“Julie Gray: The Importance of Networking”
Our pal Julie Gray from The Rouge Wave has a new article at Script magazine: “The Importance of Networking”:
Networking, for some writers, is easy and fun. It is a nice break from the isolation of writing. But for other writers, networking can be truly painful and awkward. Whether you fall into one group or the other, networking is definitely something you need to be doing. And there are networking opportunities virtually all the time. Go online and check out your local Meetup organization to see if there are writers groups you can join, or lectures or workshops you can attend. Read screenwriting magazines and websites, such as Script, to find events that are right for you. Never been to the Austin Film Festival? Maybe this year you’ll try it out. How about the Great American Pitch Fest? That’s a really fun event, plus you can practice your pitching skills. Regardless of the event, networking is a good way to get out from behind your computer and build confidence and relationships.
But, there is a right way and a wrong way to network.
Right way: Be respectful
Wrong way: One of my agents once told me how he was, ahem, ‘occupied’ in a bathroom stall at a restaurant when he saw someone’s hand sliding a script under the stall door, then the slider / person on the other side — unseen, just heard — proceeded to give their elevator pitch.
I don’t care if that story was E.T. meets The Hangover, a script presented like that is going straight into the recycling bin.
Have you heard of any other “wrong way to network” stories?