“If you write a great script… Hollywood will find you.” Scott Myers began a post this way in 2016, on his great “Go Into the Story” blog.
It resonated with me, and I think it would with most professionals in jobs related to screenwriting — producers, executives, managers, etc. A top CAA literary agent once said something similar when asked what writers should do to try to get an agent. Her response was that there’s nothing for them to do, because the agents would find them.
Sounds frustrating, right? Does this mean there’s nothing a writer can do to market themselves, get themselves out there, and force their career forward through making the right contacts? How are we supposed to just passively wait around and assume someone’s going to knock on our doors?
Before I answer that, a third quote on this topic. It comes from Jerry Seinfeld, in Judd Apatow’s book Sick in the Head. He was talking about comedy, but might as well have been talking about screenwriting, when he said: “If you’ve got talent, it’s unmistakable. No one misses it and you don’t have to wait around for a break. It’s very easy to get a break. It’s very hard to be good enough.”
Now I’ve said before that I think “Talent” is overrated, so I wouldn’t use those exact words. I don’t quite believe in innate talent that one either has or doesn’t have, which can’t change. But what I do believe is that a script that seems to show great talent — a script that checks the boxes that industry professionals need checked (whether they are conscious of what those boxes are or not) — will tend to find its way forward.
I am not a believer that there are hundreds or thousands of such scripts out there, where the only problem is that they didn’t get into the right hands. Rather, I believe such scripts which can create a breakthrough for a writer are rare. And that writers do well to recognize that, and to focus all their energies on doing that rare thing, somehow — while trusting that if they succeed, the rest will take care of itself.
I’m not saying writers should never send their work out, as part of the process of doing what they do. I’m certainly not against screenwriting contests, coverage services, and even querying managers directly. (Securing a literary manager being the first hurdle writers generally need to get past these days, to get their work to people who could move it forward.) All of these can help a writer figure out where they’re at with a certain project. And if they happen to have something really special, these avenues could be how they find that out, move it forward, and get people’s attention.
I’m also not against networking with industry professionals, and especially having a day job in the business, which is how I started out, and which made a huge difference for me, both in terms of learning about professional level writing from the inside, and in terms of meeting people who would ultimately help me.
My point, though, is that it really is about the writing, and the one and only thing a writer can really control is that. As Scott Myers points out, managers, agents and producers are hungry for the next great thing. It’s just that 99.99% of what they get sent isn’t that, and they just don’t have time explain to writers why they aren’t responding to something they sent them. This is also why they generally rely on others to weed through and send them only the most promising material. Thus, a writer first has to impress a manager to get to an agent, and needs an agent to get to a legit producer, etc. (Unless perhaps you are operating outside “mainstream Hollywood” using sites like Inktip, which I’m not discouraging — if you’re writing the kind of genres that tend to do well there.)
I often get queries from writers or producers who want to know if I could get their work to Tom Hanks or other industry connections. And that’s totally understandable, because it seems like it’s hard to get to such people, and if only one could, they’d have a shot. But I would argue that it’s not really hard to get to the people who can ultimately advance a writer’s career, starting with managers. What’s hard is (1) understanding what it takes to create a piece of writing that could do that, (2) understanding how far their project might be from that elusive ideal, and (3) actually creating something that would meet it.
So if “Hollywood will find you,” how exactly is that going to transpire? I think what typically happens is this: by the time a writer’s work is at the place where they’re about to break in, they have usually been moving steadily toward that achievement for some time, to where it no longer seems like a big shock when it finally happens. Their work is already doing well with contests, coverage services, etc. Objective professionals are responding well to them, even if they aren’t signing them yet or buying their material. The quality of the writer’s work becomes more and more known, and their circle of contacts starts to grow.
It’s true that for some people, it happens more quickly than for others. For some, key contacts pave the way seemingly easily. But the work has to be there, for any of that to really take hold and last. So my advice is to keep going, keep learning, keep getting feedback, and make it your mission to understand what might be missing in any script you have, that is causing it to fall short (as most do) in the goal of getting signed or sold, and trust that as you keep going and keep growing, you have the ability to overcome that with your next project.
Hollywood Will Find You
One of my wonderful coaching clients was kind enough to augment my post with the following guidance she once got from a CAA agent:
As an organization, we have no way to efficiently filter the thousands of aspiring writers to find the handful we should or could represent, so we are reliant on contests and programs (such as those run by NALIP, WGA, NHMC, the BlackList, ABC, Universal, screenwriting contests, etc.) to identify the ones that are truly great and whom we would be passionate to represent. We recently signed a Latina writer who had won a screenplay contest that I had never even heard of. We knew one of the judges who said it was an amazing script and so we read and signed her. That is generally how it happens and since I do not have budget to hire 20 additional readers to go through non-client materials to find the gems, it is likely to remain the case.
Bottom line: If you have not entered contests, applied for these programs, etc., you should do so immediately. If you have not submitted to the BlackList or even a writers group to get feedback from lots of readers or even coverage, you should do so immediately. If you have not attended WGA programs, you should immediately. If you have not entered your screenplay into screenwriting contests, you should. If you have not found 50 people (friends and colleagues) to read your work, you should. All will give you valuable opportunities and feedback.
If your work is truly outstanding (which is what it needs to be, no matter your background), it will be noticed and doors will open.
Great piece, Erik. As a retired military journalist, I’m starting a little late in the game, but I remain hopeful. I AM focusing on contests and writing the absolutely best scripts that I can. My attitude always remains hopeful, no matter what. Thanks for the insight and honesty in your posts.
Thanks so much Jessica, and I think that’s the right attitude!!
As usual, great blog, Erik. I agree with you that it’s all about the writing and finding your voice that stands out from the crowd. A writer once told me that every time you send out a script that doesn’t sell you should say to yourself “Next year I’ll be a better writer.” The biggest mistake I see is writers trying to hawk the same script for years. If it’s not selling, there’s a reason. It’s not good enough. Instead of beating a dead horse, write the next one and the next one and the next one. Most successful writers I know had at least a dozen scripts under their belt before they sold one. Keep up the good work, Erik. Always appreciate you sharing your wisdom, experience and inspiration.
Thanks so much Lynn. I definitely agree with you!
Brilliant piece, one of Erik’s best, particularly adding his nuance to the idea of raw talent. I’d add one more thing — the one hit wonder. Maybe you aren’t a Cohen brother, but maybe you can score with one great premise. I think the greatest screenplays, novels and memoirs boil down to a great, original premise. The rest is executing it well. A lot of it CAN be learned and people like Erik can mentor your execution so the movers find you. It might be the only screenplay you ever sell. Or it might be the one that unlocks some doors.
Along these lines I have recently come up with a mind-blowing concept that I offer to everybody. At least I think it is brilliant. Erik, what do you think? Take it and run with it folks. It’s not quite my cup of tea worth personally investing a year in, but I LOVE the concept. It’s based on a real story that I came across on a gay Xtube site. Yes, it is niche and kinky, but that illustrates how you break in — your concept has to be ORIGINAL and NICHE. What I have done is make it more universal.
THE CASH MASTER, by YOU (note, can be adapted to straight characters for broader appeal)
A very good looking (hey, it helps) guy around thirty goes on the internet fishing for guys who will do all sorts of kinky sexual things he tells them to do on webcam. He discovers “subs” out there who will send him money on his command and becomes a “cash master.” Eventually the fetish becomes too real and he really takes advantage of one young man, ordering him to turn over several thousands of dollars over time. The “willing victim” eventually acquires a boyfriend who is also a “dominant” and is appalled at how this “cash master” is using his new lover. The “dom” turns the tables on “cash master” and demands he repay the money. “Cash master” is nearly broke and doesn’t have the money except for small restitution payments so the “dom” orders “cash master” to post kinky naked webcam videos on Xtube where he follows “dom’s” scripts. Cashmaster obeys under threat of extortion and criminal and civil complaints and Cashmaster accepts the dom as his “Owner” and must address him as such and accepts the screen name “sexobjectsteve” (not the real screen name to protect him from the non-kinksters who would never know about this, ha ha). Cashmaster comes to feel guilty over how he abused the ‘cash slave’ and wants to make amends and “Owner” decides to teach cashmaster a lesson and make him a better man as if he is a correctional officer, cop and judge without the prison time. The videos go beyond kink sex to include outdoor labor and vanilla “punishment” videos that teach sexobjectsteve moral lessons as he straightens out, redeems himself and becomes an upstanding young man! (Option: sexobject and Owner eventually become lovers, outgrow their dom/dom/sub relationships and become whole, mature normal people OR, use your imagination!
Thanks Mark, generous of you to share! It sounds like you’re not looking to write it, but if you can boil it down to a logline of a couple sentences at most and email it to me at erik@flyingwrestler.com I could give you feedback. You might like my post on what loglines should include: https://www.flyingwrestler.com/2013/02/loglines-dont-tease/. Thanks for commenting!
I think this is both very depressing and strangely reassuring. 🙂
I know how you feel Pinar. It is kind of both… 🙂
Nicely put ?
Thank you!!
Very well stated.
Thanks Mark!