John August

John

Featured Friday: Before they were filmed

Weekend Read

Every Friday this summer, we’re featuring exclusive scripts in [Weekend Read](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/weekend-read/id502725173?mt=8). Some of these will be produced works, others just titles that caught the attention of readers.

Today’s collection includes:

1. The first draft of **The Spectacular Now** written by Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber. Scott writes, “First draft we ever turned in I believe. Bit different from the finished film, so hopefully interesting to the readers.”

2. The shooting script for **Erin Brockovich** by Susannah Grant, who notes that the published script in bookstores “just prints exactly what ends up on the screen, so for your purposes, this is better. It shows how much editing takes place in post.”

3. **Three Months** by Jared Frieder, recommended to us by our friends at The Black List. Franklin Leonard says, “This is a really good one. Won the Austin Film Festival contest last year and I believe Oren Uziel is attached to produce it.”

You can find these Featured Fridays scripts in Weekend Read’s For Your Consideration section. Each Friday’s scripts are available for that weekend only, and [only in the app](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/weekend-read/id502725173?mt=8).

The Scriptnotes 200-episode USB drive

News, Writer Emergency, Writer Emergency Pack

For a limited time, we’re selling USB flash drives loaded with the first 200 episodes of Scriptnotes — including all the bonus shows, the Dirty Episode, and special interviews. They’re $20 and available in the [Store](http://store.johnaugust.com/products/scriptnotes-200-episode-usb-flash-drive).

[usb drive](http://store.johnaugust.com/products/scriptnotes-200-episode-usb-flash-drive)

These custom-printed 8-gigabyte USB flash drives include:

– Every episode in mp3
– Full transcripts
– Three Page Challenge pdfs
– Boundless love and umbrage
– Our autographs printed right on the side

[usb drive back](http://store.johnaugust.com/products/scriptnotes-200-episode-usb-flash-drive)

As of Thursday at 4pm PDT, we have fewer than 50 left, so we’ll likely run out. If you’re a collector, a completionist, or survivalist planning for the post-internet future, this is your chance.

We’re shipping these from the same warehouse that handles [Writer Emergency Pack](http://writeremergency.com), so if you want to get both, you can save yourself some shipping charges.

Both are available at [store.johnaugust.com](http://store.johnaugust.com).

The road to becoming a professional artist

One Hit Kill, Psych 101, Random Advice

Noah Bradley, who illustrated several of the weapon cards for [One Hit Kill](http://onehitkillgame.com), has a great post up about his journey to becoming a [full-time professional artist](https://medium.com/@noahbradley/how-i-became-an-artist-4390c6b6656c):

> The reason I decided to become an artist has nothing to do with what would make me the most money, or what I was “talented” at, or even what I necessarily always enjoyed the most. It was simply something that, in my gut, I just knew was the right choice. Without anything better to go on, that’s what I relied on.

> From this moment, the fear began. I have spent every day since, with some variance, utterly terrified of failing. Of not being good enough. Not making enough money to support myself. Being a horrible, embarrassing failure.

> And it was this fear that propelled me to improve.

Every writer can relate.

One of the things that’s impressed me about working with Noah is his commitment to working on his own projects in addition to assignments. Particularly in the fantasy art industry, it feels like there’s an easy path to burnout. How many orcs and angels can you really be proud of?

Working screenwriters face a similar grind with endless pitches and revisions, while TV writers have to find new stories to tell with the same characters each week.

Devoting time to your own work is one key to staying sane. The work you do for yourself is almost always a better expression of your potential, because you’re not trying to meet anyone’s expectations.

This is one Noah’s personal illustrations. It’s what first got my attention:

landscape

I have no idea why this piece exists, but it compelled me to contact him. When stranger shows up offering you work, you’re doing something right.

The End of Teen Drivers

Los Angeles

Growing up in Colorado, you kept track of your 15-and-a-half birthday. That was the first day you could take the written exam to get your driver’s permit. You wanted to get it as soon as possible, because you couldn’t take your behind-the-wheel test for your license until you’d held your permit for six months.

Over the weekend, I was talking with a fifteen-year-old neighbor. She had no immediate plans to get her permit, or her license. She felt no urgency whatsoever. She just didn’t see the need.

I realized then that I’d made the classic mistake of confusing the product with the solution.

Growing up, there were obvious benefits getting my license:

1. **Independence.** I didn’t need to rely on my parents to go where I wanted, or the whims of the RTD bus schedule.
2. **Income.** I could get a job. I did freelance design work, and often needed to haul things to and from printers.
3. **Identity.** As someone who could drive a car, I wasn’t a kid. I was very nearly an adult. And as a practical matter, a driver’s license felt like legitimate proof that I was somebody in a way my school ID didn’t.
4. **Inclusion**. I wanted to hang out with my friends.
5. **Isolation.** I could get out of the house, and play my music in the car.

This young woman could easily get the same benefits without driving.

Because of Uber and Lyft, she could get anywhere she needed to go, including her job. Because very few of her friends drove, having a car wasn’t a key part of her social identity. Besides, she saw them online all the time, and her Instagram name was more important than a plastic card with a photo she couldn’t even choose and filter.

And with headphones, she had the ability isolate herself anywhere.

Will she learn to drive? Probably, someday. Unless self-driving cars become viable. Unless she keeps living in a big city. Unless the subway they’re building below her house makes it even less important.

Even if she learns to drive, it won’t be the classic trope of a teen driver and her stressed-out parent. That time has passed. If you have a scene like that in your spec script, take it out.

I wonder how soon driving a car will be like riding a horse: something you only do in certain circumstances, and only if the mood strikes you.