Screenwriting : The pain is real... by Keith Hannigan

Hi Keith,

Congrats on progressing to the semifinals of the ScreenCraft Fellowship.

The thing that is frustrating about The Black List is a lack of transparency:

- you don't know who's reading your script. I think the claim is that they are industry professionals. Let's suppose that's the case and they are all reps or executives with clients who submit to The Black List - what's to stop rep A from talking to rep B and asking them to give their client an 8 plus?

- you don't get your evaluations at the same time. If I remember correctly, if there a difference of 3 in the scores, you get evaluations for free or a refund. If that's the case, why aren't scripts assigned at the same time and evaluations returned at the same time?

I have had some people slam my current project and other people love it. So, in the end it comes down to connecting with someone who sees what you see.

Thank you for sharing this, Keith Hannigan . This exact thing has happened to me. I think it speaks to the fact that writing taste is subjective and it depends on the reader. That being said, if I get a repeated note from place to place then I take it into consideration. I've even had a script do well in one ScreenCraft contest and then revised it based on notes and got a lower score in another ScreenCraft contest. Keep going! Sounds like you're on the way!

Eoin O'Sullivan -- Thank you. I really don't know, this is the first time I've requested more than one evaluation from The Black List for one of my scripts. Stay tuned.

Christiane Lange -- It's astonishing how much of a discrepancy there can be.

Rebecca Glazer -- Thank YOU! Today has been an emotional day.

Keith Hannigan It's emotional because our work is important to us and we've worked hard developing it. It is frustrating but don't let it derail your creative process. When this stuff happens to me, I take a break, reset, and then keep writing. (easier said than done I know). One thing I've learned in this process is to not revise myself into a circle. Get your script where you want it to be and then sell the script you want to sell. If you placed in the semifinals in the ScreenCraft contest, someone saw something in there that resonated and not just once. You would've had multiple readers. So take that spark and keep going! There's obviously something in the script that resonates with readers.

Keith, I'm with you.

I'm still smarting from "Pixie Dust" failing to make the quarterfinal round in the We Screenplay Diverse Voices competition...and from "Got Any More Bullets, Sister?" missing the cut in Network ISA's Comedy Genre Busting Contest.

And I understand why John Ellis (and a few others) thumb their noses at screenwriting competitions...even the ones Stage 32 puts on. (Sorry about that, RB.)

Finding out that the screenplays I've written resonate better with people here on Stage 32 and with those who put their own works on Script Revolution than with contest judges.

And I'm taking that consolation home with me.

On top of that, Keith, I wish you all the VERY BEST...and I'm glad you're here on 32.

Jim Boston -- Thank you!

Keith,

I've been an author (novels) for over a decade. Seven years ago I decided to try my hand at screenwriting. Long story short, this means there were seven years of everything from complete and total evisceration to being called brilliant. Far more of the former than the latter, by the way. What I have learned is that what I write will never appeal to nor please 100% of the people who read it. Fortunately, dealing with reviews from readers of my books had already thickened my skin, but I've felt your pain.

That said, go back through the feedback that ripped you apart with a detached eye. Is it constructive criticism, or is it just being nasty? Hopefully it's the first and you can learn and grow as a writer from it. If it's the latter, brush your shoulders off and ignore it. I've run the gamut of responses to my work, but I'm a damn stubborn asshole and nobody is going to tell me I'm not good enough. Just this year, my tenacity finally paid off as I optioned two different TV pilots. I'm not bragging, I'm saying never give the fuck up and don't let anyone tell you that you can't do something.

I'll leave you with a true story:

There once was a TV show creator who took his pilot script and pitch deck to every network and streamer that existed. Every single one said it was bad. Bad idea, bad writing, etc. etc. Except for AMC. That writer was Vince Gilligan. And all those execs who passed were right. It was bad. Breaking Bad.

Embrace your pain and write another script. Put that pain into it. It'll make you feel better and most likely result in a great script.

Dirk Patton -- First, thank you. When I decided to write this post, it was this type of response I knew I needed. As Hyman Roth once said, "This is the business we've chosen."

Again, thank you.

there are script service businesses (contests) and there is show business. Aim for the latter which means finding people who do show business for a living. It's a whole different game than sitting on couches and giving feedback.

Keep writing stacks. One idea/pilot isn't a career. They're writing samples until they're not... and Vince Gilligan is a successful Veteran TV writer-millionaire before Breaking Bad fame, and he gets rejected. Good Luck!

It sounds like a cool project. I wouldn't worry too much about what their coverage said. Take the notes that make sense and leave the rest. It's easy to tear work down and most of the sites/contests/development offices... have college kids, with minimal experience, reading the work and writing coverage. Kudos to you for putting it out there. :-)

Dan M is right. Screenplays that do well in contests almost never get made. I never enter them.

You've come to the right place, sir. The process is difficult, of course, but the hardest part is when you put a little part of yourself out there along with your craft. When others shit on your script, and they will, there's no way to not feel the shit come down on you, too.

But remember those victories, whether they come with accolades or not, whether they come with money or not, hold on to them. Let them be the light at the end of the tunnel to help you pull through these times of pain.

No matter what, we're here for the ride. Always feel welcome and safe to share.

Brian Helgeland wins an Academy Award for best directing achievement, he get's fired of set two days later....point is...get used to pain...

Hey, Jim Boston, I don't thumb my nose at comps...okay, I kinda do. :)

TBH, S32's contest do offer more exposure and potential connections than any others I've seen, but Keith Hannigan, the bottom line is, contest are nice ego-strokes, but they don't really ever move the needle on your career. And it's a career you're looking for, right? Not a one-off sale?

So, getting on set and working (even for free) - being professional and a giver more than a taker - will do more for your career than any other single thing. Networking, getting to know people and them getting to know you. Because in the end, this biz is about relationships.

And it's a marathon, not a sprint.

Thank you all for your words. Whether they were kind, brutally honest, or inspiring -- they most definitely were appreciated. Like I just wrote to Kay -- I'm just a scribe looking for my tribe. And on Stage 32, I found it.

Keith Hannigan join us in some of these groups if you haven’t already ..be it the coverage report, pitch practice, or the writers rooms. I feel very supported as a writer here on Stage 32.

As you say you found your tribe.

Rebecca Glazer -- where do I find the groups on here? I'm not necessarily slow, just buffering. :)

Keith Hannigan it took me a long time to find everything. If you're a member of the Writers' Room, then usually everything will be posted on the lounge there. I just realized that this post is in the screenwriting lounge. I think they have a trial offer to try it out. @Kay can probably point you with links to how to sign up That's where you'll find all kinds of groups to write and collaborate with throughout your writing weeks.

@Keith it has been really inspiring for me and helpful to have a group of people to help me push my work forward.