The Joys of Screenwriting

Let’s face it. There’s not a lot of joy to it. Sure, when it’s all done and you’re sitting in the darkened theater, watching your name scroll up the screen while fondling that six figure check.

Yeah, that’s pretty cool.

I guess.

Like I would know.

But the rest of the time, it’s pretty much a solitary pursuit with damn little to show for it.

And if you try to share your tiny victories with the rest of the world?

Me: Hey Hon. Tonight I got through the meet cute, managed to save the cat before page ten and referenced my theme twice.

Spouse: Uhhh, that’s nice.

Crickets: Chirp... (beat) Chirp...

But there’s one thing that actually feels pretty good. Print out your script (don’t use the good paper, recycle) pick it up, heft it. Doesn’t it feel good? Flip through it. Look, it’s a real script. All of those words and ideas are yours. You’ve done this much. Ten pages or one hundred, it’s all good. That’s yours right there. Nobody else’s. Only you could have done it exactly like that. Enjoy it. Maybe it’ll be movie or maybe not. But you created it. Out of nothing. That’s not bad.