10 Screenwriting Skills and Traits You Need
#2: Courage — “It takes a kind of fearlessness to put creativity into action.”
During the 12+ years I’ve run hosted Go Into The story, I have been privileged to conduct one-on-one interviews with over two hundred screenwriters including dozens of Black List and Nicholl Fellowship writers. Along the way, it’s been fascinating to learn the variety of approaches to the craft, yet at the same time how certain universal themes recur.
I was struck by five personality traits and five skill sets that keep popping up in these conversations, so I thought it would be helpful to do a series, a checklist if you will, of areas we can focus on as we develop as screenwriters.
Screenwriting Trait #2: Courage.
As screenwriters, we create something out of nothing. Whenever we do that, we demonstrate courage because in that act of incarnation, we put on the line an essential part of who we are as creative individuals.
“If we had to say what writing is, we would have to define it essentially as an act of courage.” — Cynthia Ozick
There is always the chance readers won’t get it.
There is always the chance readers won’t connect with it.
There is always the chance readers will reject it.
Also this: There is always the chance what we write won’t work… or be very good at all.
Every time we type FADE OUT and hand over a script we’ve written, we know we face the potential for a big fat thumbs-down.
As a result, I think it’s safe to say that fear of failure and the anxiety of rejection has squashed more stories than have ever seen the light of day. Even if we do rise above the voices of negativity in our minds (“This story sucks! What were you thinking? Just give up!”) and manage to get from FADE IN to FADE OUT, the specter of a PASS can squash our creativity along the way, diminishing the pages we produce.
This is a major reason why we must tap into our courage, a willingness to embrace the spirit of the spec.
You get an idea.
You act on your idea.
You write your story.
You put it out there.
Our planes of battle are not literal, but metaphorical, yet emotional minefields nonetheless wherein the act of clicking “Send” for an email with a PDF version of our manuscript attached can be a profound act of courage.
And courage we must find.
To embrace this story idea.
To embrace our ability to write the hell out of that idea.
To embrace both the possibility for success… or failure.
For without the courage to type FADE IN… we create nothing. And at the end of the day, that’s what screenwriters do: We create.
“A great deal of talent is lost to the world for want of a little courage.” — Sidney Smith
How do you summon your courage when writing a story? When in the process do you find courage to be most important? How do you feed your courage during the writing process?
Tomorrow: Screenwriting Trait #3: Consistency.
