Your first time
On a panel discussion with Shauna Cross and Lawrence Kasdan (!) today, I made a point about first screenplays:
Your first script is like the first time you have sex. Yes, it’s exciting. You did it! High five!
But that’s not the best sex you’re ever going to have. In fact, it would be sad if it were.
In all likelihood, your first time was rushed and awkward, with some great moments but a lot of room for improvement. And the odds that your first experience will blossom into something life-defining are slim. So take it for what it is: a beginning. You will get better at it.
A mistake way too many screenwriters make is assuming that the first thing they write is The One. The One that will get them noticed. The One that will sell. The One that will transform their lives.
The fact is, there is no One. I can’t tell you what mine would be. The one that got me an agent? The one that got made? The one that Spielberg liked? Those are all different scripts, written years apart. I went from sleeping on the floor of my apartment to owning a house, but none of them changed my life in the way people would expect. Mostly, I just got a lot busier. It was less about the script, and more about the work.
Screenwriting is a career of continuous effort marked by occasional highlights, not unlike trial law or professional football: a single case or game might be notable, but it’s what you do on a daily basis that determines your overall success.1 And, like trial law and professional football, you may discover that you’re just not cut out for it. But you need to approach screenwriting with the same perspective as a lawyer or linebacker. Expect it to be very hard work, with long hours and continuous setbacks.
And in that aspect, the screenwriting/sex comparison fails, because if your lovemaking is hard work with continuous setbacks, you’re probably doing it wrong.
- Even looking through credits on IMDb is misleading, because the movies that get made are a small percentage of what a screenwriter actually produces. I’ve written 27 screenplays, eight of which are movies with my name on them. And only three of them predate my first produced film, Go. ↩
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October 17th, 2008 at 6:46 pm
I’m about to finish my first script, and this is how I feel. Although I think it’s simply the best thing ever put to paper ahem, I know it’s not the Golden Ticket to Hollywood. That would be silly.
But would should one expect from a good first script? Assuming it’s tight, spelled correctly and an enjoyable read. Experience gained? A newfound sense of pride? An agent?
October 17th, 2008 at 7:08 pm
I’m guessing Go is the one that got made, but which one got you an agent? And which one did Spielberg like?
October 17th, 2008 at 8:58 pm
You went from sleeping on the floor of your apartment to owning a house… and presumably a bed? Because that’s really what’s holding you up if you’re on the floor in your own apartment.
October 17th, 2008 at 9:14 pm
Good Point — but now I’d like to hear more about those 27 screenplays. ;)
October 17th, 2008 at 9:59 pm
@James:
Your first script should be the best thing you can possibly write, as should your second through 19th. (Phone in #20.) At every step, expect mixed reactions, but be prepared to charge ahead if enough of the right people seem to really dig it.
@APA:
Here and Now; Go; Big Fish.
@Emily:
I bought a bed from my friend Andre after getting hired for How to Eat Fried Worms. I was still in an apartment for another three years.
@Sarah:
Some of them are listed here:
http://johnaugust.com/archives/2004/the-dead-file
The others I’m including the 27 include rewrites substantial enough that, while I didn’t seek or deserve credit, I was The Writer Of Multiple Drafts. So in that I would include Minority Report, Scooby-Doo and The Eye (yes, the remake), but not say, The Rundown, which consisted of very minor changes.
October 17th, 2008 at 10:59 pm
A few weeks ago I lent a copy of my first screenplay to a writing prof and a ‘qualified’ student of his. The prof couldn’t stop gushing and the student refused to finish it, so at least I’m not on the fence!
Then I remembered that I live on Vancouver Island, that I wrote an action film set in Vancouver of all places, and that according to the (few) people I’ve talked to there are 2 maybe 3 agents in Vancouver who actually buy scripts and could tell me what I’m doing right and doing wrong.
I want to try selling it when I’m ‘done,’ if only to get a qualified “you suck,” but the gnawing doubt in my stomach says that my island-dwelling Canadiaeness makes it a waste of time and money.
Is it really as simple as packing it into a few dozen yellow envelopes and hoping to hear back? Or is it nuts to expect results without a road trip and a pitch board?
October 17th, 2008 at 11:05 pm
I guess the question I was trying to ask there was: How do I pursue a screenwriting career from an island?
October 18th, 2008 at 6:22 am
John,
I was wondering have you ever been rewritten by another writer on a project of yours and if so what was that like?
You’re a highly sought-after rewrite guy, so I am sure you have opinions of the positives and negatives of this practice? It seems so common these days that it’s a miracle to get a script through production without other cooks adding to the broth.
Cheers!
October 18th, 2008 at 7:30 am
Absolutely true… I think that’s my ONE mistake cries
October 18th, 2008 at 7:53 am
Also, if your first screenplay isn’t very good, you’ve got to do a better job breaking the spine of the next one, but that’s not as true for having sex.
Sorry, I couldn’t resist.
October 18th, 2008 at 10:56 pm
I’m still figuring out this whole screenwriting thing, but you’re absolutely right about clinging to that first writing project like it’s the Grail. In grad school, I knew a lot of fiction writers (and a few instructors) who kept talking about “my novel” (notice the singular). They grew mired in that first project, rewriting endlessly, and when it doesn’t click in New York or LA, they think that changing the prologue or writing draft 32 might just be the trick.
Of course there are always exceptions and people do hit the occasional home run on their first outing, but by and large, like that magical night in the back of the Oldsmobile, sometimes that first project should just be a pleasant memory that you keep in a drawer and don’t mention to anyone.
October 19th, 2008 at 2:30 am
I came close to giving my first script away for nothing, for no good reason other than because it was my first and all the screenwriting books seemed to say first scripts were just practice runs. I think one even said ‘you should put your first five scripts in a drawer’ and only show your sixth to someone. Something made me change my mind and hang on to it, and I’m glad I did. I sold my first and only first script to a major production company. It’s now in development and should go into production next year.
I’m guessing my experience is somewhat exceptional, but my advice is don’t just dismiss your early work because it’s your early work.
October 19th, 2008 at 7:17 am
@The Young Man:
Yes, you obviously have a small sample size. If you’re serious about pursuing screenwriting as a profession, you’ll ultimately need to leave Vancouver Island.
@Kevin Lehane:
I’ve absolutely been rewritten. The second Charlie’s Angels is the most obvious and painful of those, but there have been several other projects in which I was rewritten but the movie still never got made.
@Dave and @Another John:
You’re telling flip sides of the same story. Another John, good luck. And I hope you’re on your third script by now.
October 19th, 2008 at 10:30 am
I never expected my first script to sell, but is it too much to ask that the 18th script you write be THE ONE?
October 19th, 2008 at 11:16 am
Every time I write a script, people react very positively. My reason for giving that some validity is because I’m normally so hard on myself that when something is able to penetrate my self-criticism field, I give it some weight. And by “people” I don’t mean people where I live (which is not Los Angeles), but people in The Business, some of whom I’ve known for years and been buoyed by their continued encouragement. They give me referrals to agents and producers and when I’m in town I have nice meetings in incredibly spacious studio offices and drink Diet Coke from little bottles.
I write about two scripts a year. I’ve gone through a couple of agents. I have had many friends for years, all of whom (that I can think of offhand) are between relatively and extremely successful. At least a few of them really aren’t that good (or, to be more fair, the resultant work isn’t).
As for my first script, I wrote mine twenty years ago. I’ve never sold a thing. I’ve made several films on my own dime, played at many film festivals and other public screenings, and always have a wonderful audience reaction. I am one of those who, true to cliche, could die of encouragement.
There is certainly no guarantee that hard work and talent will pay off. Certainly not on your first or eighth or twentieth script or film.
If it does, great. Take full advantage of it, for as long as that initial burst lasts: work begets work, at least to some degree in this business.
But until then, at least the floor’s good for your back.
October 19th, 2008 at 12:45 pm
Thanks for coming to the AFF! It was great to meet you at the BBQ– thanks for answering my structure question about Go and Sundance.
October 19th, 2008 at 5:12 pm
Thanks for listening to my pitch (Hangman) and for your suggestions! I hope to have something new to pitch to you next year.
I was just about to go rent The Nines. Do you have a visual signature that I should look for?
Thanks,
October 19th, 2008 at 9:27 pm
Once started a screenplay as a project when I graduated senior year. TO WRITE A SCREENPLAY. . . there is a lot to place and to plot. It should be said that the plot and the story should Never be hidden in the story (my mistake 1) or the scenes will go on and on and will not seem to go anywhere. I learned this one from a blog site. . . draw the reading not the camera (the typing tells a lot of the “Cam”; there is mistake 2). The reader or movie company rep should read it and see in their head the thing the writer is trying to convey. If the person is “frustrated” for example, the person can’t be “at the desk and stared at the wall.” There is so much to the writing of a screenplay. . . maybe no one has mastered it. Writer and wannabe filmmaker. People should try out unknownscreenwriter.com as it is full of info (people offended by language watch out_). God loves ya. John 3:16
October 19th, 2008 at 9:32 pm
A wondering thought: Is indie (independent) the way to go John? Is it a good idea or full of “I have to come up with the funds as I work at the movie rental place.” ?
October 19th, 2008 at 9:38 pm
Two films up and for recommendation: There is one film that is hard to find and I have only seen it on television. It is called “The Cross and the Switchblade.” There is one also that I feel is the next-generation of that and I bought it and it is called “The Second Chance.” Both films are good. : Keep your eyes open
October 20th, 2008 at 2:51 am
I still high-five my partner after sex*
*may contain traces of lies (she’s normally fast asleep**)
** I’m shutting up now.
October 20th, 2008 at 7:36 am
This all is true about the first script… unless you’re Troy Duffy in which case I hope you enjoyed your fifteen minutes.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troy_Duffy
October 20th, 2008 at 7:39 am
Nobody has any patience anymore – especially when it comes to getting crazy famous.
That’s why we all think our first screenplay is The One. We want to be crazy famous FAST because time is ticking and we’ll only be young enough to get into The Ivy for so long…
Really, it’s all about meeting Lindsay Lohan.
October 20th, 2008 at 7:43 am
Thanks for the info – I am in the process of writing my first spec script to enter into the AFF for next year… and you advice helps a ton. I have found your blog very educational and a little daunting at the same time. The more I find out about the hardships and putting in a lot time, the more I am intimidated by it. I am sure there are people out there that feel the same way – but what did you do when you got discouraged? Did you ever feel like giving up or was it too much of a passion for you to not give up?
And… I wanted to write a True Blood spec , but it is based off of a book series, should my spec be based of the book as well or should I go with an original plot line?
October 20th, 2008 at 7:57 am
Here’s my thing. I just finished a script on Labor Day that I’ve been working on for two years. I still have no clue how to tell a story and I’ve been working on it off and on in between working 45-60+ hours a week as a merchandiser for everyone from Pepsi to HP to even Disney (right company… wrong career). My story kind of exploded and made no sense to any of the readers that read it. One guy said he loved the title – How To Conquer Planet Earth (In Three Easy Steps) – but thought I needed to start all over from the beginning and an older guy in his 70s told me he thought I needed a bit of a polish and it was ready for market. Another thing is I’ve had more people tell me it needs a lot of work than people with positive comments.
My goal is not to get rich doing this. I want a new career because there’s no room for advancement stocking soda or merchandising DVDs. I work more now than I ever have in the past and I get nothing but a measly paycheck at the end of every week. :( I don’t want to famous or rich (although a yearly income of more than $35,000 would be nice). Honestly, in a way, I don’t even care of my script ever gets greenlit. I know that’s sad but if that ever happened, I’d be tickled to death. I know it’ll never happen but I can hope and dream. Okay, I’m done talking now. Sorry this was so long. I had a lot to say. :)
October 20th, 2008 at 8:49 am
I wanted to thank you for the feedback and comments you gave me on my pitch at AFF for the student pitches(Mine was Toys). Your comments really helped a lot, thank you very much.
October 20th, 2008 at 9:05 am
Heh. This applies to general fiction writing too, which is my focus. But the other aspect in which the comparison fails is that unlike your first time having sex, you can re-work your first script (or story or novel) over and over until it’s good.
Sigh. And now back to that continuous effort…
October 20th, 2008 at 2:13 pm
You know, John, you should have put up a warning before this post. Something like, ONLY read this post IF you’ve finished your first screenplay already.
Otherwise, it’s a bit of cold water on the fire, no?
Part of the fun of writing and working on your first screenplay is the belief that your script is God’s answer to Hollywood. That, as a writer, you are the tits.
But, as someone who loves humor, I like watching people get hosed with cold water.
Love,
Me
October 21st, 2008 at 12:35 pm
Hi John, this is my first time commenting, I think. It was nice meeting you at the festival, although it was only for a moment (most of it was spent on the opposite side of the table at the luncheon, yeah that’s me, hi!) This is some slam dunk advice for me since I’m a director first and writer second. When I do pop out a script it’s because I have a personal story to tell. AFF being so writer-centric made me all excited and motivated to write more, but I still lack a lot of self-confidence about my scripts. I wrote my first feature recently and I hoped Austin’s panels and such would help me decide on whether to pursue it or let it lie and move to the next… I missed your panel regretfully but this post does me some good.