The Life of a Young Screenwriter

Nobody worships at the altar of screenwriting more reverently than a young screenwriter. They believe in The Screenplay and recognise it is the critical constituent in whether a film or TV shows lives or dies. They recognise that in its own right, crafting a superior screenplay is a magnificent feat in itself. It could also be called a triumph against significant odds.

And the best screenwriters play these odds every day.

Nearly every single writer or even a film fan may have at one point in time or, probably at least contemplated writing screenplay. May it be a musical, or a drama or fictional fairy tale. Usually lured by stories of all the fame the supremacy of the giant ‘big screen’, and by success, awards or maybe the immense money achieved by other screenwriters might have. They get taken and fooled by the eternal fantasy that is Hollywood.

Without a doubt so many of them might have made a name for themselves in the writing industry. But most others are still at the small-town stage. They wonder if writing is a silly dream or might be a truly worth trying for. There are many realities to the world of fiction and not everyone can get past first base in this case. Some people consider it to be an easy task, but screenwriting can be haunting and terrible. There are innumerable people out there just like you with similar storylines that might be unappealing to a filmmaker or not too lucrative.

Artistic sense doesn’t matter unless one can achieve the purpose of making money with it. Screenwriting is not the path for everyone, Usually a young writer might struggle for months, years even , before getting even a decent break to meet ends meet, let alone becoming famous or winning wards like one of the greats. Getting a job at Kohl’s or working as a paralegal for a credit lawyer might be the only way to get by while writing your dream script.

There is a lot of turmoil that one has to go through, and this is not purely mental, it is physical, it is physiological, it is psychological. So before on plans to become a screen writer, one should realise the reasons why one shouldn’t become a screenwriter. These are as follows:

1. Big Bucks

Following screenwriting because a rare spec script might sell for a lot of money is like trying to start a hotel because the famous Donald Trump owns a big ship. Famished screenwriters are probably just as happy and satisfied as dying hungry poets. So, if money is the goal, in any case, screenwriting shouldn’t be.

2. Weaving Magic using Words

Screenwriting, in basic sense has no ‘style’ and looks more like an advertisement copy or a comic book or the sports pages instead of great literature. If your passion for writing is founded on the magnificence, consistency, extent and grandeur of the English language, it’s a better choice to become a poet.

3. Respect Of Being An Applauded Artist

Once the screenplay is sold, it most-definitely will be re-written, probably by one or often several other people until it’s grotesque and has lost all its originality. It would give you no returns and might be bought in very little money and made into something completely different.

4. Having a Robust Visual Sense

This is rather detrimental to screenwriting. Sure, one would want to understand and picture what’s happening on the screen. Having said that, the significant capacity here is basically the capability of converting action into meaningful writing.

5. Adapting Your Novel

If the novel you wrote wasn’t produced in that form itself, it’s tremendously doubtful that it would successfully become a movie. And this can be hard to accept, it is understandable. But there are enough number of better rather books and novels which haven’t been turned into movies just for the sole reason that it is not commercially viable.

If it is not attractive to the mass audience, or if the filmmaker thinks it’s not attractive to the mass audience, then there is no use trying to sell the idea to the filmmaker.

6. Improving Movie Quality

If one does not agree with the recent movies that are coming out these days and are finding yourself inclining towards various foreign, it is no reason to think that what you would show the audience is what they want to see. Making art and making money are two different things.

Especially for young screenwriters, there is an emotional aspect to their work, which is seen less and less in older and more seasoned writers. Today, what sells is what makes people buy the ticket.