Screenwriting : How to get past the feeling of frustration & guilt at not getting any where. A rant that can be ignored. by Abi Baumann

I'm sure a lot of us can relate to your post, Abi Baumann. Have you thought about working with producers and directors to gain experience and build up your portfolio/taking on "just for credit" jobs? You could check out the Job Board to find those opportunities (www.stage32.com/find-jobs).

"Let alone knowing if you’re actually writing in the correct script format." I suggest reading scripts to see if you're writing in the correct format. You could read Stage 32 member's scripts (www.stage32.com/loglines) and/or produced scripts (www.nyfa.edu/student-resources/10-great-websites-download-movie-scripts).

Maurice Vaughan thank you for the informative links and kind reply.

In regards to your unpaid work comment. Both unpaid and paid opportunities with producers/ directors, or on a set in general is something I've been looking for. Just to see what the environment and is like and maybe make some industry connections. I am signed up for a local industry jobs site for my area. So far nothing has come of it as yet. which is a shame.

I'm trying to network too but again not going as well as I'd hoped. It seems I'm not very good at it.

You're welcome, Abi Baumann. There are paid and unpaid jobs on the Job Board. A lot of screenwriters take on non-paid jobs when they start off to build their portfolios, but there should come a point where screenwriters stop taking non-paying jobs.

Something that helps me with networking is approaching it like I'm trying to make friends. Another thing I do -- which ties into approaching networking like I'm trying to make friends -- is look at a person's profile and find something to start the conversation with. Examples: They like sports, they like cooking, etc.

Here are blogs on networking that should help you: www.stage32.com/blog/tags/networking-41

And this weekend is Introduce Yourself Weekend (Friday through Monday, the third weekend of each month). IYW is a great time to network (www.stage32.com/lounge/introduce_yourself). Make a post reintroducing yourself (talking about your projects/your victories/your goals/etc.). And don’t forget to comment on other people’s posts.

You got it Abi. Good luck.

Format is something that is the last thing. No one has ever turned down an amazing story for bad formatting.

It may leave a bad taste in a readers mouth. You also don’t want to put a barrier between the reader and the story. But it is not worth losing sleep over.

Concentrate on story. Why people are doing what they are doing. What do they want. Can you make people feel for them. Can you make people want the character to win.

Once you can do this in a great way. You can worry about format.

Think of something you want to talk about. I am writing a series that at its heart talks about identity and corruption of large organisations. Even when they start for noble reasons, so they start making decisions to protect themselves.

Keep going by all means but also reflect and adjust your relationship with writing. It's too easy to see screenwriting (and writing in general) as a means to an end, i.e money and fame. Once you do that, you are applying a value system to your material that is unlikely to materialise any time soon, and thus you are pretty much guaranteeing demotivation.

A lot of people fail to break in because, while they understand it takes a marathon like level of stamina, they fail to appreciate where that stamina needs to come from. Most aspiring writers are effectively running on vapours. They are trying to write every day for the sake of writing every day and then throwing what they can at the competitions in the hope something magical happens. That's effectively turning what you should love into a corporate job and pinning your happiness on gambling.

You have to love the act of writing itself and derive fulfilment from that alone, with anything else being a benefit worth considering, should it ever come along. That helps you find your own voice and stick my it. That gets you up in the morning. That sees you still going at this with the same level of enthusiasm ten years down the line.

You didnt fail; the industry failed you. That goes for all show biz occupations- from creatives behind camera to Prod Assistants making lunch runs.

Personally, I think you have to physically move to a city/state with a large tv & film community. Learn a show biz pay skill that keeps you in the game, make job connections from inside.

Start making comic books and chart your own course!

Abi Baumann "Not getting anywhere" Depends on what that means. Improving as a writer is actually the only thing within your control. If you meant pitching the script, breakdown that process:

Someone agrees to read it - (3 months). They like it and pass it along to a colleague (another 2-3 months maybe). Then they make an offer to option. ( 4 months waiting on attorneys before it's all signed), option runs 12 months during which time they try to find tax incentives and package it but they can't because equity is impossible to find and buyers aren't paying what they used to. A friend of mine recently had a two year purgatory at WME with a script that against all odds, he somehow got to them, everyone there loved it, but they still couldn't find a production company willing to take it on. That's with WME and a top attorney behind him.

Also consider for this magical process to happen, you'd basically be cutting a long line of people at the company who have passed this process and are stalled because buyers aren't paying what they used to and nobody knows what to do. The business is a mess. One of the most successful players, Participant Media just shut down. They had a long track record of commercial and critical success. If they can't survive, there's a huge problem with the industry. It's not you.

Don't for a second feel bad if it seems like a never ending run on a treadmill. It kinda is. So unless you enjoy the process of writing itself, I would say it's definitely not worth it.

Everyone has to start somewhere, even the greats. I agree with Maurice Vaughan to get experience however you can, just get in the room with people doing it the way you would like to. Ask questions, seek advice, read screenplays (The Script Lab has a lot you can download for free), be a student of the game, and don't put yourself on a timeline. And just like @CJ said, you have to love it.

It's also great to get out of the house and network. Go to events and screenings, meet other film people, and get involved in the community where you're at. This aspect of the marathon often goes under-appreciated. Everyone WANTS to meet you and help you along where they can, but they can't if you stay at home. It can be intimidating and you won't be aces at first, but over time through trial and error you learn how to pitch yourself as a serious creative person, and you get to make a lot of friends along the way! Just being in those environments around a lot of others interested in what you want to do can be refreshing and fill you back up with energy in no time :)

Bill Albert thanks

Maurice Vaughan I missed the timing for the re-introduce yourself posting event, but when it happens again I will do so. Thanks.

Craig D Griffiths you make some excellent points that I had not thought of before, thank you. The foundation for both my shows is character driven, for different reasons but they are very much the focus of the story arcs. I will focus on that and make sure the characters are as all rounded as they can be. Thank you

You're welcome, Abi Baumann. Introduce Yourself Weekend is still going on. It's Friday through Monday. Monday is included for anyone who didn’t have a chance to introduce/reintroduce themselves Fri-Sun.

M LaVoie I love writing have done since I was a child. My biggest regret in life, is not pursuing my screenwriting when I was strongly advised to do so at college when I was 17. Working on my two scripts building the worlds that come from them is one of my joys and they are starting to become storylines I’m proud of. I know that I have come into the career very late in life and that as I said at the start of this post is my biggest regret. I most likely should give up but lockdown and some personal life situations made me reevaluate my life and it’s now I want to at least try.

I appreciate what you are saying about breaking into a very saturated and in some cases damaged industry is the most stupidest thing I have ever attempted. But hopefully it will be worth trying. I suppose at the moment apart from writing as much as I can I just feel like I don’t have anything to show for it. No industry contacts, or industry work experience and that is a concern for me. It probably shouldn’t be but it is.

Rachel Troche I’m do love what I’m doing so

far . I suppose there is a guilt aspect, feeling like I’m not doing enough. That writing everyday isn’t enough. That I should be doing more and no knowing what that more should be or how or what to get to that more .

I have no clue if that’s makes sense?

M LaVoie I love writing have done since I was a child. My biggest regret in life, is not pursuing my screenwriting when I was strongly advised to do so at college when I was 17. Working on my two scripts building the worlds that come from them is one of my joys and they are starting to become storylines I’m proud of. I know that I have come into the career very late in life and that as I said at the start of this post is my biggest regret. I most likely should give up but lockdown and some personal life situations made me reevaluate my life and it’s now I want to at least try.

Pat Alexander thank you , your reply pretty much sums up what I want to do. But I’m just not sure how is the right way to go about it.

I live in a remote area, (don’t get me wrong I’m prepared to travel ). But I very much doubt there are many is any one to actually network with. I have been using other industry websites and social media looking for events or networking situations. I’m even signed up to a company that takes on freelance assistants and runners for on set filming. In my surrounding area. Something another writer suggested to me. The company are just waiting for a project to put me on.