Introduce Yourself : Chess and career building by Mike Romoth

We all hope that our first effort at writing a novel or a screenplay will prove gloriously successful. But building a career as a writer is more like a game of chess than it is like climbing a ladder. When we finish a novel or a screenplay, we have made a pawn to use in the game. Each piece of new writing is another pawn. Connections in the industry are the more important pieces. The pawns advance slowly, while connections provide the exciting leaps that advance the game dramatically. After years of effort, one can patiently build a full set of pieces. True, there are those who (through luck or exceptional talent) who can win the game with one or two pawns and a rook, but for most of us...the game requires as many pieces as we can rally to our cause.