How do you all deal with setbacks?
The very first script I ever wrote - Dungeoneers - made it to the quarterfinals of the animation screenwriting contest and I was THRILLED. Then it made the semifinals and I was even more thrilled. I thought, "Maybe I actually have a talent for this." But then it didn't make the finals.
I submitted another script to the comedy screenwriting contest - Friendless - and it didn't even make the quarterfinalists list. And now I'm wondering if I'm actually just a mediocre writer who got a little lucky one time. I'm having a hard time diving back into another script.
I should know better than anyone that judging is an unpredictible thing. I've been in the advertising industy for 30 years and I've won my fair share of awards and NOT won my fair share of awards. It's hard to predict from panel to panel what the judges are going to like. But I find myself kind of down after Friendless - a script I've been thinking about for 10 years - went nowhere.
How do you all find the motivation to keep wrirting after experiencing setbacks? I can't help but wonder if I'm wasting my time.
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Sean Rodman I don't have the time invested you do Sean, but I certainly identify with the emotion. I spent 35 years in business and success was so easily defined and those metrics actually dominated my life to the point where it became a negative in some instances. So I decided enough was enough and jumped in feet first to this industry with no other plan. Beyond that my wife and I sold all our stuff and hit the road in 2024 and travel the world currently. I question every few days if I did the right thing. It is difficult to create a new set of metrics that make sense at this stage of life (I'm 56). It is really tough and some days makes me question my sanity. Seriously. I can't go 'back' - that life is gone. I think because I was used to and expected regular success that it would translate to anything I chose to do. There's SO MANY talented creators, why would I think I would be able to stand out in a crowded field of excellence? I still don't know the answer to that but I feel so happy in looking at what I have created that I knew was inside of me. My wife said last night 'I'm so glad we did this' and that helps quiet the fears and doubts and concerns but they still lurk, especially early in the morning as I wake up. So I appreciate you throwing this out there, it actually is comforting to hear that level of doubt. Maybe it shouldn't matter but hearing it from a man also is helpful for me as a man. So thanks!!
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Congratulations on Dungeoneers making it to the quarterfinals and semifinals, Sean Rodman! That's really impressive for your very first script! Congratulations on winning the awards!
I try to learn from a setback. And sometimes a setback helps a project, like a pass that leads to rewriting a script and making it better. Working on a new project and talking with other members on Stage 32 motivate me to keep writing after setbacks.
You're right. It's hard to predict from panel to panel what the judges are going to like. I've seen writers win screenplay contests with scripts and the same scripts didn't place in other contests.
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To check if you have talent. Turn a short script into a video. Tell others to watch. Watch their faces while they watch your video. If you find it too difficult to film yourself, use AI, and tell your audience that you want some advice before you rewrite.
I learned screenwriting through no-budget filming. You learn by seeing the result in front of you. Reading a script and then giving an opinion is not an easy thing.
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Having given it some thought, what I wrote as the pilot episode might have been better as a 4th or 5th episode in an 8-episode season.
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Hey Sean,
I get how discouraging that can feel.
Semifinals aren’t just luck. That’s signal.
Contests depend on the panel and the moment. One result doesn’t change your ability.
What’s helped me is focusing less on whether a project “becomes something” and more on whether it keeps me energized to work on it.
If the idea still has weight for you, it’s worth staying with.
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I think you’ll find this video from our CEO Richard Botto really helpful: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C8kseP1txjq/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ== Flow his instagram for more awesome advice.
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In 2018, when I released my Arabic book online, it received no attention. I even sent it out for reviews to many people, but the majority didn’t read it or discuss it with me. I felt upset and deeply discouraged, and I quit writing for six years.
Eventually, I returned to it. I learned something very important: one bad experience should not kill my passion. I simply needed to change my focus—and my audience.
I shifted to writing in English and began screenwriting instead of novels. And this time, I truly hope to achieve greater success.
I can say confidently that I did not lose—I was meant to pursue something much bigger. I believe that.
It’s okay not to succeed the first time. Sometimes you just need to look for new opportunities.
Best of luck to you.
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Contests are subjective.