Hi There,
It’s blindingly obvious that the most important thing for budding screenwriters is your writing – your ability to tell a story compellingly and entertainingly. But my experience working with so many writers over so many years has taught me that your all-important talent at writing is nothing without the other less writing-focused facets of your working life.
This newsletter is a non-comprehensive list of those things you need to do to enable you to make the most of your talent, to translate your brilliant spec scripts into paid, regular work as writers.
Be polite.
Be professional – be punctual, deliver on time. You are a professional writer – behave like one, stand by your status as a writer.
Be considerate about the time and lives of the people you are working with – script editors, fellow writers etc.
Be communicative if you can’t meet a deadline let people know. Always keep the lines of communication open – be clear and respectful.
Engage with notes. This absolutely doesn’t mean you agree with every note you’re given – but engage. Think about the motivation of the note, ‘the note behind the note.’ Remind yourself (after the initial pain notes may engender!) that the person giving you notes is on your side, they want you to write the best possible version of your script / story.
Be enjoyable to work with. Work at getting on with people you work with.
Talk yourself and your work up – not in a boastful way – but get comfortable with talking about yourself – your identity as a writer and the stories you want to tell – this is a big part of acting professionally. Imposter syndrome is a normal and understandable response to your first forays into the professional world of screenwriting. But you need to get past your ego – and engage with the craft, with the process, the conversation – and not worry about how you are coming across as a person.
Be focused and ambitious. Ambition shouldn’t be a dirty word.
Engage with the craft. Read scripts, watch films, tv, theatre and enjoy discussing them with your fellow creatives. Be constantly thinking about how dramatic storytelling works, how you can apply the lessons of what you watch and read to your own work. None of us ever stop learning. Screenwriting is a mysterious and unquantifiable craft. Every story has its own issues and requires its own solutions. So don’t get too bogged down in theories and structural ‘rules’. There are no shortcuts!
The harder you work, the better your work will be.
Think about your process – the working conditions that make the incredibly difficult process of writing as easy as possible. (Where / when do you like to work?)
Engage with the wider world. As a writer you should be constantly looking for the people and stories that fascinate you. Always be on the lookout for people, places, stories that grab your imagination.
Think of yourself as a writer and don’t apologise for this.
Don’t be an arsehole. See the best in people and their intentions unless and until you have serious reason not to do so. Be kind and generous towards your fellow writers.
As an extension of the above, offer to give your fellow writers feedback on their work. Learn to share work with people you come to trust, whose opinions you value. Giving and receiving feedback is such a big part of being a screenwriter. If you can find ways to enjoy this and for it to help you improve your writing with your writing peers, it will stand you in good stead when you are receiving industry feedback.
Search for and find the people who are going to champion your work and you as a writer.
Don’t undersell yourself. Identify the character and value of your work and your strengths as a writer. Constantly remind yourself of the quality and value of your writing work (while also being open to receiving feedback that might enhance your scripts).
Constantly think about story and how it can work – and what excites you
Think about your longer-term desires and strategy as a writer. Have aims and plans in place but don’t worry if they don’t work out exactly as planned (they won’t!).
When approaching anyone professionally by email be specific and generous; and show that person exactly why you are approaching them particularly. No one will be won over by the sort of email that could have been sent to 100 different people. Every email and approach to a potential employer should be specific and individually tailored.
Above all be generous and a nice person to work with.
Script Reading & Development zoom Q&A December 10th 6-8.30pm
https://script-consultant.co.uk/script-reading-development-qa/
I’m now taking bookings for this 2 ½ zoom session for a max of 8 people. This is the last session of the year and gives you a chance to explore the opportunities of working in script reading, script development and script-editing. It also enables you to be part of a private facebook group only open to people who have done one of these sessions – a great forum in which to extend your contacts and ask questions of a growing (now 100+) peers, many of whom now have extensive industry experience and knowledge.
The next newsletter will be on Friday November 15th
Best wishes
Phil
PHILIP SHELLEY
Twitter: @PhilipShelley1
Friday November 1st 2024
