The road to success can sometimes look like this -
- a long and winding road.
And what is success anyway? It seems to me, that it is a reflection of what your end game is.
My end game, as I've stated before, is to work within a functioning self sustaining Canadian film industry; an industry that gets as much play on home grown screens as the next Avengers or Seth Rogan comedy.
So, how does one go about achieving this success?
So many ways.
There is no right or wrong way, unless the wrong way is to do nothing to try and achieve your goals. I do something, every day, to inch me one bit closer to that first sale.
This last week, I took a course from Stage 32 on how to pitch your screenplay. Happily, for the introvert in me, you can do a written pitch, though it is good to be always prepared.
It was an eye opener on the one hand and somewhat familiar ground on the other.
What new things did I learn? I learned to pitch well, you must be direct, succinct and get the most information across with the least amount of words.
What else did I learn this week about myself as a writer?
I learned that I'm improving. Both Red and Curly have told me my writing has matured in the last year or so, mostly since I've been off work due to disability. Well, when your need to work outweighs your self pity and depression over not working, exacerbated by the need to write, you can only get better.
I have only taken two screenwriting courses, this pitch course and a course on actual screenwriting. I have read at least half a dozen books on the subject and read many professionally produced screenplays. Years ago, I bought expensive screenwriting software, only to find out I could do the same thing with Word and have more flexibility.
My film education has been ongoing for years; watching movies, reading film making books, watching videos, taking a course or two.
And so the years pass.
But I consider myself successful, though many might disagree.
I'm approaching my end game.
It's so close I can almost taste it.
I'm in it for the long haul.
Don't count me out until I'm dead!
Back to work.
Ciao!
PS; Alexander says hi!
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