Archive for the ‘Screenwriters’ 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!
The Three Pillars of A Successful Screenwriting Business (PART 1)
Recently, I attended a festival and was invited to participate in a round table discussion with various screenwriters. It felt a tad like speed dating. Every so often a festival volunteer would ring a bell and I would be relocated to yet another table.
We were not provided with an agenda and I was given no advance notice as to the purpose of this encounter.
Among the sea of screenwriters that I met one asked a very KEY question “What is the key difference between a successful screenwriter and a screenwriter who is not successful?”
I’ll offer the same answer to you that I did to that particular table of screenwriters. Ready?
THE SUCCESSFUL SCREENWRITER RECOGNIZES IT’S BUSINESS.
In my humble opinion, there are three pillars to a successful screenwriting business. And make no mistake… this IS a business.
Pillar #1: The Craft
Outliers, written by Malcolm Gladwell (gladwell.com), notes the following:
“The idea that excellence at performing a complex task requires a critical minimum level of practice surfaces again and again in studies of expertise. In fact, researchers have settled on what they believe is the magic number for true expertise: ten thousand hours.”
I feel screenwriters Craig Mazin and Ted Elliott offer some valuable wisdom in their blog (Theartfulwriter.com)
“Let’s be clear. Writing is a skill. Talent is a huge part of it, but there’s also a practice part. A science part. A “read yer freakin’ Campbell” part of it. There’s hard work. Self-criticism. Structure. Vocabulary. A memory for movies. Grammar. Story analysis. Philosophy.”
To further simplify — a writer writes. There are tremendous benefits derived from consistently honing your craft. I’ll focus your attention on just three: A) Refine your voice; B) Isolate your strengths and weaknesses; and C) Create an inventory of material.
In a video presentation I heard sometime ago uber-successsful screenwriter John August (johnaugust.com) mentioned he had roughly 50 unproduced screenplays on his shelf.
How many do you have?
YOU’RE AN INEFFECTIVE NETWORKER IF…
I attend numerous events in various parts of the country and abroad, sometimes as a student, but predominately as a speaker. Beyond the workshops, panels, and vendors peddling their wares, these events always host some type of planned social event. Be it the “welcome to”, the “gala opening”, the “gala closing”, the “meet and greets”, etc.. Different names, but same specific purpose: to network.
On the flight home from my most recent speaking engagement I considered the following:”Do screenwriters know how to effectively network at these events? Do they truly understand what effective networking actually is? Do they understand how it actually works? Because as I recalled my encounters with many of the screenwriters I had met at the event it certainly didn’t feel like they did.
According to Dictionary.com (http://tinyurl.com/loxgbq) the definition of “Networking” is: to cultivate people who can be helpful to one professionally, esp. in finding employment or moving to a higher position.
After reviewing the above definition, it made sense to me why most screenwriters I encounter at events are ineffective at networking. They misinterpret and misunderstand the definition thus becoming ineffective networkers. I know what you’re thinking. Click here: http://tinyurl.com/382×8a
Being an ineffective networker can stifle, stall, and/or prevent you from developing mutually valuable relationships.
Marvin, how do I know if I am an ineffective networker? Here’s how:
You’re an ineffective networker if…
You believe:
• That networking is about one thing and one thing only: getting your script and/or pitching your idea to everyone in the room.
• That you’re not there to make friends or to have fun.
• That it’s all about your own needs. There is certainly no interest in reciprocity.
• That casual conversation is a waste of your time therefore you simply jump into selling your script or an idea before the appetizer even arrives.
• That there is only one specific time and place for networking and it’s called “An easel sitting at the entrance of some ballroom with a sign that says so.”
• That it’s best to attend with friends/co-workers, but then sit and talk with them the entire time.
Marvin, the reason I’m networking in the first place is because I want to get something. I want to meet my ideal producer, agent, executive or manager and/or meet someone who can refer me to my ideal producer, agent, executive or manager. I want someone to buy my script!
Yes I know… I really do. Believe me I get it.
But don’t forget, your belief system is the key to effective networking.
In fact, it’s the MOST important aspect to understand.
Why not GIVE first?
Genius of the AND
Famed Marketing Professional, Gary Halbert would often ask audiences at his various speaking events the following:
“If you and I both owned a hamburger stand and we were in a contest to see who could sell the most hamburgers, what advantages would you most like to have on your side to help you win?”
The answers varied. Some of the audience would say they would like to have the advantage of having superior meat from which to make their burgers. Others would say they want sesame seed buns. Others would mention location. And someone always wanted to be able to offer the lowest prices.
And so on.
In any case, after the audience was finished telling him what advantages they would most like to have, he’d usually respond with something like this: “O.K., I’ll give you every single advantage you have asked for. I, myself, only want one advantage and, if you will give it to me, I will (when it comes to selling burgers) whip the pants off all of you!”
“What advantage do you want?” the audience would ask.
“The only advantage I want,” He’d reply…
“Is…
A Starving Crowd!”
Think about it. This makes sense, right? Right!
So when it comes to your screenwriting BUSINESS the most profitable habit you can cultivate is the habit of understanding what the market needs. That makes sense, right?
Yet for some reason I often encounter screenwriters that draw the line in the sand. They remark, “Talent will prevail, a true artist makes his own market.” And of course the big one, “I’m an artist not a businessman.”
To be clear I’m not suggesting that you discard any regard or respect for your craft. Nor that you simply become a drone and as one screenwriter said, “… dance to the tune of the studios”. I am suggesting that there is power, tremendous power in doing both. Developing your talent and knowing the markets needs. You don’t have to be one or the other. There are too many examples of screenwriters who manage to do both very successfully. Very successfully!
Authors James C. Collins and Jerry I. Porras of the famed non-fiction book BUILT TO LAST devoted a section of their book to what they called the “Tyranny of the OR”. The authors believe that the “Tyranny of the OR” pushes people to believe that things must be either A OR B, but not both.
They suggest that instead of being oppressed by the “Tyranny of the OR” that you liberate yourself with the “Genius of the AND” – the ability to embrace both extremes of a number of dimensions at the same time.
So the next time you are ready to beat the drum of “I am simply an artist hear me roar!” consider these liberated screenwriters who exercise the “Genius of the AND”:
Neill Blomkamp, writer/director of District 9: “There’s a lot about this film that’s very subconscious and just in the fabric of me, and Apartheid and the segregation in Johannesburg is how I grew up.” – http://tinyurl.com/lw96ts
Christopher Nolan, writer/director on Memento: “…I don’t consider myself to be an “art” film-maker at all.” – http://tinyurl.com/r4t9g2
James Cameron, writer/director on writing The Terminator: “I was just working out my childhood stuff” – http://tinyurl.com/cgwpfz
Finally, I leave you with this…
“The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald
