“The Quest”: What have you learned so far?
First let me just say, I don’t intend for GITS to become all-Quest, all the time. Things should balance out after the dust settles in a few weeks. But I think it’s safe to say that something about this initiative has connected with the online screenwriting community. The response from the number of entrants to the comments, Tweets and emails, to the very heartfelt expressions of all sorts of reactions has surprised me. I can’t begin to tell you how many people have written to me to say something to this effect:
“The Quest” has made me think about screenwriting in a new way.
I know it’s forced me to up my game. I found myself writing a whole set of posts on how to generate and develop story ideas, aggregating practices I had been using for years. Somehow the idea of ‘how to read and analyze a screenplay’ came up, and again I went through my process and wrote a whole series of posts on that.
That’s just a matter of organizing principles and practices I have already had in place. But I’ve gained some new insights about the online screenwriting community:
* There is a significant gap between what many, if not most people who want to become screenwriters know about the practical life of a professional screenwriter and what they need to know. Four plus years I’ve been blogging here on a daily basis [1505 consecutive days to be exact] and still some people do not realize how important the story concept is to the success of a spec script. Perhaps now that point is starting to settled into the general consciousness.
* There is a powerful thirst out there in people who want to know not just how to write a good spec script, but how to approach the entire act of writing like a professional screenwriter. I determined this because many of the posts I’ve done related to “The Quest” have taken the long view of screenwriting, practices that ought to be done day after day for years in order ground them into your habits and disposition. Instead of shying away from that advice, my general sense is that people want that type and depth of knowledge.
* You can handle the truth. During this process, I have never once shied away from telling you how long the odds are against success, how hard you have to work, how committed you have to be, how you have to immerse yourself in the life of being a screenwriter. And while there were a few grumbles here and there — “I really need to think about story concepts this critically? I really need to read scripts this analytically?” — almost universally the comments that emerged from GITS readers could be summed up this way: Bring it on!
Here’s an example from Aaron Arlotti:
Scott,
Once again, thank you for the opportunity. You are a fantastic teacher. I have already learned the following:
1. This business is tough. I need to fight through the disappointments and work harder.
2. I need to improve my concepts and loglines.
3. Be ready for any opportunity that may arise.
This is spot-on. There is no pie-in-the-sky. There is no secret formula. There is no one way to write a great script. There is no easy path to success.
Each of us has to put in the thousands of hours it takes to learn the craft. Each of us has to push, push, push ourselves creatively. Each of us has to find our own unique voice as writers. Each of us has to discover whatever balance we need in tracking the business of screenwriting vs. feeding our creative needs.
Which frankly is directly on point to the spirit and pragmatics of the “The Quest.” Eight weeks of theory. Six weeks of prep. Ten weeks to write a first draft. Combined with writing exercises, learning professional tips and techniques, all with a goal of helping to prepare you to think like a professional screenwriter in order to maximize your chances for success in Hollywood.
So with that as perhaps the longest introduction in all of my blog posts, my question to you: What have you learned so far in this “Quest” adventure? Like Aaron’s observations above, if you sat down and thought for a few minutes about revelations you’ve had or practical knowledge you’ve acquired, what insights into the craft and/or perhaps yourself as a writer have you gained this last month or so?
The more I hear from you, the more I will know what is working. And if, indeed, I am reading the tea leaves correctly, and this is one type of thing that will motivate lots of people to dig into the craft and write better stories, then that makes me more inclined to commit to a second round of “Go Into The Story: The Quest.”
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