Resilience — It’s What Keeps You Alive

How do you deal with the gut punches?

We’ve all been there. 

You spend months writing and rewriting a script. Then you send it into a contest… and it doesn’t even make the quarterfinals.

You finally get your foot in the door: an introduction to a coveted manager. He reads your spec… and says “not what we’re looking for at this time, thanks.”

You have a “go” movie. Director, cast, and financing are in place. The first day of production is nearing… and a crucial backer pulls out at the last minute and the whole thing falls apart.

Let’s face it: these are gut punches. How do you deal with it?

Here is the first hard truth:

All of the above scenarios will happen to you. In fact, they are a lot more likely to happen than the opposite, wished-for positive outcome. To put a finer point on it: gut punches are a regular part of the life of a screenwriter. 

You have to develop resilience if you want to have any shot at working in this business.

Here are some strategies that will help you navigate your life as a screenwriter:

1. Always, always, always have more than one plate spinning. Don’t be the person that’s been pushing one script for several years. Have several ready-to-go scripts that you’re trying to find a home for.

2. Control the things you can control. You can control the quality of your work. Make sure it’s top-notch. You can control the people you surround yourself with. Make sure they’re trusted collaborators. You can control the way you present yourself. Make sure people see you as easy-to-work-with.

3. Take the reins. Can you write and produce a short/proof of concept of one of your scripts. Five to seven minutes is all it takes. It’s easier to get people to watch something than to read a script.

4. Find your community. Writers groups, meet-ups, networking events, panel discussions. Get out there. Find people you can collaborate with. Remember: water rises in levels.

5. Have a life. Often, entertainment professionals forget this very crucial point. Sometimes we make the mistake of telling ourselves “I can have a life once I’ve broken in.” The only thing that will lead to is depression, burn-out, and, frankly, boring writing.        

In summary:

Yes, the rejection and crushing disappointment that comes with being a screenwriter sucks. Yes, it’s normal. And yes, you need to find a way to deal with it.

Look, if you want to feel sorry for yourself, go ahead. Take a day. Close the curtains, eat bad food and watch shitty TV. That’s fine. However, if that day turns into a month, you’ve got a problem.

For any sort of longevity in this business, the key is resilience.

As they say, the person who wins the fight is the person who gets up one more time than the other person.

Go get ’em.