Anything Goes : No Go... by Anthony McBride

Move on and order pizza, Anthony McBride. Certainly don't take it personally.

Thanks for the encouragement. How do you make a person's name blue?

To quote Kramer “Do you have someone that loves you? Do you have more than two pair of pants? You’ll be fine”.

You have to find the audience no matter how small it is. It is out there.

I put it away and focus on writing something else or research for a new project.

Anthony McBride Use the shift+@ to do it.

The odd of getting a "yes" are a few thousand to one so don't let it ruin your appetite.

Thanks Dan Guardino .

Quit your whining. After 2 years on Stage 32 and entering any OWA I felt I had a script that might qualify. And after rejection after rejection...last month I finally got picked. So, the score now is REJECTIONS: 12. SUCCESS: 1. That's this business.

KEEP WRITING Anthony McBride KEEP SUBMITTING.

I accept it for what it is. If you can't take rejection, then you are in the wrong business.

It‘s part of the process, not something that should ruin your appetite. As others have mentioned before, keep on writing, keep on getting better, keep on submitting and pitching and enjoy every small victory on the way.

I just move on and submit other places, Anthony McBride. Or more OWAs in the future.

You read into your own emotional response, interrogate that, and decide if the juice is likely going to be worth the squeeze. Lots of people will tell you to toughen up, grow a thick skin, or get used to rejection, but it's all performative. Rejection always sucks and it can be a huge motivation killer under certain dynamics.

There'll also be people with survivorship bias or who are simply new to that feeling who will tell you to just keep going, because they are yet to become exhausted or the big one arm bandit has paid out for them.

Staying away from situations that impact you negatively, especially by turning them on their head or by finding a route you're better suited to, can be powerful in the long run. I chose not to submit to competitions, not to submit to the Black List, and not to query like crazy very early on during my own journey. I actually credit a lot of my success down to not getting sucked into a cycle that would statistically do more harm than good to me personally.

The great thing about Stage 32 is that is has a multitude of ways to cut a path from networking, to pitching, to the OWA's, to simple job postings. Find what works best for you and keeps you going on what is typically a marathon.

The occupation is harder when ppl potentially earn income. And this job is survival and an addiction. How much pain can you take? (And how else do you earn income in-between paid jobs?).

The writer & director of the movie, Highway Men, waited on Kevin Costner for 10 years! Costner agreed to star but wanted to age naturally into the character. Wt! Wait 10 years!

Rejection is no fun. Focus that energy on trying to get something smaller produced. Less headache and you'll find results faster! And remember, opinions are just that.

This is a great topic and thread! Talking about how to deal with rejections, beyond the slogans, is not easy. "Keep your head up" only works when your neck can carry the weight. Taking care of yourself needs to be way on top. But it's hard when you're busy writing, pushing, pitching and second guessing yourself. Maybe we should encourage ourselves to take breaks when needed?

Well said, (the guy right above me).

I have heard multiple stories about this behavior, Stephen Folker . Why do they do this? They are playing with people emotions and professional careers. I would think it would be beneficial on the both parts if they were serious. If they are not serious about our work, then they shouldn't contact us or let us know they are going to pass on the project. Seems simple enough.

First, the OWA process is not a true reflection of your work, or even fitting the mandate. It's a targeted mini-contest (that is free) so it's one of those things that if it works is a double win. If it doesn't, NO BIG DEAL.

I would take it merely as whomever read it, it just wasn't for them, and that has nothing to do with whomever the OWA is for, so no producer or company or rep, read it.

Laurie Ashbourne the reason people ghost people is very simple. We have developed a cowardly mentality. We use 99 words to avoid the 1 that needs to be said. We are scared of being cancelled (I am not). When people get truly honest and sometimes rough feedback, they get defensive. They know they cannot argue with the facts, so they critique the delivery, “that wasn’t supportive”, or “there are better ways of saying it”. This encourages vague feedback and ghosting.

I have been kicked off Reddit numerous times. Someone (middle aged white guy) will cry about his shrinking opportunities because of some program for a target group. I call him a dickhead (plain english) and they kick me off. If I beat around the bush, he may think I agree or that he has some credibility.

We have taught people to treat us this way unfortunately.

Vikki Harris - I ask myself this as well.

Craig D Griffiths Not sure how a topic about OWAs turned into one about ghosting (or one targeted to me) but nonetheless I wouldn't read that much into it. I can promise your are thinking about it way more than "they" are. People have zero time to babysit or get into debates that sap their energy. It's easier to "cancel" or boot off of a conversation than to get into the weeds and raise the stress level.

Thanks, all for the comments.

One guy less to thank to during the award speech and that's it...

Craig D Griffiths . I am pretty sure the original poster was talking about the response he received after submitting to the OWA here on Stage 32.. The response comes from Stage 32 thanking for the submission blah, blah, blah. It has nothing to do with feedback and the blah, blah, blah doesn’t even come from someone who read the screenplay.

My ex-wife, who's a bestselling YA Fantasy novelist, used to say in Q&As that she handled rejection by throwing a tantrum in her office, binge-eating, and marathoning reruns on television...for a day if it was a short project or a pitch, or for two if it was a completed book. THEN she'd get back to work, seeing if there was anything in the rejection that she could use to improve what she'd written, and send it out to whoever was next on her list.

She was in some ways pretty lucky in that once she got an agent and a publisher for her first quartet of books, she could usually come up with an outline for her next set of books and her agent would either sell it to her publisher or find her another publisher. She'd also published enough books in the first ten-fifteen years of her writing career that she had a reliable fan base that grew over time....

Sorry Laurie Ashbourne and Dan Guardino I think I may have typed this into the wrong post. I don’t participate in OWA so I don’t comment on them. Laurie, I think there was a post by someone feeling defeated by the feeling of being ghosted. My comment was, if I remember correctly, adding to a comment you made about the subject. I was endeavouring to support your comment.

I come across as a dick with this comment. I mean I can be a dick at time. But this was unintentional. Again, I apologise.

Ha Ha Craig D Griffiths -- it's all good -- it did seem weird so that explains it, Carry on. :-)

Craig D Griffiths No problem..

Threads like this are gold for my Stage32-channeling sitcom. They give some real insight into the process of dealing with frustration over an extended period of time.

Richard Buzzell That's the real question; what's your frustration process? I know a successful screenwriter who hosts a podcast, Screaming into the Abyss. That's pretty much my process -- a few loudly spoken choice words and fingers pointed at the computer and then I move on. I actually have two desktop computers and only one has email, so I don't have to be reminded of it. Feel free to use that for your sitcom. :-)

Anthony, I got another one of those emails yesterday. This time, they told me the producer(s) looking for BIPOC-driven scripts couldn't use "Intervention!"

I told myself: "Jim, you're just going to have to plow on. Keep swinging for the fences. Keep fighting."

In 1994, life events drove me to shut down my earlier attempt to break in as a screenwriter-TV writer...and now that I'm well into my second try, I want to keep this going. (It's too much FUN for me right now to want to put this away!)

Anthony McBride I usually quit writing when I get rejected. For some reason I keep coming back. :) On another note, does anyone happen to know on average how many scripts get submitted to these OWAs? I feel like it must be a lot. Thousands maybe?

Jim Boston I got the same one yesterday; mine was a true story about the Black women who sewed the codes quilts to help people escape; it's social relevance to today was the main characters' personal struggle staying in an abusive living arrangement. Fit the mandate perfectly (as it was presented). My feeling is that if things that meet the mandate aren't being passed to the company, then the mandates are either too vague, or the material is just being judged as a contest, per my note above.

KEEP WRITING Anthony McBride

As ever, if any of you get the chance, watch the Seduced & Abandoned documentary by Alex Baldwin and James Tobeck. It's a lighthearted and insightful expose showing that even those at the top of the business struggle with rejection, and tend not to have developed a thick skin many aspiring writers like to think they have. If anything, they are even more precious and demanding than most - hence why they've gotten to where they are in the first place.

As you progress into the industry, your frustration surrounding rejection becomes less about artistic validation and more about the nature of the marketplace, which is fickle, fear adverse, and has the collective memory of a goldfish. You know you can write, you know your scripts will make successful movies, but nobody believes in what you have right now because it's not part of the current zeitgeist.

The famous example of this, which is again referenced in the above documentary by the man himself, is Francis Ford Coppola throwing his Oscar for The Godfather out of a window because nobody wanted to make Apocalypse Now. Despite him proving himself, it seemed to count for nothing, and that award symbolised how timid and illogical Hollywood can be, even toward those who have paid their dues so to speak. This is a guy who made millions, was part of the most influential circle of filmmakers at the time, and had the world applauding him for one of the greatest films in cinema history, throwing his toys out the pram just like you and me.

For me personally, I try to only deal with decision makers and/or people on the same wavelength in terms of tone and voice. There's a futility with trying to go through systems that just undermines my will to continue.

CJ Walley Love it! Every word of this ^ And of course James Toback and Alec Baldwin are the ones behind showcasing a lighthearted hissy fit.

Vincent D: I asked that same question about pitches. We're told the number that were accepted and I asked, "how many were submitted?" Never got that answer but, as a former marketing numbers cruncher, I feel that's important. We should have a general idea of our potential odds of success. We already know the answer usually is "slim to none" but we should be allowed to know how slim, slim is.

When someone passes on your screenplay doesn't mean they are rejecting the screenwriter.

What to do? Key their car.

Michael Elliott For sure, the slimmer the chances, the less it stings to get rejected. I hardly bat an eye when I don't advance in the Nicholl Fellowship. But I up and quit writing every time I get rejected for a pitch that probably only had ten written submissions.

How long does it take to hear back from them? I submitted some scripts last month and have not heard a thing.

Tasha McLemore Looking through my records, I'm seeing anywhere between 3 and 4 months to hear back on an Open Writing Assignment.

Don't let your anchor down until the destination is reached. e.g. YOUR NEXT YES!

Hi Did you get any feedback or did you ask for some? And ask who is reading and judging. So many people on a pedestal they don't deserve. I read some of your stuff It is FUN. But it is in genres that are very popular and are having mass multiple births these days. But you might have a chance among many It might just be making that break.

I specialize in writing about the world and people that I know, Which is Strange Awful, and Peculiar enough. And Nobody would believe it unless you are there. But many artistic types have not ;i ved or thought about things and to be honest I, find a lot of writing and dramas false and fake or based on stereotypes

But you write about sci-fi and disasters and rescues and there are many dramas films and whole channels and networks devoted to them. Who knows if you hang around the right places and people you might get a break.

To Be Honest I find Stage 32 predictable and boring and peopled by the same people. Peopled by the same background class assumptions and predictable perspectives on life.

So Good Luck. It might be about Luck.

Some of the most popular and famous writers are really bad writers But their ideas got through.

And IGNORE people. Or Question Who They Are or Why Their Opinion Matters

I have had to deal with a lot of ignorance by those who would pass judgement. yet don't know

Now and again you see a drama and you think WOW people do do that and say that.......

And Then

WATCH OUT!!

I have had my ideas stolen by those who would come alongside and help. Lucky they did not know what they were doing. But one told me they would not let people like me succeed I am disabled and active disabled but would take my ideas. Told me I have good ideas. But as a disabled woman older could not possibly expect to succeed and think myself lucky that they were giving me attention because they would not if they saw a person like me on the street. (I need to do a drama about this) I also do cartoons went round ther world and took the P ut of Powerful People and shot down and liquidated some businesses. One AH took me in for a condescending chat and said "You wont do a cartoon of me would you?" Nah. So I did. Asked me if I had any more ideas Yeh Plenty but you wont know any more.

I dont like Stage 32 I find it creepy and trying to get into my pants and ideas.

Just signed up for a tutorial video which I found boring limited and prejudiced.

Maybe get your circle smaller and dont throw your pearls to a whole herd

Hi Anthony, just sharing my own mindset with you on this subject. "Pass" or "No" responses to your script submittals are difficult any way you slice it. Rejection is common in this field we create in and hope to achieve success in, but I would tell you that it isn't the end, or final chapter, in your path to success. Although frustrating, several "no's" or "passes", don't dictate your worth as a writer.

I find these responses temporary moments on your career journey. When one opportunity, in your case an OWA submittal, doesn't pan out, that doesn't mean that another opportunity won't be more successful for you. One exec or manager's "pass" is simply not a good fit at this moment, but continuing to get your scripts in front of people that can help you achieve success is a must. Having your work in front of the right eyes is key. With some research, you can pinpoint which exec or manager operates in your genre of writing, and you're already taking a correct step on your career path by finding these opportunities (OWA's for example) and submitting your scripts (actively getting your scripts in front of execs and managers).

I believe, and I tell other writers this too, that patience and perseverance, are a writer's allies. There's a level of "thick-skin" we as writers develop in order to accept the "no's" and "passes" until we get those opportunities that do pan out for us. Keep writing, Anthony, and keep submitting your work. Your level of commitment to your writing and career goals will pay off, I believe that. All my best, John.

Thanks, John Mezes!!

The world of screenplay writing is very strange. My script can be a finalist or semi-finalist in several contests. The same script can receive PASS multiple times. My mother used to say, "It's all in the way you hold your mouth." But PASS still hurts.