One screenwriter’s life
From The Wrap:
The writer was on top of the world.
His first movie had grossed more than $80 million, and he had sold another. Want a Hollywood dream? He had it.
At least, that’s what he figured.
Today, the 40-year-old screen scribe — who fears notoriety from this article will exacerbate his employment situation should he be identified — is working a two-week temporary job in sales.
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He suddenly found himself competing with A-list writers for B-list jobs.
“A lot of the jobs I used to go up for, A-list, like super A-list writers are going for those jobs right now,” he said. “In the past, they wouldn’t have. There was enough of every level to go around.”
Now, he said, with studios cutting back on the number of movies they make, it’s a tougher world.
“They used to make films in the 5-to-10 million dollar range,” he said. “Now everybody wants to do either the super micro-budget stuff, they want to make remakes or sequels, or they want to make tentpoles. A lot of those middle-ground movies that filled the marketplace, those assignments are gone now.”
If you want to be a screenwriter, you have to be mentally prepared for this fact: You’re up, you’re down, you’re hot, you’re cold, you’ve got too much work, you can’t line up a thing.
It’s the nature of the beast.
And while the acquisition market has picked up this year — and notably spec scripts as well — writing movies for a living is a tough, competitive experience made even tougher by current business practices in Hollywood.
People may think writers have a soft life. They’re wrong. To be a writer in Hollywood, you not only have to be talented and creative, you also have to have an iron will and an indomitable spirit.
Whoever this anonymous screenwriter is, I admire that he is staying positive-minded:
So, like newbie writers, he works his temp job in the day and writes at night. And he’s finding that writing has lost its drudgery.
“Because I don’t have a lot of time now to write, when I do get to write, it’s really exciting,” he said.
He has remained optimistic about his future. He has a few projects in the works, and is looking at directing, perhaps producing.
One thing he won’t do is give up.
“I love movies and I love writing,” he said. “That’s one of the slings and arrows that we have. We don’t have the stability of a full-time job with a steady income. But you make that sacrifice to do what you love.”
It’s either that… or quit. Because if you can’t get excited about the stories you write, there’s no reason to write.
Good luck, Anonymous! And good luck to all screenwriters everywhere from A-listers to aspiring. It can be rough going out there. But if you love movies and you love writing, there’s nothing else like it.
For more of The Wrap article, go here.
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