Why Most Fail At Screenwriting

Collapse

Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • #16
    Re: Why Most Fail At Screenwriting

    Whatever the abysmal odds, they're better than trying to be astronaut or an Olympic gymnast, so there's that at least

    Comment


    • #17
      Re: Why Most Fail At Screenwriting

      Originally posted by William Kennedy View Post
      I was at a agent panel last week and they said over 99% of people working to become professional screenwriters will fail. Ouch. They gave some reasons as to why. I was wondering what you guys thought.

      Why do so many people write such terrible scripts?
      what did the agents say?

      Comment


      • #18
        Re: Why Most Fail At Screenwriting

        Why do most people fail? Easy answer; try watching American (or any other) Idol or any of those lame-ass shows where, God help them, 100% of people there think they can sing. The same people or their siblings also think they can write.

        So we need a Simon Cowel of script writing?
        ________
        EXTREME Q VAPORIZER WARRANTY
        Last edited by Southern_land; 05-13-2011, 06:59 AM.
        I heard the starting gun


        sigpic

        Comment


        • #19
          Re: Why Most Fail At Screenwriting

          I use(d) to know this woman I worked with who always lived in poverty, she had the poverty gene, which may not really exist, but I think it does. All she wanted to do was win the lottery, it was her dream in life. And though she was poor, she would find fifty dollars a week to spend on lottery tickets. She would do this before paying back debt, money borrowed from friends, practical things, etc.

          Anyway, she knew I was interested in writing, as a close friend had mentioned it, this is not information I would volunteer, not ever, and she pushed the subject one day, snickering at me that it was a dream and a waste of time because of the high improbability (And hey, she might be right )

          But...

          She was only thinking in terms of money, and there's value in writing in itself, it's not all about cashing in, there's other issues. I had never spoken of it in terms of money, and make a point not to. That would be conceited of me, I'm not conceited, just constipated (see avatar)

          But hey, that's another argument all together.

          My actual point is this...

          Who do you think has a better shot of 'making it'? Whatever the hell that means. Someone who buys lottery tickets and hopes for random luck, or someone who's applying themselves and working towards creating their own 'luck' not cosmic luck, but from within their own inner cosmos.

          'The Milky You' if you like? Argghhh, anyway. I've made more money from writing than she ever has from playing lottery, and I've made very little.

          But I've probably had more fun, and got to know more cool people from it too.

          Not that I haven't come across a lot of jerk-offs, because I have.

          You know who you are.
          It's the eye of the Tiger, it's the thrill of the fight

          Comment


          • #20
            Re: Why Most Fail At Screenwriting

            Originally posted by joe9alt View Post
            It's not wise to let the thought of possibly failing even enter your mind.

            I imagine most that have failed have incessantly pondered why they might fail before they actually did -- so it becomes sort of a self-fulfilling prophecy.

            The only way you can truly fail at this pursuit is if you give up.

            Never give up and you'll never fail.

            You'll either be trying or succeeding.
            This is the kind of talk we need!

            This has gone from 0 to 60 in mere hours, whereas a feel-good topic at the end of May petered out with fewer responses after a couple of days. It reminds us that it's human nature to wallow in misery, hoping somebody else's predicament is so gruesome or pathetic we just might feel a bit better ourselves.

            To get out of the funk, rather than fretting about being in the 99%, let's revisit that "Good News!" topic and put in your two cents' worth:

            http://messageboard.donedealpro.com/...ad.php?t=55374

            Something good must have happened, so share the positive news! To get it started, I'll go over there right now...

            Comment


            • #21
              Re: Why Most Fail At Screenwriting

              Originally posted by joe9alt View Post
              It's not wise to let the thought of possibly failing even enter your mind.

              I imagine most that have failed have incessantly pondered why they might fail before they actually did -- so it becomes sort of a self-fulfilling prophecy.

              The only way you can truly fail at this pursuit is if you give up.

              Never give up and you'll never fail.

              You'll either be trying or succeeding.
              Great post, as per usual.
              @TerranceMulloy

              Comment


              • #22
                Re: Why Most Fail At Screenwriting

                I've heard that 100% of successful screenwriters are successful. Much better odds.
                TimeStorm & Blurred Vision Book info & blog: https://stormingtime.com//

                Comment


                • #23
                  Re: Why Most Fail At Screenwriting

                  I ignore any thoughts of failure. I will not entertain the notion that I may not make it.

                  Instead, I believe with all my heart that I will. I will make it. And I never let my confidence in that waiver. Ever.

                  INT. PINEAPPLE - DAY


                  Comment


                  • #24
                    Re: Why Most Fail At Screenwriting

                    positive thinking is key

                    Comment


                    • #25
                      Why Most Fail At Screenwriting

                      Originally posted by William Kennedy View Post
                      I was at a agent panel last week and they said over 99% of people working to become professional screenwriters will fail....

                      Why do so many people write such terrible scripts?
                      The lack of creativity and writing talent has seldom deterred the persistence of hack writers with their mediocrity; and, I'd think that also explains the terrible screenplays written by many of Hollywood's successful screenwriters, (but, one might ask if most agents really care about anything beyond their 10% commission).
                      JEKYLL & CANADA (free .mp4 download @ Vimeo.com)

                      Comment


                      • #26
                        Re: Why Most Fail At Screenwriting

                        Some people are good at certain things naturally. If you are not good at screenwriting naturally, you will probably never be good at it.

                        Comment


                        • #27
                          Re: Why Most Fail At Screenwriting

                          Originally posted by William Kennedy View Post
                          I was at a agent panel last week and they said over 99% of people working to become professional screenwriters will fail. Ouch. They gave some reasons as to why. I was wondering what you guys thought.

                          Why do so many people write such terrible scripts?
                          So what are the reasons?

                          Most of them fail because they don't realize their material has to be as good as the one that is created by the insiders and already produced writers. It has to be really good. It has to be better.

                          I noticed lots of advice that is given in books is not comprehensive. They give basics, for instance, you have to have an inciting incident, plot points 1,2,3, your hero has to have a goal, and so on. There is so much more to it, so many layers and details.
                          It took me years to realize some big fundamentals that I never even noticed before, it just suddenly hit me, and it was from personal observations, watching movies of course. Maybe I'm a slow learner, I don't know, but the longer I stay in this the more I discover.

                          It's always nice to come here and see that someone has a dream as big as mine, it makes me feel less crazy.
                          Screw the statistics, just stay focused.
                          Our greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising every time we fall.
                          -Confucius

                          Comment


                          • #28
                            Re: Why Most Fail At Screenwriting

                            Originally posted by William Kennedy View Post
                            Why do so many people write such terrible scripts?
                            Because they can.

                            The trouble is new and wannabe writers often think scripts are an easy way to make money and enter the film business.


                            Somewhere in the dark recesses of their brain they have a glimmer of an idea for a film, but before they can realize their dream they face a major problem; going from Head to Paper and taking the idea from a concept to a working document, known as a screenplay.


                            In the safe haven of their mind they imagine anything they want, including great success for their film idea, top stars queuing up to play the roles, a major director jumping with excitement at the prospect of directing it and a producer finding pots of gold to make it.


                            Yep! They can imagine anything they like.


                            But before they get totally carried away in their world of Make-Believe, they have to get that idea out of their head and written down on to paper.


                            In a way that others can visualize the conception, enjoy the emotional ride and want to be part of the project.


                            They will have to be astounded by the dialogue, engaged by the characters, impressed with the premise, pleased with the structure, happy with the formatting and amazed by the magic.

                            WHAT!

                            Hold on. What's this structure thing, or formatting requirements, visualization, emotional ride, what dialogue and where's the magic come from?

                            Oh!

                            Didn't anybody tell them, films are part of a collective business, full of other creative, informed, intelligent individuals, who expect high standards from the others they work with.


                            And like any other business in any other industry, it is cloaked in mystique, jargon, expectancy and mistrust.


                            But unlike many other industry, it is bombarded with applications from amateurs and wannabes who think they can do the job, without training, experience, back-ground knowledge, contacts and worse of all, skill.


                            Maybe in that world of Make-Believe t could happen.



                            Hang on!


                            Film is the world of Make-Believe, so it could happen. Of course it could; in a film.
                            Now here's the rub. For it to happen in a film, in a world of Make-Believe, someone somewhere has to write it in a structured form so others can visualize the concept as they follow the emotional ride, made believable with the dialogue, the believable characters and all brought together by the writer's magic.


                            Unlike any other form of writing, a script is a plan to be executed by others. It is probably the most demanding form of writing because it is where creativity interfaces with business in a way, no other type of writing does.


                            So, no matter how good their idea is, unless they can write it in a way others can convert their words to a visual presentation, their idea will join the ranks of the, 'if only'.


                            Understanding what makes a film exciting, believable and entertaining gives a writer an insight into what is necessary in a script, not how to do it.


                            With tens of thousands of new scripts entering the market place every year and only a few hundred ever making the journey from paper the screen, the odds are stacked against the writer.


                            Being good is not good enough.

                            Ron Aberdeen
                            http://www.ronaberdeen.com/
                            http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3609083/

                            Comment


                            • #29
                              Re: Why Most Fail At Screenwriting

                              Originally posted by jimjimgrande View Post
                              I like the link! I like the thread! I like jimjimgrande! I like my script! I like this pen! I like the whole forum!
                              Standing on a hill in my mountain of dreams telling myself it's not as hard, hard, hard as it seems.

                              Comment


                              • #30
                                Re: Why Most Fail At Screenwriting

                                It should be: Why do most fail?

                                I think as much as talent is thrown into the mix, it's also attitude, perseverance, perseverance and perseverance.

                                There are lots of terrible films out there. So it's not only genius screenwriting. There are perhaps a few genius screenwriters that maybe gave up after the first couple rejections.

                                I don't have a backup, so...


                                just persevere.
                                You don't ask, you don't get! - Don Carmody

                                Comment

                                Working...
                                X