![]() I guess people read too many covers of “Variety” where a publicist spins a wacky show business yarn that entices every person with the ability to hunt and peck on a keyboard to seek screenwriting as their life’s work. Surely when she finished, the script went on to sell to a major studio and she now has a flourishing writing career? I wouldn’t put money on it, but one never knows. As she was working on a screenplay, I overheard her say, “Yeah, this program has a thesaurus in it… yeah, you use it to look up different meanings of words.” I wanted to blow my brains out. This girl who briefly (thank God) sublet the condo next door was out on the patio one day, laptop in her lap and talking on the phone to someone. In the end, it’s about enriching the lives of those who will read your work, and enriching your own life, as well.” You have to ask yourself why are you writing? I love this quote from Stephen King, “Writing isn’t about making money, getting famous, getting dates, getting laid or making friends. Your passion for the work and the process must drive you and not fame or fortune. It all factors into your honesty of your work as a writer-any kind of writer. The ups and downs, the good times and when you’re scraping the bottom of the barrel. You have to experience life to create authentically. ![]() It takes more than just reading a few books or a love for watching movies. Many people read a few books, say they are a “fan of movies,” and now they are ready to sell their first script for a million dollars. Not everyone would jump in and design a jet fighter having no idea the craft of design and engineering. I don’t really see as many novelists out there because you REALLY have to stick with it and actually have a command of the English language. Screenwriting seminars have proliferated and writing gurus have encouraged everyone with an interest at “fame and fortune” their crack at writing a screenplay. Screenwriting is the new fad! Everyone can do it and make money, right? Well… It’s funny, I don’t see coffee shops filled with engineers or scientists creating their next marvel to the world, but I could be wrong. Next time you go to the local Starbucks or library just look around and you’ll notice many laptops open with script pages on their screen. The sobering statistics about spec screenplay sales are not any better news… specs sold in Hollywood for 2013 according to the Scoggins Report-124 spec script sales at the studio level. In their ANNUAL REPORT for 2015 (stats ended in March 2015), only a total of 4,899 writers reported income out of the approximately 9,500 members of the WGAw - and two-thirds worked in TV. According to the Writers Guild of America West, up to 50,000 projects are registered every year with their registration service. This is a town where EVERYONE either has a script or knows someone who is writing a script. Ah, yes the pesky odds of getting a script made.
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