Many new screenwriters write as if they've never sold a screenplay, and readers can smell it like sharks in water. Timid writing, born of inexperience, will kill your chances as quickly as any grammatical or formatting error, and likely faster. Pro-level writing demands a commitment to craft far above the average screenwriter. It demands a gritty authenticity and boldness most new and emerging screenwriters have yet to develop. Well, it's time to knuckle down and buckle up, because if you don't write that way, you're doomed to fail.
Quality screenwriting is a blood sport. Timid storylines and weakly written characters don't inspire confidence, detracting from the overall tone and timbre of your screenplay. They drag down the overall impact, resulting in a lack of interest or, worst of all, outright boredom. As immortalized by those great American poets, Def Leppard, "it's better to burn out than fade away!" If you incorporate intensity and authentic boldness into your writing, you'll catapult into the rarefied air of experienced screenwriting.
As I said, screenwriting is a blood sport. The competition is fierce and the odds of success small. A screenwriter friend once told me that he believed "screenwriting is where the lottery goes to gamble." That may be true, but I never became a screenwriter to get rich. That's what the lottery's for, LOL. I do it for the love and craft of writing, to challenge myself, and to make my voice heard. If you are serious about screenwriting, you need to dig in deeply. Treat your story as if it's the antidote to a dying world. Make your writing burn with the same intensity that made you want to write in the first place. If you don't, readers will know it, and your screenplay will be doomed.
Every character, every plot twist and turn, and every page you write should be bold and unafraid. Let your passion shine through so that a reader, and if you're lucky and prepared, a moviegoer, will feel your passion. Passionate writing is interesting writing, and dull, dry writing is the kiss of death. Don't shut yourself down before you start. Write like your life depends on it. Your career just might!
Posted in 
