Thank you, Mr Eszterhas, and thank you, Scott :) This quote is much appreciated because much needed. I'm debating with myself whether to put my spec script writing aside and go back to novels, just for a little while, because the waiting and the incompetence of some people can be so discouraging. Also, the finality of a script is to become a movie whereas a novel exists in and of itself, to be read and appreciated as is. I need some of that again (I used to write a lot of short stories that often got published but have put that aside in favor of screenwriting). The main thing is to keep writing, though, no? There's always something to learn that we can then put to good use elsewhere.

Marija, there's an upside and downside to movies being a "collaborative" process. The downside is sometimes, we do have to deal with incompetent people on the other side of the desk, at least insofar as understanding story is concerned. That is not often the case. The more typical issues are related to budget, buyer's development needs, production issues, casting issues, and so forth. But again, scripts - once they are put into play - do not exist in a vacuum. So if your creativity is pulling you toward novel-writing, why not? Follow that instinct. There the writer has a transparent relationship: We write the book. Try to get it published or publish ourselves. People buy it or they don't. But as you say, the main thing is to "keep writing".