I’m a big believer in positivity.
(I know this surprises you!)
But I think without some clear cut basics, we cannot attain our goals no matter what our goals may be.
My turn in screenwriting came during the 1988 Writer’s Strike. After struggling to get into the WGA, the strike, and lack of non-scab work, sent me back to my hometown. It was just 90 miles away from L.A. but far enough to feel like I’d been exiled to another world. I’d had mixed success in writing. My scripts were all over the place. I had “experimented” with what might now be called the YouTube route by making my own video with friends called The Blank Show.
And my writing partner at the time and I had written our brains out, churning out script after script. But our high water mark was writing — and seeing produced! — the first interactive movie ever, called Police Academy 4.5, an amazing experience where I met my buddy Phil Goldfine and Paul Maslanzky, both inspiring figures.
Otherwise I had very little to show for all my hard work.
When my father passed away that year, and the strike ended, I decided this was it. Do or die. I was very broke. But with help from another good pal, producer Tommy Lynch, who hired me to write a number of Kids Incorporated episodes, I kept body and soul together. And I had a vision!
I got a desk and an office for cheap in downtown Santa Barbara; I lived on $900 per month; and for some reason I got index cards upon one of which I wrote my goals:
“I have sold a million dollar screenplay. I have a three picture deal. I have an office on the lot.”
At the time, this was insane. I had no idea how to do these things. I think at that point, I had an agent, but because of my lack of saleability, she was just someone to touch base with occasionally.
I had another index card. Upon this I wrote: “DISCIPLINE – FOCUS – POSITIVE ENERGY”
This, it seemed to me, was a winning triumverate. But I was making this up as I went, so what did I know?
Discipline meant that I would rigourosly work hard every day and meet daily goals. Focus meant I would direct my efforts toward one goal: selling a script. And Positive Energy meant to me, that no matter what the results of my efforts or the day, what the news was, or how the pitch went, I would see only the good.
I become Mr. Glass Half Full.
Within four years I had attained all those goals. It was one day while unpacking my stuff, after moving back to L.A. and into an office on the Disney lot, that I found those cards. Amazing! I thought. How clear I had been and how clearly I had achieved each one.
This from a guy who at the time I wrote those out, had to scramble to find change in the cushions of the couch to buy a cup of gourmet coffee once a week — my big treat!
What audacity!
I think those opportunities are there for all of us. And as we look out on the landscape, the more specific we can be, the better. When we target our careers and our scripts, we see a vision that becomes the truth, so it’s important to pick well.
And dream big.
What is your discipline? What is your focus? What is your mental outlook?
Mine is posted up on my computer this morning. Brand new. Let’s see if vision will meet opportunity… again!
p.s. And speaking of opportunity, as a favor to a producer friend, I am helping him look for original screenplays that are best described as “true stories of inspiring women,” not set in any period prior to the 1950’s, that are finished scripts with no attachments. If you have anything in your quiver that meets this requirement, please contact me at my personal email: [email protected] Have a great writing day!
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I have a completely awesome untrue story of an inspiring fictional woman, if anybody’s asking!
Thanks for the inspiration, Blake. It can be tough breaking in without an agent, so last night I emailed one of the bigger producers in town and just flat out asked if he was in need of a writer (or even a reader). Worst case scenario is he says No and I’m not any worse off. But who knows, perhaps he’ll refer me to someone at his prodco to whom I can send my resume and writing sample. Passivity doesn’t work any better for writers than it does for our protagonists. Sometimes you just have to give it a shot and make things happen.
I have to say Blake, the story about the 4 index cards is quite interesting…
I don’t dare go into why, here.
I will say this, I’m writing a script. I think it’s good. It feels good.
What I’m doing is…I’m writing page by page in long hand…and trying to mentally charge myself a quarter for each word…and then I’m taping the pages to my wall. Literally wallpapering my wall with my script.
Three Long hand written pages amounts to approximately 1 typewritten page. That comes to about 270 hand written pages. Whew!
The goal is to cover half the wall of my bedroom. To saturate my mind with the story. Last thing at night…first thing in the morning.
I am a “teaching-me-myself-getting-kicked-in-the-butt-every-step-of-the-way-taught screenwriter”.
I am a woman. Fighting. Getting the crap kicked out of me, but that’s never stopped a winner that I know of.
That said, let’s see if I understand…
**p.s. And speaking of opportunity, as a favor to a producer friend, I am helping him look for original screenplays that are best described as “true stories of inspiring women,” not set in any period prior to the 1950’s, that are finished scripts with no attachments. If you have anything in your quiver that meets this requirement, please contact me at my personal email: [email protected]. Have a great writing day!**
…is your friend looking for a script ABOUT inspiring women, or is he looking for a script WRITTEN BY an inspiring woman?
I can handle either…just need to know what you want.
please.
thank you.
Loretta, I think it’s about inspiring women. :)
And writing longhand isn’t bad. A friend of mine, who’s a professor of rhetoric, gave a paper last summer, wherein she included the observation (as in, from laboratory studies) that writing long hand draws on a different part of the brain than typing does. It also impacts memory more than typing. (I’d guess because of the combination of visual and physicality.) I find a longhand first draft (which I still do for certain works) makes the writing flow differently, better.
Blake, I’m surprised, shocked! Shocked! I tell you, to find there is gamb— I mean that you believe in positivity! ;)
Discipline, focus and mental outlook?
Discipline: trying to change that, to improve it. A little time in the morning before going to work, and a bit in the evening, gets spent writing. Focus: while I’m waiting on the stages of that Big Project you know of, I’m working on a script (yes, I’m actually writing Baked Alaska), and I mean to have it done (well, first draft at least) in June. Mental outlook: I’m an incurable optimist, so I’ll go with positivity. :)
Thank you for that information Sarah. For me, the writing in longhand is meant to curb my appetite for a fat chunky script. I can feel that writer’s knot returning to my finger.
But as you say, my writing certainly flows differently, better.
I took the time to stop by your blog…I am most inspired. I had given up hope that people in this line of work actually cared…about things.
Thank you for stopping by today. It was NO accident. Especially not for me.
Blake, WOW! Everything you said makes total sense! You just provided another example of what I’ve been practicing over the last few months. Whether you know it or not – you understand the power of “The Secret” which is the law of attraction. I came across the book “The Secret” by Rhonda Byrne and it’s changed my life completely. In essence, we get what we consistently “think” about. It goes beyond just positive thinking. Please read the book or pick up the DVD of the film if you haven’t – you’ll see what I’m talking about. Thanks for sharing. We all need these examples!
Dear Blake,
You rock as usual… Just curious have you ever read “Think and Grow” by Napoleon Hill? (Terence, if you liked “The Secret” all of it is based on Napoleon Hill’s stuff)
Inspirational. Thanks Blake.
Blake,
When my grandmother who raised me died, a few months later I typed on a paper two goals, (and looking back, one was a major long shot), to get into the Playwriting program at Yale School of Drama. And for every play I wrote to get a professional production. Both incredibly have happened. Thanks for reminding me it might be time to type up a new sheet of paper.
Your pal and fan,
Martin
@ Eli:
You’re right. Think and Grow Rich” is the forefather to “The Secret” and many others. You can also check out Anthony Robbins first book “Unlimited Power.” Again, similar “formula’s” for success, but no matter which book you fancy, the main thing is that you connect with what’s being said in a way that allows you to USE it.
Write on!
Terence.
I’ve been reading TAGR at least one a year for well over twenty years. I also like to have fun with THE RETURN OF THE RAGPICKER, Og Mandino.
My Opinion. As Writers. We can make CHANGE.
But that’s just me.
Ret
Blake,
Remarkable insight, man. Did you know Jim Carrey made a phony check for $20 million and kept it in his wallet for years, knowing he’d eventually get paid that for a film?
What you’ve come up with is an insight I’ve know about for years and used (off an on) all that time. It actually works! Of course, the really hard work comes from fulfilling those goals.
Keep inspiring us, Blake.
Doug Miller
@Terence,
Thanks for the Tony Robbins tip. I would put Blake in the same category as all these success gurus since he helps us all reveal our true potentials as extraordinary screenwriters! Write back at u!
@Eli,
Absolutely, Blake is awesome and very inspirational in his own right! And I only met him once in Toronto! Let’s all keep with the theme of positivity, expectation and gratitude!
Cheers,
Terence.