Unlock the Surprising Power You’ve Already Mastered Without Realizing It!
I get email:
Hi, Scott.
Just dropping you a quick note to thank you. I finished my first first draft of a feature script just a few days ago. It was my goal to finish before the year was out, and your online classes this past spring helped me get there. And as much as all your lessons made sense then, they make even more sense this side of “The End.” Honestly, finishing this script crystallized everything you taught me.
Thanks again, Scott. On to the next one.
Warmly,
Jeff
My response to Jeff:
Appears that you really ‘got’ it re process. Two keys: Break the story in prep. Then do everything you can to get from FADE IN to FADE OUT. Get something down on paper. For some writers, maybe not the best approach, especially seasoned vets who just know they are going to finish. But for writers who have yet to knock out three, five or more scripts, it’s important to establish that foundation of confidence that this is something you can do because this is something you have done.
I don’t necessarily subscribe to the 10,000 hour rule. Every writer is different. That said, there is something about simply doing the work and producing the story that translates into understanding… knowledge… confidence.
You’ve done it. Therefore, you can do it.
One of my goals here on the blog and through the writing classes I teach is not only to provide solid theory, but principles and practices grounded in the realities of life as a professional screenwriter… the daily grind, the weight of expectations, the pressure.
You need to develop that belief based on experience that you can deliver the goods. If you go up for a writing assignment, you must have faith that in 12 weeks or whatever the contract calls for, you will give them a script they will — at the very least — recognize as a strong effort in moving the project forward.
Therefore, your chops in doing research, brainstorming ideas, developing characters, working the plot, understanding themes, and all the rest require a certain amount of experience. And you can only gain that experience by… doing it.
