: It only takes one person, the right set of eyeballs to change everything about a writer and their relationship to Hollywood. I've heard way too many stories about writers who had been rejected countless times or told their script sucked, then one person saw potential there, and the rest is history. In fact, I did a roundtable recently with 7 of the hottest young screenwriters in Hollywood, and there are at least 2 stories from that conversation which make precisely that point. BTW I'll be going live with that conversation as a series of posts hopefully in 2 weeks. An incredible Q&A, really smart and inspirational stuff.

luckily, I'm grounded. Every year, these hollywood mags dole out lists of HW genius, can't miss names and types. Zack Helm ( Stranger than Fiction), Troy Duffy, so forth. I ALWAYS take that exalted list with a fine grain of salt. Note to all future fat heads: As long as you always know WHO and WHERE you are -- you'd NEVER get lost. G'nite, gentlemen and ladies. :-)

Sounds to me an awful lot like engineering :)

So, I just had a huge breaking-in type of moment occur for me within the last six months or so. It was insane. And the very next thing that happened, that I am only now beginning to emerge from, is being in a state of panicked, terrified, creative blockage.

I had this happen to a certain degree when I moved to LA as an actor, straight out of college. I used up every connection I had as soon as I got out, started auditioning for jobs that most actors can't even read for. I was on every major studio lot mere WEEKS after arriving in LA. I'd even get to producer sessions a lot, but inevitably I would be considered too "green". Didn't have enough credits, yada yada. In retrospect, I blew my wad. Used up every contact I had before I was prepared for the opportunity. I was talented with great training, but absolutely no knowledge of the business and a bundle of nerves. I would love to think I am a changed woman and have learned from this, but honestly, this article brought up all of those same nerves. Idea for a new GITS column!!! How to not screw it up when opportunity knocks!

Aiden, good point. But as that notable Hollywood agent Darth Vader said, "You do not know the power of the Dark Side." Hollywood is a silky seducer and it uses its finest fruits to feed egos. In some ways, I think screenwriters are more immune to its pull because of the persistent reminder of where we are on the totem pole. It can be a nice life, certainly by comparison to other gigs, but unless you become a writer-director or TV writer-producer, you're more toward the bottom of that totem pole. And since shit runs downward...

Alex, I'm sorry that happened. Almost like that "be careful what you wish for" syndrome. This is a persistent struggle and while there are doubtless a bunch of ways to deal with it, here are two: * The first is you happen to be a certain kind of personality type who just doesn't care what others think. Of course, it helps if you have talent, a unique voice and good stories to tell, but if you're convinced you know what you're doing and you're not a complete asshole about it, you're likely not to panic and to get a lot of work. * Then there are the rest of us for whom doubts and anxiety are closer to our consciousness, like more for example. What I try to do is achieve some sort of Zen attitude about projects: If I get it, great. If I don't get it, it wasn't supposed to happen. I find that, personally at least, the more attached I am to a potential project or the more concerned I am about the response of others, the more tied up I become creatively. When I did stand-up comedy for two years just before I sold my first spec script, I discovered something: My best nights were when I could hit this zone of not caring how I did. I mean I did care, of course, but there was this mental place I could go where it was just me being me, and I felt entirely comfortable. I'm glad to hear you have emerged from that other place as it's not fun. For you, a special dollop of creative juju to get you over the hump and your juices flowing! Whammo!!!

Wow, summertime, that is quite a story. It really speaks to the point I keep making about how it's more than just writing a spec script, it's about becoming a screenwriter. I suppose it's true of anything... directing, acting, producing. While I'm not sure I subscribe to the 10,000 hour theory, there is definitely something to be said for logging considerable time honing a craft before trying to break into Hollywood. I tell my college students: Write three screenplays. That should be the minimum before you send anything to Hollywood. They grumble and groan, then I say, "Okay, let's say you write that first script. And let's say it sells, and you're the flavor-of-the-week. Do you consider yourself ready to deliver a rewrite in 10 weeks time? Do you consider yourself ready to analyze a script project at a studio, then pitch them your version for a possible OWA? Do you consider yourself ready to handle multiple rewrites and script notes meetings?" Suddenly the idea of writing three scripts and getting that experience under their belt doesn't sound like such a bad idea after all. Summertime, I'm glad you survived your whirlwind ride. And so, too, a healthy helping of creative juju for you. Whoosh!!!

Thanks Scott. You are a daily source of creative juju!!

You're advice to your students is very smart and I find myself wanting to follow it, instead of my stubborn ways. But then I can't help but remember the fact that I'm not in college anymore. I don't have all this time to try things before going into the real world. I'm in the real world already, with some bills to pay, and a future to plan, and I just want things to happen already! So what advice do you have for these types of people? Is it the same as what you tell your students?

Marc, it would pretty much be the same advice. There are no shortcuts to success. And if you do manage to sneak in without sufficient understanding of the craft, you're likely to suffer some significant consequences. Now that is not to say you should expect to know everything. You can't. Nor that you won't make mistakes. You will. But the more you know, the more you've written, the more you've read, and the more you've watched and analyzes movies, the better off you'll be. Re three scripts: The fact is, if you can write one page per day, you can write 2 complete spec scripts per year. Here is how.

Marc, I was there once myself, too. Guess what? My real world came crashing down in 2009. Lost my job because the government shut the project I had working on, the only job out of college, down. I lost my house because this was in Las Vegas and that puppy lost 75% of its original purchase price. I've essentially lost everything I worked for over the last 11 years. I guess that's why they say life happens to you when you're too busy making plans. Fortunately I had been writing for a number of years prior to that. It may have taken me a while, bit by bit, but by the end of 2009, the three scripts I had been working off and on for quite some time all received considers through ScriptShark. Two scripts won 1st place in contests while all three were multiple finalists, semi-finalists, etc. Since then, I've crammed about as much into my brain as I think I can stand. I probably know ten story theories too many, but everything I've learned goes back into rewriting. Now I see myself writing with a certain desperation. Several months ago when I had figured I just blew several hundred dollars traveling for a job interview, I sat down and wrote a script. A farce. Something 180 degrees opposite of what I had been writing. It's like I was standing outside of my body, pointing a gun at my head telling me to lighten up and have fun. Life is absurd. Stop worrying. In short, I seriously needed to make myself laugh. And I did that - in spades. I wake up laughing in the middle of the night thinking of something I wrote from that script... something I wrote for myself, not because I wanted to. Because I needed to. So that would be my advice to you. Write when you can, but write with desperation and as if your life depended on it. Don't write because you want to. Write because you need to. Material things are just that: things that you can, for the most part, always get back. Time isn't. There's 24 hours in everybody's day so it really comes down to how you choose to invest it. Most importantly, don't squander time worrying about how long it may take or fearing failure. If you have to worry about something at all, worry about what it would be like years from now, looking back at yourself and wishing you would have made the time to follow your heart - and let that be your motivator.

TBBB, would you email me? I'd like your permission to use what you've written here as the basis for a GITS post.

Thanks to both Scott and TBBB, those were some good words of advice. Reading your story TBBB, kind of put mine in perspective a bit. I definitely feel like I write because I need to. I'm not really sure what else I would do as a career, which makes me want this that much more, because it's all I can see myself doing. And the possibility of the life it could provide for my future family is something that motivates me everyday. In the past day or so, I've actually started coming to terms with the fact that this is going to probably take some time and that I need to just work my ass off from now until whenever that time may be.

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