One Last Excuse...

When it comes to pursuing our writing dreams, we can come up with a multitude of excuses for not having the success we desire.  One of the best excuses we can make is…  "I am not in charge of my life."  We may not be completely at the helm of the universe but one thing for sure is that we have the free will to take actions that will advance our lives and dreams.  So, why not take every action possible today to take me one step closer to making my screenwriting dreams a reality?

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I am in control of my daily actions.

--David Jensen

My Role...

I know my role as a screenwriter.  It's to write the script, cast, direct, score and edit, correct?  Many writers make the mistake of reviewing shooting scripts, which leads them down the wrong road if they want to sell their script. Many masters of the craft find they make some of the same mistakes.  The story and characters are the most important elements in your screenplay, so keep it simple and leave everything else out.

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I do not over-intellectualize the production process.  I try to keep it simple.  Tell the damned story.

-- Tom Clancy

What Story Am I Telling?

If we enter the world of our screenplay with our fixed goals in mind we may miss amazing miracles that often happen during the intuitive writing process.  Yes, it's good to have an outline but if we are so married to what we think the movie should be we could be setting ourselves up for failure.  There are many factors at work when we undertake the journey with our characters in their universe.  Remember, it is their world after all.  If I want one of my characters to turn left when they want to turn right, I have altered their true course.  When I trust the characters to take me on a journey where they are in control, I just may have a masterpiece in the creation.

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If the story you're telling, is the story you're telling, you're in deep shit!

--Robert McKee

What Do I Focus On Today?

What is it that I focus on when thinking about my screenwriting?  Is it the current story I am writing?  Is it the odds of making it?  Is it on networking with the buyers?  --  If I identify as a writer, my first and foremost responsibility is to the craft.  It is amazing how much time we can waste by getting caught up in worry.  If we just focus on what is in front of us everything else usually takes care of itself.  

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To succeed in life, you need two things: ignorance and confidence

-- Mark Twain

Screenplay Perfection...

How long do we spend writing a screenplay?  We all have a different answer to this question.  It could be weeks, months or years.  The truth of the matter is that a screenplay is ever evolving and is always being rewritten, even on the set during production.  The entire journey into screenwriting is about learning to trust ourselves and our intuitions.  If we wait for the script to be perfect we may miss a window of opportunity to sell our work. The key to being a successful screenwriter is knowing when to release our baby out into the world.

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Perfection is not attainable but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.

--Vince Lombardi 

My Best Screenplay Ever...

What do I want to be most remembered for regarding my writing?  Is it something in the works?  Something yet to be written?  Something on a shelf?  Where is this most valuable piece of work?  Am I putting it off? Only we have the answers to these questions.  

If we are not working on our most important piece of writing, maybe our priorities are out of order.  It is today that we are living.  Today is the day to start realizing how important it is to get on with the work that needs to be accomplished.

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Good things happen when you get your priorities straight.

--Scott Caan

The Next Great Movie Franchise

Hollywood is always focused on business and making money.  This is the bottom line.  If you have a high concept idea that you have been waiting to write… why not break that idea out of wherever it is stored and write the screenplay?  You just might have the next great franchise.  Some hints are to keep things simple, have a great story and amazing characters that are archetypes. 

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A writer should have the precision of a poet and the imagination of a scientist.

--Vladimir Nabokov

Envisioning My Screenwriting Success

Do I take the time to imagine what it would be like to live in the fact that some day I could be living my ultimate dream life?  When we sit back and envision the life we truly want it sets the wheels in motion to achieving that dream.  The key is to incorporate all of my senses.  What does it feel like, taste like, smell like?  Can I see it in my mind?  What is the sound of the crowd when I am walking up to the stage to receive an Academy Award? -- Successful individuals often envision their success many years before it becomes a reality.  Are you willing to experiment with this?

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Dream and give yourself permission to envision a YOU that you choose to be.

-- Joy Page

My Next 24 Hours...

We have an entire 24 hours each and every day.  If I was to rank the 5 most important things to do in that 24 hours, where would screenwriting rank?  This may give us some idea of our priorities.  A question to ask, Do my passions rank where I would like them to when I look at my day?  If they do not, what do I need to change to bring my daily life into alignment with my goals and dreams?  Once we answer that question, we can then take action…

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What have I been doing while my dreams patiently wait for me?

-- David Jensen

Keep The Screenplay Ideas Flowing...

How do screenwriters keep the creative floodgates open?  One great exercise is to have brainstorm sessions.  Take a pad of paper and just write down movie ideas, titles, scenes, character ideas, anything… and do it for 30 minutes.  Do not edit what you are writing.  Just let it flow.  This may seem like an easy exercise but our self-limiting thinking can get in the way.  The more we participate in activities like this the more we free ourselves from limitation.

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To grow, you must be willing to let your present and future be totally unlike your past.  Your history is not your destiny.

-- Alan Cohen

Screenwriting Obstacles...

Obstacles are a necessary part of life.  They are simply little tests to challenge us.  How bad do I want my screenwriting dreams?  If one little obstacle stops me from pursuing my dream then maybe I need to re-evaluate my thinking.  every obstacle we overcome as a writer brings us that much closer to achieving our dreams…

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Stand up to your obstacles and do something about them.  You will find that they haven’t half the strength you think they have.

– Norman Vincent Peale

My True Competitor As A Writer of Gay Themed Material

There are thousands and thousands of people writing screenplays and statistics tell us that most will never sell!  So, what do we do with this information? We acknowledge it and move on to the business at hand.  Writing.  The truth of the matter is that our toughest competitor is us.  We need to get to know and work with the negative parts of self as we continue to work on our craft:  Screenwriting.

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When you are content to be simply yourself and don’t compare or compete, everybody will respect you.

--Lao Tzu

How Do I Become A Better Writer?

The life of a writer can be lonely at times.  So, how do we maintain balance and grow as an artist at the same time? By having life experiences…and as many as we can take in.  It's all about stimulating the senses…  Learn something new… Volunteer… Go to the gym… Travel… Take an improvisation class…  This is how we become better writers.  Pounding out the next script is what we do between having amazing life moments…

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My life.  The life I'm living that's where all my inspiration comes from.  Real life experiences.
-- Fred Durst

Marketing Yourself As A Screenwriter

In the entertainment business self-promotion is something that one must do in order to get noticed.  It is more about getting your work out there and believing in it than anything else.  We must become the sales force behind the product.  And… in order to sell it, we need to believe in the work.  How on earth can we expect anyone else to believe in our creations if we take a back seat.  Write It!  Believe In It!  Promote your work!  You may be amazed what happens when you, the writer, champion your work!

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Doing business without advertising is like winking at a girl in the dark.  You know what you are doing but no one else does.
--Steuart Henderson Britt

The Persistent Screenwriter

If it doesn't happen today, I quit! -- Have you ever had this thought?  The key thing to remember is that all writers have bad days, bad weeks and sometimes bad months.  The successful writer persists through the storm.  Remember the reasons you decided to become a writer.

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Ambition is the path to success.  Persistence is the vehicle you arrive in.

-- Bill Bradley

My Gay Screenwriting Excuses...

Life is filled with many opportunities to live our screenwriting dreams.  Maybe when our dreams are not happening it is us getting in the way.  Are we making too many excuses?  I am too busy.  I just don't have the tools I need.  I have to support my family.  After I finish this current task I will then start to pursue my dreams.  How disempowering it is to make excuses.  What if today I made the decision to go after my dreams no matter what?  To stop making excuses and to start living my dreams?   Wow!  What would that life look like?

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If you really want to do it, there are no excuses.

--Bruce Nauman