I’m standing at Santa Monica Brew Works, a local spot that we have fallen in love with for meetups, birthdays and good ol’ pints. My buddy Dan Schepleng is hosting a Variable film meetup for LA filmmakers attempting to approach filmmaking with a focus on health and mental well being. It has been a life-giving group for me, and much of my new friend circle can be traced to this group.
So I’m in a sea of people ducking the remnants of COVID when a group of 3 or 4 guys wander over. They’re all newbies and I don’t recognize a single one of them. We exchange the usual chit chat about where we are from and what we do. At these sorts of open events you’re always wondering whether or not someone genuinely wants to get to know you, or if they are hell bent on networking in the most inhuman way possible. Thankfully Variable meetups tend to be pretty good for normal human interaction.
So this really tall dude leans in after I mention that I’m a screenwriter, and with the most genuinely sincere tone he practically whispers, “can I ask you something about screenwriting?”
“Sure!”
“How do you finish?” A desperate plea.
“Finish what?”
“How do you finish your screenplays?”
Oh, damn. Uh, what the hell do I tell this guy who’s name I have already forgotten (yes, I’m one of those people - I’m trying to get better).
I think I ramble on for about 3 minutes saying a bunch of pointless pseudo-intellectual stuff that I don’t even agree with personally. I can tell I’m losing him around the 1 minute mark, but I continue because that’s what I do when I feel awkward; I ramble like a teenager trying to explain why his eyes are red after his first college party.
But it did have me thinking; how do I finish a screenplay, or anything for that matter? And don’t get me wrong, as of writing this I have about three unfinished scripts, a travel video (two travel videos), a short doc, and a bunch of Olive footage on my hard-drive. I myself am a great procrastinator.
BUT I obviously had to finish some things to have a screenwriting career. So I’m going to work through some of the actions that I take, and maybe a couple of other pieces of advice I have picked up along the way. These are things to consider, experiences and perspectives. I’m no expert, but hopefully some of this is helpful.
Tips, tricks and things to consider as you try and finish your screenplay (or any other artform for that matter)…
1 - You’re not a writer.
OK, these first two are going to seem harsh, but I mean them with a deep sensitivity to whatever you’re trying to accomplish. Screenwriting, or being a professional artist, appears to be super sexy from the outside. Get a check, sometimes a big one, for your work. Collaborate with super cool industry professionals and go to swanky events. Make your own hours and build worlds with your imagination. I get the appeal, but honestly a lot of that is a fiction straight out of Hollywood movies themselves.
It’s a job, just like any other. There are negative stressors that will detract from your work, you’ll have to overcome high levels of competition and long periods of uncertainty without pay. If you want to do this, you have to LOVE writing. Like, LOVE, LOVE.
It has to be so painfully obvious that you can’t escape it. You have to love it so much you can’t help but do it. It has to burn in your head. You have to love the pain of it. You have to get to a place where you miss things and fight off the outside world just to write. You have to get to a place where you love writing so much you almost feel sick when you don’t do it. Not because it is going to lead to success or money, but because there is a spiritual side of you that is fed by the very process of doing it. Even if it’s a grand screenplay or a shitty poem no one ever reads.
You have to ask yourself, am I a writer, or do I just want to say I am one? It may take a bunch of stabs at it to figure that out. Or maybe deep down inside you really know it's not for you, and THAT’S OK! In fact, you should be relieved. If you let it go, you are freeing yourself up to do something you really want to do. And you should find that thing. Seriously. Life is short.
Go paint, take photos, sculpt, make digital assets for Etsy, get a 3D printer, take up wood carving, anything. Take a shotgun approach and try them all, and see if one sinks it’s hooks in you the same way that you wished writing did.
Don’t get me wrong, there is a crowd of writer/directors who hold true to the adage they “hate writing, but love having written.” But that’s the point… they have finished something. You’re likely reading these tips because you’re wondering why you haven’t finished your screenplay. Or maybe you’re just curious.
So - if you are certain that you are meant to write…
2 - Just finish the damn thing!
I mean it. Get out of your head. Stop complaining. Stop looking for “5 tips every screenwriter wishes they knew before starting” posts. It’s a trap!
Just. Write. The. Damn. Thing.
If you’re like me, you’re spending more time avoiding the page than actually doing the job.
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