Archive for the ‘Keys To The Kingdom’ tag
THE SECRET TO SCREENWRITING SUCCESS
“This is your last chance. After this, there is no turning back. You take the blue pill – the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill – you stay in Wonderland and I show you how deep the rabbit-hole goes.” Morpheus – “The Matrix”
If you’re looking for the magic pill, the secret ingredient, the elixir that will transform you into a superstar screenwriter, then here it is…
There IS no magic pill!
There IS no secret ingredient!
There IS no spoon!
The secret is that there IS no secret.
The single mental quality that separates successful screenwriters from those who fall by the wayside can be reduced down to one word:
And it’s not what you think. It’s not “ambition,” “connections,” or “talent.”
The word is… decision.
Successful screenwriters decide to become professionals before they actually achieve their desired success. They are already celebrated, respected, and wealthy screenwriters in their minds, before they become so in the real world.
And the most important thing is… they ACT accordingly. They work as if they were million dollar screenwriters who are in high demand.
Do you want to be a successful screenwriter? Then ACT like it!
Here’s an example of a million dollar habit that you can immediately apply into your life. In fact, this habit is so powerful, that it could quite literally be the “keys to the kingdom.” This is what every successful screenwriter does everyday, as a routine.
Ready? Here it is…
Successful screenwriters schedule time to write, everyday. It’s that simple.
Academy Award Winning Screenwriter, Oliver Stone once said that he placed a banner above his desk that simply read, “Ass plus chair equals script.”
My hope is that you have made the decision in your own mind to be a successful screenwriter.
Assuming you have then the following tips may assist you with scheduling time to write while you manage all the other aspects of your life.
- Make a Writing Plan – I believe the written word is powerful. It motivates and inspires people to take action. As a writer I have to believe you’d agree.
- Keep It Simple Silly – Your plan only needs to address three specific things: A) What? B) When? And C) How?
- Look at your Plan Everyday – Mine is written on a white wash board in my office.
A very simple plan may look like this:
- What – To complete a first draft
- When – By March 1st
- How – # Pages per mo/# pages per week/#scenes or pages per day
If you are so inspired to add more detail to your plan go for it, but the bottom line is this: The Great Wall of China was not built in a day.
I’d encourage you to focus on laying down one brick at a time every day and soon you will have a wall. I mean script!
