Happy Friday!
One way to know that spring is here is the surge of screenwriting contests and fellowships. Moviebytes.com is a good resource for contests. A Google search will usually offer up information on fellowships and grants by companies like Disney and ABC.
Now is an amazing time to be a content creator because of all the distribution possibilities. But, still, if you don’t write something and get it out there, no one will be able to publish or produce your work.
Deciding anything improves your chances of success by at least 50%. It takes a conscious declaration to complete and market your work to accomplish the goal of getting your story into the marketplace. The decision requires confidence in your work, and this element has as much to do with success as the quality of your script.
The sad truth is what wins in the marketplace is confidence. Talent is essential, and being gifted is important, but without confidence, you will not be able to convince a prospective buyer to take a chance on your work.
You want to make sure that the screenplay, TV script, or book is as good as possible and not procrastinate. The balance between creating your best work but not procrastinating is best achieved by having a few trusted readers who will tell you the truth about your work. The rule about handling feedback is that you only make changes when three of your readers agree on a problem. You can then regard all constructive criticism you receive as mere opinions. As I discussed in my blog last week, the best way for us writers to succeed is to couch most feedback, including our negative self-talk.
One helpful tool is to follow a specific plan. My colleague, Paula Landry, and I wrote a book called, Sell Your Screenplay in 30 Days. The book gives you a structured marketing map for success to help you put your work into play.
To recap: Spring is a good time for planting, so do whatever it takes to finish up what you’re working on and get it out in the marketplace!
On a personal note, I have finally completed my book, The Naked Tango! Today! Hoo-ah! On Monday, it’s off to the big agent! Wish me luck! I give a lot of credit to my editor, Paula Landry, and being able to be in Fire Island and create my own private writer’s retreat. As you can see from the photos, this place is paradise.
Join us at the next Word of the Day Webinar to see what all the excitement’s about. Please note that the current contest is closed, and the next one begins on May 13. If you want to participate, please plan to attend the free webinars.
Here’s to your successful writing,
Professor Marilyn Horowitz
