Having finally drummed up the courage to START my journey toward a screenwriting career, I imagine the scariest part for me, if I am lucky, will be the process of selling my work. The queries, the pitching, the meetings, etc etc. I'm an introvert by nature -- as I suspect many writers are -- so to purposely put myself, my script and my abilities out there makes me want to cower under the nearest rock. Whenever I am in any sort of similar situation (in my day job, for example), I basically "step outside myself" and power through with any shred of poise I can muster. I consciously stop entertaining the nerves. I imagine if any of my scripts gain traction, I would just do more of the same ... Doesn't make me want to throw up any less, though. :)

It takes a mass of courage just to embark on the journey as Erica suggests above. Not least because, before you even get to "fade out" and contemplate sending your work to a reader, you have to convince all the "threshold guardians" in your family and friends who just don't get why you want to do this or how much time and effort it takes. I found this particularly hard as I was bought up in a family where taking a chance or having interests outside of the "Norm" was usually met with ridicule and little support, so I am lucky now that my wife is supportive and my kids think it is cool. The next step will be to build up the courage to send my work out for professional review. But, I think this might be a little easier than building up the courage and confidence to cast off in the first place. Obviously I want to know whether I am writing anything worthwhile and, while it will be hard to hear that I am not doing as well as I think I am and that there is an uphill climb ahead, what have I got to lose? All I need to do now is find a nice, friendly consultant :-)

Erica, many if not most writers tend to be introverts, as being able to sit and write requires a pretty strong interior life. But here's the thing: We can let our stories pretty much speak FOR us. If what we put on the page is strong and compelling enough, that's all we need. Does it help to be able to 'be good in a room' (i.e., interact well with producers, execs, talent)? Yes. But there are PLENTY of writers who make good livings who readily admit they are not good at pitches, they are not good with social interactions. Again it all comes back to what we write. In terms of breaking in, as competitive as it is in Hollywood, with things like the Black List hosting service, you can live anywhere and be anyone, and get your script in front of thousands of industry insiders. In some ways, it's never been EASIER - at least in terms access - to break into Hollywood. But it all boils down to the script. And so THAT is where we should all be focusing our energy and attention: Write a great script and Hollywood will find YOU! BTW good for you to summon up the courage to follow your bliss and pursue writing. Who knows where your creative journey will take you, but believe it will take you some place you were meant to go.

Mark, you raise an interesting point, how one's creative journey can be that much more difficult if people we know and love -- friends, family -- don't support our efforts. It's one thing not to 'get' it. Some people just aren't terribly creative, no knock on them, just a fact of life, and so we shouldn't expect them to understand our particular obsession. But everyone I would think has SOMETHING about which they are passionate. So if they really care about you, they should be able to connect with your passion, even if they don't understand why. Glad you've got a spouse and children who 'get' it. In terms of feedback: It's critical and frankly a necessary part of the growing in the craft. And screenwriting is a craft, something you learn over time [and always KEEP learning]. Plus, too, screenwriters need to learn how to accept and respond to critiques as it is DEFINITELY a part of a professional's life in Hollywood [they don't call it "development Hell" for nothing]. I'll get into this later in the series when I write about Flexibility and Vision. One key may be this: Over time, I have come to embrace critiques, not as a step back for me, but a step forward. I tried this and that, they didn't work, and that means I now know this and that is a place I no longer have to go, those doors are closed. That is progress, at least in one way of looking at it. Finally this: Once you send out your script to get critiqued and receive the coverage, it will be easier almost every time after that. It becomes a necessary part of the creative loop: write, critique, rewrite, and so on. Oh, while I know you are going tongue-in-cheek in referencing a 'friendly consultant,' you actually want one who is a PROFESSIONAL and will assess your story at the level of a PROFESSIONAL. Like it or not, each of is competing at the highest level of writing, so it does a writer no good to receive false praise, much better to face harsh realities and fix stories to make them as great as possible. And who knows? They may LOVE your script straight out of the chute. You have to admit, that IS a possibility!

That's a huge encouragement! THANK YOU!

Go Erica! I haven't thrown up in front of a room audience yet but it's always a distinct possibility. Seized up. Yes. But not thrown. Oh the agony. Go introverts!

:-D :-D :-D Awesome ...

Hi everyone, This couldn't have arrived in my Twitter feed at a more apt time. Have a wee wobble with my screenplay this morning. Doubting myself, doubting my storyline (which has so much of me in it) and mentally picturing peeps laughing and pointing. I will keep going though as I do believe (Tigger boxing at my desk) Courage...YEAH! Thank you!

Kez, a great way to fend off the voices of negativity: YAWP! Remember that scene from Dead Poets Society? You can see it here. Tigger. Walt Whitman. The Cowardly Lion finding his courage. Whatever it takes to get from FADE IN to FADE OUT, take that path and claim your courage!

Oh definitely tongue in cheek! I appreciate the need for professional advice, we just seem spoilt for choice in this day and age with access to thousands of professionals through just FaceBook and Twitter - the challenge now is to find the right ones...although I guess the BlackList is a good place to start! :-) And I do think that it is harder to get through the problems of friends and family. If my work is rejected by a professional reader, I don't know them, it isn't personal (I hope), so I can brush myself off and try again. If my wife doesn't like a story concept or scene, then it is sometimes harder to deal with. And she will tell me if she doesn't like something! :-)

Kez, not sure if you are doing this, but I have found working on two projects at a time helps at these moments. Just finished a second treatment on one project and hate it, so have gone back to my previous project to do a re-write, which should give me enough time to figure out why I hate the new one and how I can fix it. It is the whole "wood for the trees" scenario for me. But good luck!

Scott, thank you for this post. Erica and Mark, I feel exactly like you there btw. I love writing but I am terrified of the rest of it - i assume love of writing and story is sort of what I am betting on for myself to overcome it because I want to see my work turn into something more so badly it hurts! In my case, I feel I am so much better expressing in writing than verbally, where I tend to stumble and sound like the Yeti (just the other day someone asked me what I was writing and I went bluh...despite doing nothing else but writing, thinking, dreaming about my story). Presenting and actually talking about what I write is certainly a huge obstacle for me to overcome...

For all of you struggling with a lack of acceptance and understanding from the people close to you, I recommend John Gardner's "On Becoming a Novelist". It's been a while since I last read it, but if I remember correctly he talks about how beginning writers often have to deal with discouraging comments. Reading his advice helped me to start calling myself a writer, if only to myself. I’m a little like Lilly in “The Hotel New Hampshire”: instead of saying that she’s writing she says she is “trying to grow”. When I head upstairs to write, I say I’m “going to hang out in my study”. I guess Lilly’s phrase is a euphemism and mine a dysphemism, so I have some way to go yet.

Scott, thank you for this encouraging post. When I freak out about the business end of screenwriting, I remind myself that it all comes down to the story - a lesson you remind us of regularly. I worked in the film industry for a couple of years and I hated it. I was a camera assistant. I liked the work, met some great people, had good times, worked on some fun sets. But Hollywood killed my passion for film. The number of posers, fakers, idiots and insecure assholes in that place is astounding. I got the hell out of Dodge and didn’t watch movies for several years. Very slowly but surely I rediscovered my love for film (I never lost my passion for stories!), watching old favorites, stumbling upon new favorites. And I realized that for every Hollywood nitwit, there’s a decent, intelligent, generous professional. You just have to know how to navigate the town. I’m wiser now and I learned to be a better judge of character. And when dark thoughts cloud my mind, I remind myself that it all comes down to the story and it calms me down and restores my confidence.

Aarthi, now that I think about it, my upcoming Story Summaries: From Loglines to Beat Sheets class could be helpful in this respect. Why? Because it shows writers multiple ways to tell a story. Not only is that something we're being asked to do -- synopsis, treatments, etc -- but also helpful tools in terms of story development. And with re to the subject of being able to talk about our stories, learning how to draft multiple variations of them should enable us to get more comfortable conversing about them. It's just like anything, a part of the craft we can learn. Helpful hint: When you prepare yourself to pitch a story, think of yourself as an actor preparing for a role. This can be especially helpful for introverts because you are in a way donning a 'mask'. And it's that PERSONA telling the story, not you the writer who prefers to sit in near-darkness alone tapping out your stories. In the 2012 Screenwriters Roundtable, one of the writers pulled a quote from David Bowie, how just before he goes on stage, he repeats to himself, "I'm David Bowie... rock star... David Bowie... rock star." Again, putting on a performance mask. So two things: You can learn a variety of ways to craft your story [beyond the script] and take on a 'pitching' persona to tell it. BTW if you're interested in my 1-week Story Summaries class, you can go here to learn more. Starts Monday, March 25.

Anna, thanks for sharing that. I guess it shouldn't come as a surprise that Hollywood does attract its share of A-holes, the lure of bright lights, parties, fame, fortune and all that. But there are also some wonderful people out there. And while I'm prejudiced, many of them are writers [I'm reminded of this time and time again with my interviews, just how smart, articulate, thoughtful, and damn approachable writers can be]. In other words, you CAN be a human being and succeed in the business. The super nice thing about screenwriting is you can absolutely minimize the amount of interaction you have with All That. Indeed you could, if you chose, simply write spec scripts, send them off, see if they sell, and almost have zero face time with Hollywood types. Most writers, however, will want [and need] to do much more in the way of intersecting with Hollywood types. Find the good people and stick to them. The rest? Well, a good sense of humor helps. Thanks again, Anna. Just keep focusing on your stories. Find joy in that, practice the craft, come up with great concepts, and write the hell out of them. The rest will take care of itself.

Aarthi, BOY can I relate! A co-worker recently asked me about an OLD script I wrote, and my description was pretty much all BLUH! :-D But just as Scott said, hopefully our stories can speak for themselves and cancel out any "bluh" that might escape our mouths!

Thanks for the recommendation Anna - and that is something I struggle with a little - when can I legtimately call myself a writer? Just because I write - regardless of whether it is any good, or only when I make a sale or success of it. It's relatively easy to stand up to someone and say, "..oh I collect stamps as a hobby.." but for some reason I think it takes a lot more courage to stand up and say to people you are a writer - even if it is only a hobby. I have yet to call myself a "writer" to anyone (although my kids call me one - but they are only 5 and 7 and call me all sorts) as I feel a bit of a fraud as I am new to it and have not had any professional feedback, let along sold anything......yet ;-)

Wow, Mark, I completely understand this. I've called myself an "ASPIRING screenwriter" for years -- if for other no reason than to remind myself of my calling. When I finally got the nerve to get off my butt and actively START working toward it, I said, "No more 'aspiring' -- I AM a screenwriter." The boldness and audacity to just CALL IT was the boost I needed. A sort of self-fulfilling prophecy, if you will. ;)

As I read the post I was reminded of the Cowardly Lion's monologue in Wizard of Oz: "Courage! What makes a king out of a slave? Courage! What makes the flag on the mast to wave? Courage! What makes the elephant charge his tusk in the misty mist, or the dusky dusk? What makes the muskrat guard his musk? Courage! What makes the sphinx the seventh wonder? Courage! What makes the dawn come up like thunder? Courage! What makes the Hottentot so hot? What puts the "ape" in apricot? What have they got that I ain't got?" So adding to that thought process, "What makes the screenwriter write? Courage!" I'm trying to muster up that courage right now. I already possess the courage to ignore the doubters of my career aspiration. I have the courage to outline a story and talk about why I think it works. These are all things that courage helped me overcome. The courage I need now is doing the actual screenplay writing. The courage to fight back against my internal critic, the one who knows all of my weaknesses. Two days ago, my critic was winning. But I have been strategizing to fight back against his tactics of doubt and anxiety. I see courage as finding alternate strategies to achieve my writing goals when issues arise.

David, thanks for posting that monologue from the Cowardly Lion. When dealing with the Negative Voices Inside Our Head, we need to use whatever methods and tricks we can to handle them. Courage where we shout them down is one way. Another way is a more Zen approach. If you practice sitting or meditation, you acknowledge the 'monkey brain,' all those rapid fire thoughts. No judgment, do not feel guilty, in fact try not to feel anything. Acknowledge their presence, then let them move on. After awhile, you can get into that meditative mode. Similarly with writing, acknowledge the voices, then say something like this: "I grant you the odds against me are long. However there is ALWAYS a chance I can succeed. Logic dictates that and NOTHING you say can make that not true." Then go back to writing. If you need a talisman for this, you can think of me. I was a complete Hollywood outsider, yet I sold the 3rd script I wrote, and have worked on nearly 30 projects for every major Hollywood studio and broadcast network since then. Bottom line: However we find the courage, we need to find it... along with the other screenwriting traits I'll be detailing this week.

"Aspiring" was the exact word I put on my Twitter page to describe who I was....felt a bit too pompous to describe myself as a writer....but maybe I should change it and start thinking more like a writer....a lot of this is psychological, getting yourself into the right frame of mind to convince yourself you can do this, regardless of what anyone else wants to tell you or how you feel on those dark days when nothing seems to click into place!

You ARE a WRITER, Mark. I give you permission to drop "aspiring" ;) -- as Scott would say, "Onward and upward!"

Well, I didn't seem able to reply directly Erica, but thanks, I'm off to change my Twitter status! It's always hard for us reserved English types to blow our own trumpets! :-)

You CALLED IT! Way to go! :)

[...] 5 Screenwriting Traits: #5 – Courage (by Scott Myers from his Go Into the Story blog) [...]