“There is nothing to writing.  All you do is sit down at the typewriter and bleed.”
~Ernest Hemingway

The Myth of Easy Screenwriting

How hard can it be to write a screenplay? It must be easy to write some of the stuff we see in the theater and on TV, don’t you think? Anyone with a computer of any kind can knock out a screenplay in no time flat, right?

Wrong. Dead wrong.

Screenwriting is exceptionally hard to do, and even harder than that to do well. Writing takes sweat and mental anguish, hunched over a keyboard for hours at a time until you want to drop. For many, including me, it takes thousands of pages of writing before you feel like you have even a small sense of certainty that maybe you have a clue about you’re doing. Screenwriting is a lonely profession, fraught with uncertainty and doubt—even when you think you got it right.

Navigating the Lonely Landscape of Screenwriting

It takes incredible bravery and courage to pour your heart and soul onto a page and allow others to read it and render their opinions about it. Your work is subject to the whims of everyone, including but far from limited to: friends and family, colleagues, other writers known and unknown, studio readers, assistants, interns, producers, writers, actors, camera operators, wardrobe people, art directors, drivers, marketers, publicists, critics, and not least of all, the general public, etc. Is it any wonder why the stereotype of the self-conscious, neurotic screenwriter exists?

Screenwriting is this simple: figure out how to create unique characters in search of a powerful goal within a compelling story with a powerful beginning middle and end, resulting in a moving cathartic resolution. Then construct a screenplay that’s easy to read and understand, that moves the story and characters along in a brisk, memorable manner such that a producer and a studio are willing to expend massive sums of money and a serious amount of their time, maybe many years, in the hope that millions of people will line up to pay their hard earned money to watch what you have wrought.

Nothing to it. No pressure. Piece of cake.

But if you believe in yourself, that you have the ability to craft a big-time story, then you are not alone. It has been reported that, on average, forty to sixty thousand screenplays are submitted each year for registration at the Writers Guild of America, west. Some of those scripts are intended for theatrical release, some are meant for TV, or the web, and for any number of other distribution platforms. The vast preponderance of those tens of thousands of ideas will find no traction toward production at all. Of course, some of those scripts will find a way to break through the din and wind up being produced. And that’s what lures writers back to the table over and over again.

If you find the above discouraging, then maybe the business of writing screenplays is not for you. But if you remain undaunted, then stay true to your goal. It can be done. After all, there are lots of writers who manage to sell their work or there’d be nothing to see in the theaters or on the tube.

The Marathon, Not a Sprint: Embracing the Screenwriting Journey

It has rarely, if ever, happened that some writer wrote his very first screenplay over a weekend, sold it on Monday, found it to be greenlit on Tuesday and in production by Thursday. It usually takes a long, long time with a lot of obstacles in the way to complete, sell, and produce a movie. So, if you haven’t already started, then there’s no time like the present to get going. And when you do, relax a little. Writing isn’t a sprint (though occasionally you’ll encounter tight, short deadlines that require a bit of sprinting). Prepare like you would for a long, arduous journey. Then enjoy the ride as much as you can. After all, that’s what you signed on for, isn’t it?

In other words, get on that road right now.

Let’s chat about the Screenwriting journey.

What’s your most memorable moment in your screenwriting journey? Whether it’s a triumph, a hurdle overcome, or a valuable lesson learned, we’d love to hear about your experiences. Share your story in the comments below, and let’s inspire each other on this creative road.