This is a sure-fire way to never having your screenplay rejected:

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  • This is a sure-fire way to never having your screenplay rejected:

    NEVER send it out into the marketplace.
    NEVER enter it in a screenplay competition.
    NEVER send it out for feedback.

    If you want to avoid the emotional heartache of rejection and the blow to your self-esteem, then write it, shove it in a drawer and forget about it. This is the only way.

    Rejection is defined as: "withhold love from.-

    From the beginning, humans were hardwired to crave acceptance because survival depended on it. This is why it's such a crushing blow when a writer feels he's been rejected.

    Ray Bradbury: "You have to know how to accept rejection and reject acceptance.-

    When a writer's screenplay gets rejected, he must keep in mind he's in good company. EVERY writer, professional and amateur, gets rejected.

    Usually, I don't like to make blanket statements because there's always an exception, but I believe, in this case, it's safe for me to make a blanket statement. It's just impossible to avoid rejection as a screenwriter. No matter who you are.

    Some smart aleck might say, "Hey, JoeNYC, I was always told, by people with more credits and awards than you, 'if I write a great script, the industry will know it.'-

    First, "greatness- is subjective. Second, because of this subjectivity it could take many, many no's before -- if ever -- it reaches someone's eyes who sees the possibility of something magical.

    When your screenplay gets rejected, people will say, "Don't take it personally.- Your immediate reaction is going to be: "FU. For the past year I poured my heart and soul into telling this story. I created this. How can I not take it personally?-

    A rejection of a writer's screenplay is about that one piece of work. Not the writer's talent, knowledge of craft, or future work.

    There are many reasons/possibilities why a screenplay was rejected:

    1. The production company wasn't interested in a particular type of genre.
    2. Too expensive to produce.
    3. Already have the concept in development.
    4. An agent/manager has too many writers to focus on and is not accepting any more at this time.
    5. Studio and/or production company like the concept but not the direction of the execution.
    6. Like the execution, but not the concept.
    7. Doesn't know how to market it.
    8. Themes too dark. Risky. Not commercial enough.
    9. Not the right script; right time; right person.
    10. Many, many more reasons.

    In order to not antagonize the writer, the majority of the time the rejection letter will not include the reason why, so automatically the writer thinks the worst by taking it personally and thinking they're not good enough; they don't have what it takes to succeed, so for some writers it's simpler to quit than to deal with rejection.

    Certainly, rejection hurts, but coping with rejection is something a writer must handle and get through, or it will become an unmovable obstacle in moving forward to a successful outcome.

    Don't create trying to please everyone, because this is impossible. Create what YOU are passionate about.

    "Keep giving them you, until you is what they want,- Dennis Palumbo, writer of "My Favorite Year.-

    There have been many great screenplays that were rejected before being produced:

    "Star Wars,- "Witness,- "Splash,- etc. "Back to the Future- was rejected 40 times. "Memento- was rejected by everyone. The film's financiers had to set up their own distribution entity.

    Even Oscar winners were rejected:

    "Million Dollar Baby- won the Oscar for Best Picture, but Clint Eastwood had a hell of a time in getting it made. Several studios rejected the project, including Eastwood's long time home base, Warner Bros.

    Warner Bros. refused to put up the $30 million dollar budget because they felt the project wasn't commercial enough with its dark themes and bummer ending. Eastwood wouldn't give up. Warner Bros. not wanting to hurt their association with Eastwood told him that if he finds another company to put up half of it, they'll put up the rest. Eastwood got Lakeshore Entertainment onboard and the rest is history.

    "Pulp Fiction- won the Oscar for Best Screenplay, but when the script was turned in to Columbia TriStar, Quentin Tarrantino was told, "This is the worst screenplay that this film company has ever been handed.- The screenplay was immediately put into turnaround.

    Harvey and Bob Weinstein took it out of turnaround.

    Robert Avary, co-writer, said, "Since then, I've bumped into those executives who were in that room (at TriStar) and each one tells me 'I was the one fighting for you. I was the one guy in the room fighting for you, fighting for that brilliant script.'

    The only guy who was honest about it was Mike Medavoy who was running TriStar at the time. ... he actually said, 'I made a mistake. ... I didn't really understand it. It just read very violent ... And I was wrong.' And that's rare. I so deeply respect Mike Medavoy.-

    "To Kill A Mockingbird's- manuscript by Harper Lee was turned down by 10 publishers until an editor at J. B. Lippincott Company, Therese von Hohoff Torrey, saw promise in the writer's voice, where she said in an interview: "The spark of the true writer flashed in every line.-

    After a lot of work with the editor, "To Kill A Mockingbird- went on to be a best seller and win the Pulitzer Prize for fiction. Horton Foote won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay.

    If you think once you get your screenplay sold and produced, you could relax now that you've made it, where there will be no more rejection, then you're in for a huge letdown.

    The blog site, MY BLANK PAGE, articulated this perfectly with the following:

    "The process of rejection, criticism and failure doesn't get easier ever when you finally become a professional working screenwriter with credits. It actually gets more difficult, as there is more at stake because you're getting paid and the script could be in development or production. The expectations are much higher and your 'failure' at this professional level would cost you the job, money and your reputation. ... The professional writer can't be upset about criticism or rejection -- those emotions can't get in the way of the process of screenwriting -- there's too much at stake.-

    The following is how I handle rejection:

    FEEDBACK

    In the beginning, when I was a screenwriter pup, I would lash out and defend like the baby I was whenever I got criticism about my work. Now, I've matured and understand the process. When I get notes, it's all business. I thank everyone for their time and effort and proceed to evaluate the notes, implementing the ones that I feel will help make my screenplay stronger, and ignore the ones that I believe are not relevant to what I want to achieve.

    SCREENPLAY COMPETITIONS

    If I don't advance, I'll take a fresh look (being away from the script for months helps with being objective) and rewrite, then submit it in another contest. If it still fails to advance, I would move my complete focus on to another screenplay.

    MARKETPLACE

    Ah, this rejection is the one that strikes the heart and kills me.

    I don't send a script out into the marketplace unless the screenplay has the best chance possible for success, such as, a unique and strong high concept; went through a thorough feedback process and rewrites; advanced in a mid to big contest.

    So, when I get the rejection, it indeed hurts.

    The first thing I do after I get the rejection is call my mother where she assures me I'm the best writer in the world. Thanks, mommy.

    Then I go through the cliché five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance.

    The key for a writer to grow and handle rejection is to get to that last step, "acceptance- swiftly as possible. Once there, the writer's mental world is wholesome again. He can proceed to move onward without any "emotional- baggage holding him back.

    How do you handle rejection?

    Bonus: Click on the following link for a document marked confidential from Twentieth Century Fox stating what they think of Paul Thomas Anderson's screenplay, "Boogie Nights.-

    https://kottke.org/16/04/first-draft...cript-rejected

  • #2
    Re: This is a sure-fire way to never having your screenplay rejected:

    Thanks, Joe, for taking the time to put this together. I feel better, already!

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: This is a sure-fire way to never having your screenplay rejected:

      > 6. Like the execution, but not the concept.

      A big Catch-22 is that it can be rare to get a read of the script if the concept isn't good.

      Anyway, I enjoyed this essay, but a lot of it comes with general maturity.

      I started to write at 52. It's been as-yet commercially unsuccessful, but still quite a ride. But if I have any regrets, it's that I believe I probably had the technical skills and emotional/intellectual ability to have begun at 32.

      ("My" 32. This is just me. Your 22 may be totally suitable, and I'm not trying to force a rule on anybody.)

      However, with all the "rejection" and incompetence from both within and without that has been part of my now 10-year journey, I truly pity the writer who starts very young and isn't ready. So many wonderful creative voices have fallen by the wayside due to unfair outside influences and misdirection.

      (I really don't care that this reduces my "competition"; if what we're writing is unique enough, competition with other writers is not terribly important.)

      The best thing I can add to this essay? I have a unique status (now retired) and lifestyle (never much of a social life, no dependents except two cats, etc.), so my output in ten years is pretty impressive: 59 total scripts, marketing 51 of them. Yet, no sales/options, no rep, and several disadvantages in addition to my age: Location, and complex and oft-times dark material.

      But am I thinking of giving up?



      You know the story: To give up now would be for me to concede that everything I've done has been a waste.

      I'm not that stupid.

      The essence of the OP's essay is, write good stuff (though whatever mechanisms you can employ, many of which the OP lists) and eventually it will be discovered. That's not to say it will be tomorrow, but eventually.

      Thus, I will add this to the OP's list: Perseverance. Because, if you've kept writing, you're going to have one helluva big repertoire to answer that big question that is bound to come after your first significant deal: "Um, this is really good; what else have you written!?"

      Comment

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