welcome to...

My Wasted Life - January 8th, 2008:

Holy fucking shit. We're back? It's been like almost 2 freaking years without an update. Can that even be possible? What kind of a wasted life goes two freaking years between updates? Surely something of note must have happened in the meanwhile.

Well... stuff did happen... even around here. In fact, a whole load of stuff - but that's all for subsequent updates.
I just finished writing an email and it gave me an idea - and the impetus - for an update to mywastedlife...
So, never one to spend an inordinate amount of time staring gift horses in the gob... I figured I'd take the plunge and get things moving again. Hopefully I'll remember to drop by and update you all on things past as well as things upcoming - but you know the way things work round these here parts... you just never can tell.

I sometimes have people contact me asking for advice. Always seems strange... but it happens. Happened just this week in fact. Someone asked my advice on things to do with the movie industry and becoming a writer. It's not the first time I've been asked and I'm guessing not the last.
So I figured I'd put my response up here to save having to type it out again in the future when other people come a calling.

Here's how it goes.

I’m 25 and have nearly completed my first film script.

Cool. Don't forget... once you've finished it - get writing on number 2, then number 3... always have more than one completed script at any one time. That way when you meet people, even if they're (for some strange reason) not completely bowled over by script #1... you can hit them (metaphorically) with script #2. Plus, people need to and like to see you're serious about your craft. Anyone can write one script. They'll always want to see other newer material - particularly agents, because they want to know there's going to be something else there once they've made/sold script #1.

I have two hours one on one time with a tutor at the ***** Film School, after I make his recommended amendments I’ll try and sell the script (providing he doesn’t massacre it!).

So what if he massacres it? If he doesn't, other people will... possibly a lot of other people. This is the bit where being a writer is somewhat similar to being an actor. You have to develop a really thick skin and be able to sensibly and maturely deal with a whole shitload of rejection.
You think it's tough being spurned by a bird in the pub? Try sending your script out to someone and being told it's shit. You probably won't be told it's shit... but even the 'sorry it's not right for us at this time' response can cut to the bone just as painfully.
The analogy I've developed over the years is this - no one likes being told their baby is ugly. Even the most horsetoothed inbred probably looks good to its parents and your script will always look better to you than it does to other people - if it doesn't...or you're not entirely happy with it - then don't send it out.
People will reject your script(s) for any number of reasons. Some just, many unjust... but it's something you're going to have to get used to if you want to travel down this road.
The important thing to remember is, a lot of this is just a matter of personal taste. Not everyone likes every single script or film they see (you don't, I don't - other people are frigtheningly similar to us in that regard)- and you'll find out in a very short time that people in the industry see a whole shedload of scripts.
Rejection doesn't even mean your script sucks - it might very well do - but there's a whole load of reasons people might reject it. The important thing to do is be calm and clear about rejection. Take any comments or notes you receive and look at them objectively to see if they have any valid points that you might be able to use to make your script better.
Also, remember... the art of writing is REwriting. I know.. rewriting something sucks arse... rewriting something five or six or ten times sucks a whole load of arse... but you might have to do it and redo it... and redo it.

I was going to go for Plan B – which is, to blanket bomb as many US, UK and European Production Companies as I possibly can

It's always good to have a plan... even if it's a stupid one. Blanket bombing is something you do in a war to cause the maximum amount of damage... why would you want to do that with your script?
Do some homework, research the marketplace... see who's out there... look at who is, and more importantly who isn't, making scripts like the one you're trying to sell. It's wasted effort to be sending a science-fiction horror movie to the people who are making movies of the week for the lifetime channel. Don't send a movie script to people who make stuff for TV. Don't send a TV idea to people who make movies.

How do I copyright the script, or what is the minimum amount of protection required before I send it out into the darkness of the night?! Would I need a different form of copyright/protection for each country?

You can find out all of that information on a million websites through just pointing and clicking your mouse. Copyright is easy... fuck, I wasn't going to bother to answer this one because you really should be able to find out the information for yourself.
Copyright is vested in the creator of a piece or work the moment it is set in a physical form... i.e. write it down on a piece of paper and you have an implicit copyright. Make sure you always include the copyright symbol and a phrase to the effect of "(c) 2008 copyright "your name"-- all right reserved" on the cover page.
The question you're actually asking here and don't feel too ashamed... every virgin writer asks it till the cows come home... is...
how do I stop the big bad men of the world ripping off my stellar idea that no one else could possibly have thought of?

The answer to that is... easy-peasy... never write your idea down, never tell anyone and never mention it again. Simple. But that won't get your script sold or made (and they're not the same thing anyway) so forget such ideas and move on. Most people you meet won't want to steal your work... most people won't want to read it to begin with and of those who do actually read (or get someone else to) read it - won't actually want to do anything with it... so the getting ripped off bit... that's really only a discussion for novices in the pub or unlucky people in a different world. Yes it can happen, will it happen to you - who knows? The object of the exercise at this point in your life is to get your script out into the world - so concentrate on doing that.
Yes, I also know I haven't answered your initial question as to how you copyright something... well I have... but the bit you're really itching to find out about involves an envelope, your address... recorded delivery, bank managers or lawyers, guilds, unions and stuff like that.
Like I said... it's information readily available on the internet so I'll leave you to go do a little investigating - you didn't think I was just gonna hand you the world on a plate did you?

Who should I send it to? Producers, Directors, Production Companies? Also, how do I find them. I know of The Knowledge and Production Base for the UK, but how does it work for America and say, Germany?

It works exactly the same way.
In fact if my aged memory is still working, The Knowledge includes European contacts. The internet is a vast and very accessible resource. Use it. Try places like www.hcdonline.com.
How about avoiding sending it to Producers, Directors or Production Companies... Send your stuff to an Agent or Manager. Then if they like you and want to take a chance on being able to make some money off selling your work... then let them decide who and how to get it to people.
You see... there's about 500,000,000 people just in my street who are writing scripts and trying to get them sold. Anyone worth their salt or worth getting your script to, isn't going to open an envelope in the mail from someone they've never heard of and read their masterpiece.
You know why? Because they could live to be 150 years old, read six scripts an hour and still not have time in their life to do anything else but read.
The only reason I'm replying to this email? It's because you know 'X' and 'Y'... if you didn't... this would probably have gone in the bin... same as an unsolicited script will.
Except obviously that I'm a sucker for a good cause and a genuinely great bloke.

What will I need to send with the script?

Which brings us to this bit... what should you send? How about a crisp five pound note. That way you'll know you're actually throwing away money. The last thing you want to do at this stage is send out scripts. Why?
A: cos it's flipping expensive and B: because if you remember the bit about unsolicited material... no one is going to read it.
"So what do I do then?" I hear you ask.
Well... if the world won't accept unsolicited material - which is what you currently have... you need to change that material into 'solicited' material. Okay... now you're back from www.dictionary.com and frustrated because the definition of the word 'solicit' didn't necessarily help... well... what you do is what's known in the biz as a "query letter". You find someone to approach about your script. You write a nice letter introducing yourself and telling them a little bit about who you are and what you want. Then you point them to the second piece of paper in your envelope which is a synopsis of your script. Again - there's simply zillions of pages of information on the world wide internet about how to write a query letter and what a synopsis is and how to write one - so I won't bore you with the details here... you'll just have to go and do a little homework.
See... I bet you're regretting having asked me anything by now... aren't ya?

Is it worth pursuing a career within the TV/Film sector in hope of coming across the right person who could help me sell the script, or is it best to carry on with my life, have a career and keep the writing on the side?

Oh grasshopper... only you can answer that question for the answer lies within yourself and depends greatly on how much effort you're prepared to put into your little venture and how much shit you're prepared to wade thru just on the off chance that you might be one of the lucky few who actually get a glimpse beyond the golden rope - let alone the tiny, tiny number who actually make a living at it.
If you want money - don't waste your time in the movie business.
If you want fame - don't waste your time in the movie business.
If, however, you want to take an idea from your head and turn it into something that people might by some fluke want to make... or watch... then decide for yourself exactly how much you are prepared to fuck your life up in pursuit of something which is very little more than a highly unlikely pipedream.
The important thing to fixate your mind on is not what you want to gain from this adventure - we all know the answer to that - it's much more important to sit down and look deep within your soul and see exactly what you're prepared to give up and sacrifice to pursue the dream.
You see... it's not going to be easy. It's not in a lot of ways going to be fun either. You won't be able to spend a lot of time with your mates because you're at home writing new material (and if you're not, then you're not serious about doing this).
If you choose to keep a full time job to have money to pay rent, bills, etc then you'll be using every single minute of spare time you have stuck in a small room with a computer, writing. You won't be able to spend time out with your mates cos you have no money... so birds are out of the question, as are holidays... or that new car you wanted... or a playstation 3/X-Box 360/Wii... etc, etc.
You have to be prepared to sit back on your jack jones and watch your mates have jobs, get promoted, earn money, get married, have families... get season tickets to West Ham... while you can't... because all your time and energy is being spent chasing the dream.
If you decide to jump into this full time then how are you going to keep a roof over your head - in which case you won't even have a small room and a computer to write with.
But all of that has to be your choice. No one else can decide your level of commitment for you.

is it worth carrying on in hope of trying to find contacts or would you say it’s best to write on the side?

The two things aren't mutually exclusive. You're going to have to write on the side or you'll be stuck at home with mum and dad until they get sick of your freeloading and throw you out.
So... unless you're a trust fund baby (or trustafarian as I think they're called) then you're gonna need a paying gig to be able to support yourself while you try and place a script.
You already have a job... so it seems the stage is already set for you to be writing on the side - unless you're going to take the dramatic - and somewhat foolish - plunge into becoming a full time writer with no visible means or support.

if I haven’t been cheeky enough already…… could you throw a couple of pointers on your writing methods my way? Its always good to learn that little bit more.

Pointer #1
Write... write, write and then when you're done with that... write some more. Writing is like sex... unless you have money, you're going to be doing it on your own in your bedroom and it's also like sex in that you're only going to get better at it by doing it as much as possible.

Pointer #2
Read... read, read and then read some more. Go online and download copies of scripts. See what other people are writing. See how scripts are formatted. See how they look on the page. See what makes one script work and another one not. Look at scripts for movies you like, see how the script compares to the movie... how some things seem better, some worse, some different. Try to get an idea of how many scripts are out there and how many scripts people have to read in a day and what it will take to make yours stand out. Read books about scriptwriting. 'm not a big fan of this idea... but you're asking to enter a world of pain so it might as well hurt. The old adage... people that can - do. People who can't - teach... or in the case of the movie business, write books telling other people how to do it. As with all things - there's a modicum of truth in there and there are actually some people out there who have a little insight... so why not try to get in on the deal and see what they have to say - again... the internet is a world full of the names and prices of such books... your homework is to go look some up.
and an extra pointer... how's that for value for money..!

Pointer #3
Be your own harshest critic. Don't send out stuff if you're not happy with it. If you can see the holes in it, then be sure that other, more experienced/jaded/well-read people will. You'll get a lot of negative feedback if you do this for any length of time. That's a good thing - so long as you use it to your advantage. There'll always be a longer line of people telling you 'no' than there will be telling you 'yes' - that's just the way it is.
As I said earlier... take their criticism onboard, think about it a lot. If you feel they have a point then try to use that point to your advantage by making this or your next script better... or if you feel their criticism is unjustified... then ignore it and move on.

The trouble is, I feel as if I’m in a dark forest, carefully trying to feel the correct path with my hands and feet. I’d love to be able to just write, write, write, but how do you get over the feeling that you’re in a jeep, without headlights, hurtling forward at pace in the wrong direction and more than likely, into a tree?…….

hmmm.... driving blind thru the forest.... isn't that a bit like the way life feels... not just writing?
As for choosing the right path... the thing with this business is... there isn't a right path until you get to the end of it - because it's all about destination... the travel part is sort of irrelevant. So it doesn't matter how you gt in or how you get your script made... the important thing is getting to the point where it happens... so if you choose a path that doesn't work - then it was the wrong path... if it ends in you getting a script produced, then however convoluted or crazy the path was - it was the right one.
Probably doesn't help or make much sense - but then that's the film industry. Making movies doesn't follow and of the known laws of time/space or physics - that's why you can't teach making movies to people. It's one of those jobs, a bit like writing - that you can only learn by doing.
So - trust your own instincts.
Sounds a bit trite and cliched... but it's true. So long as you keep one thought always in mind. Be honest with yourself. Write what you feel is a story that deserves to be written. Passion and belief are often the biggest reasons something goes from a crazy idea on paper to a finished movie. It's only the passion and belief of the writer/director/producer that will continue to push forward against the seas of competition and rejection... sometimes it's all you'll have going for you. Write a movie that you yourself would happily pay money to go sit in a movie theater and watch - then ask yourself what kind of movie that would be - what would you like to see happen, what kind of characters would you be happy to follow a journey with. But be honest with yourself. Look at your script and continually ask... is this good enough? Does this work as a compelling story?
The two questions I find are the best to ask yourself on every page of the script are these.

Why would someone want to watch this?
and
Why would someone want to play this part?

Sounds weird huh? Well think about it.
You might have a scene that takes place at night in a diner where a waitress pours coffee for your lead character.
Now try and film that... it's 3am... in the middle of bumfuck nowhere... the budget of the movie is thirty cents... you're struggling for everything... why would an actress want to get out of bed, earn no money and come to the middle of nowhere to pour a cup of coffee and smile at the camera? She probably wouldn't.
So put yourself in the place of that actor or actress. Ask yourself what is it about this character or this role (and do it right down to the person in each scene who has one line or no lines) and ask yourself 'if I was them... would I want to play this part?' - what does it do for my career? what do I get out of it? They're all valid questions and trust me, the actors will be asking themselves that when they read the script.

True, everyone needs their first job... but do you really want your script performed by newbies looking for their first gig? No you don't. You want one of those great movies where every part no matter how seemingly insignificant, is played by a recognizable star or character actor... but to do that you have to write something that they feel compelled to want to do. Actors love acting, it's why they do it - so if you're not writing roles that they want to play then something needs to change.

Same with the audience. You've seen a million films, so have I. ask yourself what it is that your story has that's going to get Janet and John Public to shell out their hard earned to go watch your masterpiece...
If you can go through your script and answer both of those questions satisfactorily to yourself on every page then you have a winning script - and if you have a great script... someone somewhere will want to make it.
Trust me no one is going to read a great script and pass on it.
The problem is... there's very few good scripts out there - let alone great ones.
Which should be a source of comfort for you.

Out of all those people earning millions of dollars and gaining awards and prizes and all those people trucking along making a sort of living and all those wannabe types trying their hardest to get a foot in the door or a few scraps from the table - the majority of the scripts out there are poor. So if you write a good or great script - then you're already ahead of the game.

I’ve got about five other ideas, is it wise to alternate between them all making a little progress on each script at a time or is best to focus energy on one at the time?…..

In terms of jumping around between ideas... that's cool to keep things moving and interesting... but never lose sight of the fact that a half-written or incomplete script is a script that no one is going to read.
So having five ideas is great... but having five partially written scripts - isn't.



I know... I know... you're asking yourself the same question I am... "why does anyone bother asking me anything?"



Anyways... that'll do for now. Welcome to 2008 - let's hope it's a good one.