Posted by savvywriter
December 14th, 2009 
2 Comments
Who Wants to be a Screenwriter?
Screenwriting appeals to people who are “visual” because you show and do not tell your story. The writing is precise and to the point. The key to becoming a successful screenwriter is to be passionate about your story. Writing without passion will ensure your story will be a flop.
Some people believe being a screenwriter is tough because many people want to sell their ideas. This is true and not true. Have you ever heard the phrase “it’s who you know not what you know?” There is some truth to that saying. Attract the right people to you and selling a screenplay could be easy. Where is it written that it must be difficult to sell a screenplay? There are people who have the same dream, but how many of those people will do what it takes to bring their dream to fruition? Most will give up which leaves the door wide open for you!
I finished two screenplays, one is for TV pilot and the other is a short film. I’m not thrilled about the short film — it’s more of a rant about a twenty-something couple in my apartment complex. However, I’m excited about the prospect of selling my TV pilot screenplay. My screenwriting coach believes in my ideas and so do I. My next project will be a feature film, but I’m not sure which idea I will develop. The advice my screenwriting coach gave me is, “…write the project which you are most passionate about right now.” This will require me to do some soul searching.
Being a screenwriter takes dedication and perseverance. What are you doing to improve your skills? Are you reading screenplays? Have you joined a screenwriting group? What books have you purchased? How many classes have you taken? Learn all you can about the art of screenwriting; study it like you would any other subject.
The best advice about becoming a screenwriter is from Oscar winning director, James Cameron. He says, “…write a bad screenplay first then go back and write a great one.” I agree with this advice because the key is to write your first screenplay. Most people love the idea of writing a screenplay; they will not actually write one. What about you? Do you want to write and sell a screenplay? Do you love the idea of writing a screenplay? It’s best to find out now to avoid wasting time and the time of others. Good luck!
Rebecca
How passionate are you about becoming a screenwriter?
It is so wonderful that you successfully finished to screenplays! That’s a goal of mine – my husband and I come up with screenwriting ideas all the time. But I have set the goal yet and haven’t started working on them.
Thanks for the comment! I was reluctant to finish my screenplay because I didn’t want to let go of my character. After careful consideration, I decided to let her go. She’s ready for the next episode!