Rule number one in screenwriting is to never attach your work to your self-esteem. It's essential to separate the feedback you receive from your own self-worth. To elaborate on this analogy, think of your script like a baseball that you catch. When you catch the ball, you inspect it and observe it. You take in what's useful and learn from it.
The key is to be able to separate your script, even if it's problematic, from your identity as a writer. Having a problematic script doesn't equate to being a bad writer. As a writer, you are a process, not a finished product. You are a living, breathing, ongoing human being, and your writing is like fine-tuning a piano. Some of that growth may not always be comfortable, but it's all part of your journey to becoming a better writer.
When we aim for entertainment in screenwriting, we serve the story, the cast, and the film as a whole. It's crucial to understand that there's a fine line between striving for perfection and understanding that, in entertainment, perfection doesn't always mean adhering to unyielding standards. Entertainment thrives on creativity, spontaneity, and the human elements that make a story relatable. The difference lies in knowing when to embrace imperfections for the sake of authenticity, to let the story breathe and evolve naturally, and to remember that it's the entertainment value that matters most. We have the tendency to view things as either bad or good rather than in development or part of the process. Keep plucking that piano string. The most perfectionistic people are usually the most self-punishing as writers. Be kind to yourself. Be compassionate to yourself. You are a verb. You are growing, changing, and shaping. Embrace the process, embrace the imperfections, and continue to grow as a writer in the ever-evolving world of entertainment.
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Loved this, so encouraging. Writing can be a vulnerable act but yes so important to separate ourselves, our identity from our scripts.
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Very true. I am more of a singer/songwriter than a writer per se, but for what it is worth to get myself through the inevitable relentless sense of rejection that goes with the business, I always try...
Expand commentVery true. I am more of a singer/songwriter than a writer per se, but for what it is worth to get myself through the inevitable relentless sense of rejection that goes with the business, I always try to remember a very simple truth : art should always be its own reward. Everything, and anything else that results from the act of bringing your ideas to fruition is just a gift. The real tragedy would be not being able to do what we do! The reality of whether one's work is finally recognised or not in this sense matters little: can you imagine taking a pill that empties your soul of your imagination, anaesthetises the pain of your endless inner drive to make sense of the world through your own self-expression? Of course not. We must be proud of ourselves for having had the conviction and dedication to have taken our own ideas to their natural conclusion. I always try to embrace this truth, and accept the inevitable cost of this (the self-doubt, the creative dead ends, the perception of investment of time, money and energy for nothing), because I know in my heart I wouldn't have had it any other way anyway. Legion are the highly “successful“ people in this world who go through life with the regret that they never felt any real calling beyond the struggle for material gain and personal comfort (If there's one thing worse than having a hard path in life, I think it's having no path at all). There are many who would give their eye teeth to feel the empowerment of having a personal road to self-betterment and self-discovery they could really believe in. As artists of all shapes and colours we have indefatigable belief, curiosity and ambition in spades, and so are (to me) as rich than any man might be, and should be content to have the opportunity to try again each day. We must do what we do because we have to, and not because we want something out of it - the rewards will never meet the level of our expectations , but I do believe they will be enough. In reality I know my theory doesn't pay the rent, but it helps me to keep me pushing at what I do. Bon courage one and all
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I can second Dan. The script I finished earlier this year for a hire, I did cold blooded, no strings attached.
However, later I found the story particularly amusing and original and it somewhat grown...
Expand commentI can second Dan. The script I finished earlier this year for a hire, I did cold blooded, no strings attached.
However, later I found the story particularly amusing and original and it somewhat grown close to me, so I don't exaggerate when I call this script my "opus magnus" so far.
Shameful I cannot show it to anyone as it ain't my property...
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Kiril, on to the next one. As we sometimes have to kill our darlings, we also have to sell the homes they live in. There are volumes in your telepathy waiting to step on to that A-train.