When you first begin doing this, you think writing a script is fairly easy. One is blissfully unaware of how hard it is to truly craft a good script.

As you read more scripts, both amateur and pro, and as you struggle to create an entertaining story that fits right into the feature length, you realize just how freaking hard it is. And you wonder if you have what it takes.

Well, that's a hard question to answer. But I think it helps to know this is really hard for just about everyone, even the pros. There's always debate about why so many movies are not very good. I think one thing that is under recognized is the simple fact that this is really, really hard.

So don't give up. And if you get some harsh criticism on a script, please remember that even scripts that get sold for big bucks, ones crafted by pros, often are loaded with issues. Keep your chin up, keep working. All of our scripts have problems. But all scripts do, even pro, or almost all of them.

Rewrites are just killers...

The four states of knowledge:

Unconciously incompetent: Not aware that you lack knowledge on a subject

Conciously incompetent: Now aware that you lack knowledge

conciously competent: Working at getting your knowledge up to speed

unconciously competent: Effortlessly applying the new knowledge you have learned

Too true.

However.....and this seems a bit weird to say.....but it actually it gives me hope. Maybe that is naive, ok very naive, but I do have this feeling when I get a decent idea and if i can get the structure and characters right, you never know.

Man, that last stage must be rare in this field. The gods of screen writing.

Keep at it Bill! If this is easy for anyone, I haven't met them. Ryan makes it look easy, but he's working.

It's the hardest thing I've ever done.

When you are used to WINNING and suddenly you feel like you uh either losing or struggling so hard you are possibly losing....like pushing a giant rock up a hill over and over until one day ...maybe you are strong enough to push it over the hump

Quoted from Pale Yellow maybe you are strong enough to push it over the hump

And remember, that will only get you a meeting. At best.

Too true Kevin. When I first got here I thought that I had a great script, then BOOM... error with the first sentence. I think what's hard for a lot of writers is accepting that their script isn't perfect; the 'consciously incompetent...'

It IS hard. Great words of inspiration, Kevin.

I find, for me, its the concentration part thats the worse. I think I have ADD, I seem to lose focus easily lol.

But aside from that I agree 100%, it IS tough. And that goes for Pro's from what I have gathered. They seem to struggle as much as we do. And very often they actually have help for those killers such as spelling, grammar ect.

Tough, yes, but so many folks just willy nilly do things that make their screenwriting life tougher for no reason. Everybody knows that comedies and horrors are two genres where the page count should hover around 100 pages. We are told repeatedly that anything over 110 pages by an unsold screenwriter will not be read. Yet, while I was browsing for a screenplay to review, all 10 screenplays that I opened were 127 pages or more. One was even over 160.  Now, not only am I not going to waste my time reading those, but when the reviewer gets feedback, it will most likely be negative. Screenwriters could do themselves a favor by avoiding grief in the first place. Take the commonly known rules - then apply them. Screenwriting should only be hard when you have a good script on your hands that follows the rules. It's easy to go from bad to good. It's hard to go from good to great.

The hardest thing about screenwriting for me is time. Or lack of time, more accurately. I work full time, long hours. My way of relaxing is writing. Actually my real way of relaxing is kicking back with a beer and watching sport or a movie or TV. But I feel that I should dedicate some of my free time to doing something create that makes me feel worthwhile and stops me being a slob. So I push myself. I make time when I should be sleeping.  

What I feel guilty about is I have a family, a house to maintain, responsibilities etc etc. Same as everyone else.  I sometimes put my writing before that, and It makes me feel like a massive dick. Is it worth it? I ask myself this occasionally.

But I love it. And I'm selfish.

BTW, screenwriting isn't 'hard'. Having leprosy is hard. Grow a pair! Just kidding...

I had a pair. They fell off when I contracted leprosy!

Still better than being a procrastinating perfectionist with zero imagination and David Koepp-like dialogue...

Quoted from leitskev I had a pair. They fell off when I contracted leprosy!

Ha! I used the wrong disease that time.

I said I feel like a massive dick...just waiting for someone to do one of those word-quote manipulations!

Anyhoo, it's a cool thread.  Perspective and all that.  As long as writing makes the writer happy is the main thing. You never know, a gold strike might happen.

Tales From the Script really pi$$ed me off first time I saw it.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=YWbo_0Vcz_U#!