Screenwriting

When I first heard this poetry by Charles Bukowski I felt very relaxed. I listened to all his words, heard the whole piece, and let it sink in. There were points there were things I found very relatable things that seemed to connect with me too. I could understand what he was referring to in some pa...

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However as a practical thinker there were also points I didn’t agree with. But then again maybe he is referring to something else. Maybe.

What are your thoughts on this poetry? I’d love to hear your perspective.

Here’s the poem:

So You Want to Be a Writer

If it doesn’t come bursting out of you

in spite of everything,

don’t do it.

unless it comes unasked out of your

heart and your mind and your mouth

and your gut,

don’t do it.

if you have to sit for hours

staring at your computer screen

or hunched over your

typewriter

searching for words,

don’t do it.

if you’re doing it for money or

fame,

don’t do it.

if you’re doing it because you want

women in your bed,

don’t do it.

if you have to sit there and

rewrite it again and again,

don’t do it.

if it’s hard work just thinking about doing it,

don’t do it.

if you’re trying to write like somebody

else,

forget about it.

if you have to wait for it to roar out of

you,

then wait patiently.

if it never does roar out of you,

do something else.

if you first have to read it to your wife

or your girlfriend or your boyfriend

or your parents or to anybody at all,

you’re not ready.

don’t be like so many writers,

don’t be like so many thousands of

people who call themselves writers,

don’t be dull and boring and

pretentious, don’t be consumed with self-

love.

the libraries of the world have

yawned themselves to

sleep

over your kind.

don’t add to that.

don’t do it.

unless it comes out of

your soul like a rocket,

unless being still would

drive you to madness or

suicide or murder,

don’t do it.

unless the sun inside you is

burning your gut,

don’t do it.

when it is truly time,

and if you have been chosen,

it will do it by

itself and it will keep on doing it

until you die or it dies in you.

there is no other way.

and there never was.

ChatGPT and others have been using infringed copyrights and scraped scripts as part of their training data. I don't think you like that either. But I recently stumbled onto something different that got me thinking.

there's a group of passionate film analysts in Argentina who've spent years doing som...

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Maurice Vaughan

2 weeks ago

Looking forward to the Interview and Q&A, Nick Phillips!

Pat Alexander

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2 people like this
- Dan MaxXx
- Maurice Vaughan
2 weeks ago

Gonna be a banger!!

Sam Rivera

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1 person likes this
- Maurice Vaughan
2 weeks ago

Don't miss out on this incredible opportunity to view our live webcast with our very special guest Osgood Perkins!

Passcode: EXEC

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1 person likes this
- Jim Boston
2 weeks ago

This sounds interesting, Mark Deuce. High stakes. It sounds like a Horror version of THE LORD OF THE RINGS.

I suggest taking Caroline's name out of the logline. Names in loglines are usually for biopic...

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yeah, love the LOTR vibes as well -- lends really nicely to a horror film

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John C. Bounds

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3 people like this
2 weeks ago

Thank you both. I kind of thought about how you both said, but wasn't sure.

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- Benjamin Elliott
- John C. Bounds
2 weeks ago

You're welcome, John C. Bounds.

Dan MaxXx

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4 people like this
2 weeks ago

Change the font color

Jeffery Mack

Depending, I sometimes just use the good ol fashioned "V.O. ((Voice Over)) parenthetical, for the person speaking. Never got any negative feed back on that : o )

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2 people like this
- John C. Bounds
- Maurice Vaughan
2 weeks ago

Love a tactical font color change in a script Dan MaxXx. Always gets me excited

Bill Albert

A few years ago a friend who I'd known for 20 years said I needed to face the FACTS that because of my age and location no one in Hollywood was ever going to be interested in my work. When I called hi...

You're right, Bill Albert. People who got into screenwriting late and live all over the world have made careers for themselves. Sorry you lost a friend, but glad you didn't listen to what he was sayin...

Drongo Bum

There is some validity to ageism targeting screenwriters: Good Old Days syndrome. Many old(er) writers refuse to progress beyond whatever era or period they consider to have been the peak. They churn...

Mike Childress

Bill Albert I always tell people "Bram Stoker didn't write Dracula until he was fifty". Pretty sure if Stoker was resurrected tomorrow as a zombie (zombie vampire?) and had a killer story/script someo...

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2 people like this
- Jim Boston
- Maurice Vaughan
2 weeks ago

I agree to an extent. Being entertaining and communicating your story clearly are the main goals for every script. But also writers should embrace standardization and the industry standard screenwriti...

CJ Walley

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2 people like this
- Pat Alexander
- Maurice Vaughan
2 weeks ago

Double dare me.

Peter Blose

How about "Comin' Through the Rye" a 119 page drama? You might hate it. But you might like it. Always looking to swap a script for feedback.

Michael Elliott

Enter them in a contest or two. See how they fare and get back to us.

What an original idea!

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2 people like this
- Jim Boston
- Somay Gupta
2 weeks ago

I don’t agree with some of the things in the poem, Somay Gupta. Like these:

“If you have to sit for hours staring at your computer screen or hunched over your typewriter searching for words, don’t do i...

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2 people like this
- CJ Walley
- Dami | Screenwriter
2 weeks ago

Cool, now show us how you make money/income using AI for movies & tv shows. The ppl who figured this out will be flown to Netflix, exclusive 9-figure deals.

Mark Deuce

THANK YOU!!

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2 people like this
- Benjamin Elliott
- Ashley Renee Smith
2 weeks ago

You're welcome, Mark Deuce. Which script are you gonna read first?

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- Jim Boston
3 weeks ago

You're welcome, Lori Lee Peters. Hope you have more success with your script and a producer or company scoops it up!

Lori Lee Peters

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3 weeks ago

Richard and Maurice, taking your advice and a producer who's feedback said this story has potential to be Oscar worthy. When I have a script and pitch deck, would be more than happy to review. With th...

Richard "RB" Botto

Fantastic to hear, Lori Lee Peters - and what a compliment to receive. Let us know how the read and call goes! Excited for you.

Thank you Richard and Stage32!!! I will report back.:)

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2 people like this
- Benjamin Elliott
- Maurice Vaughan
2 weeks ago

Looking forward to it, Lori Lee Peters

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