So, around six months ago, following the production of Break Even, a feature film I wrote on assignment staring Tasya Teles, James Callis, and Steve Guttenberg, I moved onto attaching myself to my second feature film project. As the lead producer negotiated signing on, they laid out their baggage which, to my surprise, included me, the screenwriter, becoming a co-producer. In this blog, I’m going to talk about what I’m learning from being on the other side, how I feel that impacts writing, and I how I believe screenwriters can get ahead - CJ

Some years ago, I wrote V-World, the pilot for a futuristic, sci-fi who-dun-it series set in a five star virtual reality resort.

“V-World is an expensive, five star, virtual reality resort where the pampered residents and guests can be whoever and whatever they want to be - The old can be young, the hideous can be gorgeous and sexual identity is fluid. For those who can afford it, V-World is an All-You-Can-Eat Buffet of delights, extravagance and guilty pleasures.

As an extrovert, one of the most insightful books I've ever read is Quiet; The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking. It taught me a lot about how the other half find social interaction impacts their energy levels. Catherine's following article does a great job of explaining the every day life of the introverted writer and details many of the benefits that come with it - CJ

It’s twenty-twenty and time for some tough-talk. You know I’m slowly building a screenwriting career and I want to send the elevator back down as much as I can. There’s a LOT of misinformation out there, more than ever right now, and I feel the need to lay down ten truths every screenwriter trying to break in needs to know before they make bad decisions, end up going in circles, or even worse, give up on their dreams far too early - CJ

You know what made the A-Team great, besides the inherent dysfunction of their dynamic which provided a lot of humorous conflict to entertain us? It was that Hannibal always had a plan and, the second he lit up a cigar and took a few puffs with that trademark grin, we knew they were going to win. It’s time for you to win too and, while I certainly don’t want you to form a habit of smoking Cubans, I do want you to have a plan to succeed in 2020 - CJ

John Hunter returns once again offering one of his quick prep talks, something you need to keep going as a screenwriter with a spring in your step and goal in your mind regardless of any low self worth or fear of failure. May he have just one minute of your time to convince you to keep going and to stay on course toward your creative dreams? Go on, give it a read and take in the empowerment - CJ

I've found that, over the years, that many screenwriters have a complex relationship with rejection. Often turning to trite sayings such as "You've got to grow a thick skin", there's very little advice out there to really help us deal with the emotional rollercoaster of finding out creative efforts have failed to align with a reader. Enter Jonathan Peterson and one of the best summaries I've seen on how to balance our minds and move forward in a way that's both mindful and productive - CJ

As we head into the holiday season, we find ourselves stirred up by bright lights, jingling melodies, and copious quantities of sugar with the onus on being as merry as possible, content with life, and excited for the future. The reality is that life is hard and these mandatory festivities can really draw contrast with just what a dark place many of us writers often find ourselves - CJ

You see it every day on the forums, how do I break in? What’s the Goldilocks porridge of scripts that will guarantee success? How do I create that magic bullet? Who do I need to talk to to make it all happen? What's Hollywood looking for? DEAR GOD, PLEASE TELL ME WHAT THIS CRAZY TOWN IS LOOKING FOR!? I empathise with this dilemma and I’m going to outline what I feel is a genuine strategy toward getting your foot in the door as a working screenwriter - CJ

If you are an artist trying to break into the creative arts industry, you are probably more than aware that a portfolio is essential to being taken seriously and shows what you have to offer the marketplace. However, what I’m seeing over and over again are amateurs who are failing to see what is probably the most valuable side of their offering and completely ignoring what is a critical component in their marketing strategy. Let’s talk about what you might be missing, how it’s holding you back, and what you can do about it - CJ

I’ve been wanting to write this article for some time because I think it’s important that I say what I want to say but I’ve also felt some conflict over potentially crossing a line. I’ve written a lot on business and craft but this may be perhaps a little invasive as I’m about to talk about how we financially manage our lives as artists who are trying to breakout of the corporate world and into the creative arts. I’m going to roll the dice, try and sell you the concept of lean living, and see if I get lynched - CJ

Okay that's perhaps a bit of an overly convoluted title but this isn’t a full guide supposed to cover every aspect of every deal a screenwriter can be presented with during their career. This is some basics to cover those early offers you may be presented with and to help you determine if you should maybe get excited or consider politely walking away into the sunset - CJ

There's something I want to get off my chest. My need to say this has come from what’s actually a wonderful forum thread I stumbled upon about script listing websites. I was delighted to see Script Revolution recommended along with the Black List and InkTip with a bunch of positive success stories surrounding it. After three years struggling to get the site off the ground, I have to admit I got a little misty-eyed. However, since I am a defensive pessimist, I of course had to find something to find a beef with and this beef has been brewing for a long time - CJ

In his latest article, John Hunter wants you to learn, as he did from a now absent friend, that the narrator in your life, the one inside your head, might be an unreliable one. The question he suggests we all ask ourselves is, are we going to let that voice hold us back and demotivate us or are we going to allow it to empower our creativity? We all know that a neuroticism and writing go hand in hand so here's a little something I certainly agree every screenwriter could benefit from understanding - CJ

Hey, if you’re feeling a bit bleak about your screenwriting journey lately then you need to read this. We all get a little down and this climb up the mountain can seem futile and pointless at times. I myself am going through my own doubt and paranoia despite my recent success. It’s amazing how quick the pessimism can creep back in when things slow down. So, let’s do something about that. Let’s remind ourselves why we write screenplays and rediscover that motivation we need to not only continue our journey but enjoy every step - CJ

For a long time before my first professional screenwriting gig, I was known for being a screenwriter who didn’t spend much money trying to break in. While this was partly because my financial situation simply prohibited anything but a very minor expense, what some people don’t know is that I blew what little savings I had in my first two years writing and that taught me an important lesson; I’d gotten nothing back of any value and needed a different strategy - CJ

Rules, rules, rules – it can feel everyone wants to throw a new one at you when you get into screenwriting and they are almost always obsessed with the superficial such as formatting and typos. Good craft will always trump bootlicking via conformity but let’s not dwell too much on that because I want to share something with you that might just become your new mantra - CJ

I’m a screenwriter based in an old rural market town in the UK who’s recently gotten back from LA where I got to see a feature film I’d written go through principle photography, and now everybody’s asking me how to break in. I can’t really answer that question but I can say this, what I’ve come to notice over the past few years is a distinct difference in attitude between those who eventually break in and those who never seem to make it. I feel like I can easily place amateur screenwriters into one of two groups and predict their destiny - CJ

I recently did what many say is impossible, not only did I manage to secure a writing assignment in Hollywood from the middle of nowhere in the UK but I was also fortunate enough to be flown out to Los Angeles to watch the feature film I had penned (Break Even) go through principal photography. While the latter rarely happens for screenwriters, I still want to write about what it’s like being a writer on set watching your words come to life, warts and all — CJ

Where I find myself right now is straddling both sides of that wall we all face with the amateur scene on one side and the industry world on the other. From this perspective, I have a great vantage point to see what is and isn’t working for screenwriters who want their passion to eventually bring in paycheques. So, after nearly seven years, countless scripts, and endless chit-chat with everyone from first-time writers to long-time producers, here goes - CJ

Shawn Davis has been kind enough to continue documenting his journey into becoming a producer/director. This time round, he shares the trials and tribulations associated with making the jump from producing a five page script to something twenty pages long. He wants to share with us the key part of his process that made things a lot easier on the logistics. On top of that, Shawn also wants to share a couple of fantastic links that just might competely revolutionise your post-production software options for zero cost - CJ

It's time for another one of Shawn Davis' insightful interviews. This time Shawn poses various screenwriting questions to Brett Martin (aka Electric Dreamer) a longtime and valuable contributor on Simply Scripts. Brett is a great example of a writer raised on movies who didn't believe in themselves at first but has since built a productive and optimistic writing routine. Brett also has a lovely quote to share about being an artist and seeking validation. There's a lot to be learnt from writers like him - CJ

I’ve finally optioned a feature script. It’s taken six years to get to this point and it’s been tough, really tough. How does it feel? It feels amazing. It’s a whole new level of validation. It feels like the start of something rather than living in purgatory. But I don’t want to make this about myself. I know many of you are finding it tough too, so I wanted to put something together explaining how I think I got here and what really matters when it comes to screenwriting - CJ

That’s a rather arrogant title, isn’t it? Well, I’m not going to beat around the bush here. There’s countless screenwriter booklists out there and a lot of them aren’t even compiled by screenwriters themselves. They are pretty dire and I’ve been cutting my own path with reading for a while now. I want to share the books that I’ve personally learned a lot from and know have worked for me. This is what I believe is the most powerful collection of screenwriting books you can read over the next 12 months - CJ

As we move into the new year, you may be feeling a mixture of emotions. Part of you may feel positive and excited for what 2018 may bring and part of you may feel a little bitter that you've not been discovered yet, or perhaps even been noticed at all. You're not alone and John Hunter is here with a timely reminder that we may as well enjoy ourselves on this journey, as futile as it may sometimes feel. He also has a tip for how to start getting some traction - CJ