John August

Psych 101

The fine line between talented and bonkers

Psych 101, QandA

questionmarkMy question is kind of a personal question for me to ask and possibly for you to answer. I’ve been a writer, well you could say my entire life, because it’s more than a profession it’s an identity, isn’t it? I find that I spend a lot of time “in my head” so to speak. That is to say, I spend probably 80% of my day day dreaming and fantasizing and exploring my imagination. Something that I know could be easily misinterpreted as a mental illness but nobody’s perfect.

Do you find yourself in similar shoes? And if so, do you find that your writing in a way sort of hinders your life? How do you cope? I sometimes talk myself, well quite often I can be found talking to myself. It’s like all the characters of the story I’m currently working on just start having dialogue and I’m able to just listen and try to decide if this dialogue has the right rhythm, whether this dialogue sounds like real people talking. I’m comfortable with all this and when it comes to writing I don’t think I’m all that bad. I was just curious to see if I have something in common with a successful writer.

–Josiah

answer iconWhen it comes to writers, there’s a fine line between talented and bonkers. Yes, I talk to myself. Yes, I zone out at times, and if you were to ask me where I was, the honest answer would be, “on a bridge in Mongolia.” But I think that’s fairly normal. I don’t worry about it much.

The closest I came to the far side of sane was during my tenure on [“D.C.”](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0202724/), a television show I created for the WB in 2000. The wonder of TV, of course, was that I was writing for the same characters and the same sets week after week. But once exhaustion set in, any bit of external stimulation — a conversation with a friend, a song on the radio — went through this filter in my head to ask the Big Question: Could I use this on the show?

It’s like there were two worlds existing simultaneously, and the imaginary one was much more important. My job was to stoke its fires, and keep alive.

I got fired from the show before I could reach complete mental breakdown, but I’m sure it would have happened. The experience made me much more appreciative of normal life. Sometimes a conversation is just a conversation, and a song is just a song.

For those readers wondering if they might be Actually Crazy, rather than just artistic, I’d recommend taking an objective look at your daily life. Do you shower and go to work? Do you have meaningful conversations with friends and acquaintances? Is your living space reasonably tidy, and free of year-old newspapers? If so, keep on talking to yourself. If not, talk to a doctor or another mental health professional and get their considered opinion.

I don’t think you have to be nuts to be a good writer. Nor do I you should use writing as an excuse for not getting help when you need it.

Working, but what’s the next step?

Psych 101, QandA

I live in Los Angeles and have become a frequenter of your website.  Tonight I had an early dinner at the CPK within the Beverly Center and I thought I recognized you there.  I wanted to come over, say hello and let you know how much I appreciated your work both on screen and on this website.  However, I also wanted to respect your privacy.

I am a newly-working screenwriter.  Mostly indie stuff, a couple of writer-for-hire and low-budg re-write jobs; and I’m proud to say I just sold my first script to an indie company.  I just wanted to a) thank you for your site; and b) ask if you could give any advice for writers in my situation.  Guys who pay the bills with writing, but are not yet repped, or working on any huuuge deals.  What a realistic next step could be….

–Joe Wehinger
Los Angeles

Right now, you’re exactly where a lot of readers wish they could be: working in Hollywood. Based on what I could [glean from IMDb](http://imdb.com/name/nm1143055/), you’ve made a short that won awards, and you’re working on one or two low-budget movies. It’s a very good beginning.

There’s no one perfect next step, but over the next year I’d recommend you do the following:

1. Decide who you want to be. An indie filmmaker like [Sofia Coppola](http://imdb.com/name/nm0001068/)? A top-shelf screenwriter like [Scott Frank](http://imdb.com/name/nm0291082/)? Or a multi-media industry like [Kevin Smith](http://imdb.com/name/nm0003620/)? No, you’re not allowed to say “all of the above,” because none of these people would have gotten where they are if they had tried to be someone else. It’s fine to pick anyone as an aspirational figure, as long as it helps you focus on how you should be spending your time.

2. Make sure you’re doing your absolute best work. This sounds obvious, but when you’re on your fifth rewrite for producers you don’t respect, it’s hard to put forth 100%. Do it anyway. Trust that the universe will in some way reward you for that brilliant scene, even if the movie never gets made, and the check bounces.

3. Work on getting an agent and/or manager. No, it’s not crucial, especially if you’re trying the indie route. But regardless of your path, they can take your short and your scripts and hopefully set up meetings with more studios, producers and production companies. I don’t often recommend query letters, but in your case they might be a good idea. Basically, the letter would say that (a) you won these awards; (b) you’re working for these producers; and (c) you’re looking for an agent to represent you because you have just written such-and-such project.

4. Continue to write, obviously. Seek a golden balance between art and commerce: write the most commercial story that you care very passionately about.

And yes, that probably was me at CPK. Thank you for trusting your instincts and letting me gorge myself in peace.

I obviously enjoy talking with other writers — that’s why I set up the site, and why I speak at lots of different events and conferences. But it’s always weird when a stranger comes up to me in a non-film environment. After witnessing first-hand all the crap that actual celebrities have to deal with, I’ve come to cherish my anonymity. I’ll do publicity when it’s appropriate, but I hope to always be able to fade into the background. So, thanks for letting me.

Does lack of confidence lead to great writing?

Psych 101, QandA

In an earlier question about finding confidence as a writer, you stated: “Most good writers weren’t popular growing up.” While this is true in my case (that I wasn’t popular growing up), do you think also being an unpopular adult (which I am as well) could make a GREAT writer? Or just a whiny, self-obsessed loser who writes nothing but whiny, self-obsessed drivel (which I’m starting to suspect I do)?

–Dave
Albany, NY

Just to be clear, I don’t think childhood unpopularity is a golden ticket to success as a screenwriter. I would never give my child a bad haircut, or rub him with cat litter, just in the hope that he’ll win the Oscar when he’s 40. There are many, many unpopular children who grow up to be terrible writers. Maybe, Dave, you’re one of them.

Or maybe not. The simple fact is, one can’t judge a writer’s talent based on how many Friendsters he has. But I would posit that at least in terms of screenwriting, being extremely unpopular is a detriment. Unlike, say, a novelist, the screenwriter has to put on a clean shirt and meet with executives, humoring them when they offer insipid notes and feigning interest in their personal lives. These delicate social skills are hard to pick up if you frighten small children and annoy the elderly.

It’s this social component of screenwriting that explains why some less-talented writers (the proper term is “hacks”) seem to have undeserved success. They’re good at being screenwriters, if not particularly good at screenwriting.

My advice to you, Dave, is contrary to what I’d tell most writers. Don’t write about what you know, since that seems to be limited to whiny self-obsession. Instead, write like the kind of writer you wish you were: bold, courageous, unafraid to piss people off. Think Hemmingway, but with marketable good-looks.

In summary: Pretend you’re confident. Eventually, you will be.

Finding confidence

Psych 101, QandA

As a fledgling screenwriter/English major in college I
often feel insecure about my work. How did you get over this as a writer
and any advice for the
rest of us?

–Jeff

Alas, the flip side of Insecurity tends to be Arrogance. I highly recommend
the former over the latter.

Ideally of course, you’d find a middle ground called Confidence. Maybe you’ll
be lucky, and that will come early in your career. Until then, here are a few
pointers in no particular order of importance:

  • Remember that you’ll never please everyone with your work.
  • Seek out the opinions of people you trust and respect.
  • Don’t make changes based on opinions of those you neither trust nor respect.
  • Remember that first drafts are never perfect.
  • Strive to make every sentence as good as it can be, even if it’s just a
    character walking through a door.
  • Just because someone is more successful than you, doesn’t mean they’re
    more talented.
  • Role models are fine, but remember you’re only seeing their successes and
    not their failures.
  • Patience is a virtue, but impatience might make you work harder.
  • Most good writers weren’t popular growing up.
  • You will fail and succeed at various times for various reasons you can’t
    predict. Know this going in, and you’ll roll with it when it happens.