You’ve heard the same advice a hundred times- Play it safe. Follow the formula. Stay in your lane.
But if you’re serious about building a career in this business, you’ve got to be bold. You have to be willing to take risks, break the rules, and back yourself—even when others don’t.
In this video, Stage 32’s fearless leader RB Botto reminds us that success doesn’t come from playing it safe.
Have you been brave in your creative pursuit lately? Drop a comment and let us know how you’re breaking the mold.
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I agree, Ashley Renee Smith. I'm outlining two projects, and they're probably my most out-there projects ever, but the concepts are incredible, and I know they can be hits.
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Ashley Renee Smith My screenplay BLOOD LEGACY creates a unique origin for a 'different' vampire. The feedback has been all over the place.
The response from a reader I like the best: 'Blood Legacy' has tons of appeal. It's a great mix of genres, combining elements ofvampire mythology, environmental activism, and police procedural. The writer finds an angle that allows for the exploration of some fresh ideas".
So, yes, breaking the rules or bending the genre can help you stand out. It also leaves you open to a certain criticism: "The genre rules have a purpose, the audience relies on them."
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Robert Franklin Godwin III and Maurice Vaughan, I think the key to breaking rules successfully is understanding the rules that you're breaking. That way, you can approach them differently from a prepared and informed position. The more you know, the better you can tailor it to fit your creative interests and skill set.
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Harlan Ellison famously said, "Never be afraid to go there." Here's a Manifesto based on that:
> If the story doesn’t scare you, you’re not telling the truth.
> No one remembers the safe story.
> If it’s been said before, say it sideways — or don’t say it at all.
> Every scene must risk something (including your reputation, likability or sanity).
> The job is to be unforgettable — by any means necessary.
> Go all the way down the tunnel; kick open all the doors.
> Fuck the rules (structure is a tool, not a cage).
> Break what needs breaking, mend what can’t be replaced.
> Write for the wound, not the market.
> If you heal something, fine. If you leave a scar, better.
> If someone isn’t pissed off, you played it too safe.
> There is no “next time.”
> Never, ever, ever be afraid to go there. That’s where the story is. That’s where you are.
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The biggest risk I've taken with screenwriting was definitely in my first script, Marisol and Mezzaluna. It was actually a collection of risks:
1) it was my first time writing a script so I of course had no clue what I was doing.
2) I wrote it intending it to be for the all-ages demographic which I don't normally do, and in so doing I wrote it so you have to view it using child logic rather than adult logic.
3) It’s a notably surreal/psychological story so obviously I couldn't NOT at least touch on mental health.
4) I intentionally didn't explain at any point what exactly Mezzaluna was since doing so would kill her mystique and miss the entire point of the story, as well as discourage individual interpretation (I wrote her with the idea that she's simultaneously an imaginary friend, a tulpa, Marisol's inner child, a metaphor for madness/intelligence, Marisol's alter ego, and none of the above).
Obviously the critiques I got universally took issue with the last point lol which I figured would happen but one reader said s/he liked that it's infused with a "subtle appreciation for childhood imagination."
Right now with Finding Elpis, probably the biggest risk I'm taking is making it a different flavour of cerebral from what Marisol and Mezzaluna was, it's not as surreal but still full of stuff I think is cool and deep, and it looks like a silly story but in reality it's insanely deep. And the world is huge (lol).
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No, I'm not taking any chances. I'm working on something that I want to tell other people about. About what interests me and inspires me.
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This is how I started. I knew I wanted to write something real, and for something to be real, it must come from your own trauma/desires/views on society, etc. This is why I explore topics some may be hesitant about. Taking risks isn't easy, but it's one way to really make your work stand out when you approach somethings others dont.
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I explore depression, sexual abuse, domestic abuse, revenge arcs, body horror, child abuse, identity, violence, etc. These are what I believe has made my work stand out.
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Ashley Renee, RB's telling the truth...if people in a certain industry don't take risks to make things better, that industry can't open up, can't grow.
Me...well...just being able to write about marginalized people who persevere in life to reach their goals (whether it's a period piece or a contemporary story) is how I try to take risks as a screenwriter-TV writer.
And as long as I can play with (or even bust) tropes along the way (such as ballerinas trying to become blues musicians), I'm happy.
It only matters if you're writing for the town or for the industry. Watch Lee Jessup's interview with John Zaozirny from Bellevue on youtube..
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Rule-breaking for me is not just a technical choice, it’s the essence of what I do. I can’t stand films made to a formula. Is The Godfather a standard film? No. Is Once Upon a Time in the West a standard Western? It stands out from all other Westerns. But it’s worth noting that these films were often made by directors who went against the studio or traditional expectations. Many successful films have average screenplays. I read Forrest Gump in the book form, nothing special. But in the film, it takes on a life of its own. It’s not the genre that matters most, it’s directing the film in your head while you’re writing it, within a unique genre. This genre is yours. You need to know what a specific shot will look like, what music will be in it, what the lead character is like. I see all of this in my head, breaking all the rules in the process. I’d argue that I spend more time planning the music of a film while writing it than a composer does. The same goes for the visuals. And this is where the real rule-breaking happens. How would Nolan, Spielberg, or Nora Ephron tell your screenplay? Know that, but forget it, and write it as if you’re using the vision of an unknown but brilliant director.
Who you are, 100 blank pages.
P.S. A good little rule-breaking idea: if your story requires 150 pages, don’t throw anything away. Reading is good :)
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Patrick Kovács I really like the way you think.
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This is so true Ashley Renee Smith ! Business and life in general is about risk factors. Just do so wisely of course. Always great having these conversations here on stage 32!
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Great advice from RB as always. Growth happens outside your comfort zone, nothing ventured nothing gained, if you're held by your fears they become your limits - These are all true. Its tough to learn not to be afraid of making mistakes, but when you start to take this attitude you'll be amazed you didn't do it sooner.