My 2024 mid-year review of writing goals is now my year-end review. Thus far, I’ve failed rather miserably with progress on my third novel. I’m stuck in a quagmire of how to tell a story that progresses 60 years in the future. So, I’ll say nothing further on that one for now and focus on screenwriting, the flip side of my writing endeavors.
On January 6, 2022, I jotted down notes from a webinar, “Three Keys to Your Success in 2022” hosted by Script Magazine. Who knew there’d be a writers’ and directors’ strike a year later? I’m not making excuses for little to no headway on my projects in the works. But when an industry comes close to a screeching halt, I can plan all I want, but it won’t move the needle toward aspirations in the movie industry.
So, here close to year-end 2024, I’m revisiting and reapplying the advice from 2022 for the coming year. I hope it inspires or motivates writers in some way. Yes, we’re in November, and pumpkin everything, even pumpkin spice Twinkies, permeates our senses culminating in pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving! Social media friends count the days to Christmas. But there’s still time to reexamine your year-end goals and make it a kind of creative fiscal year that started July 1, 2024 and ends June 30, 2025 which gives you at least something to accomplish now and a few goals moving forward! I remind myself that “time waits for no one” which originated with “time and tide wait for none” in Geoffrey Chaucer’s Prologue to the Clerk’s Tale circa 1395. Yet I always struggle with spending precious time wisely!
KEY ONE: SELECT A SCRIPT TO SELL and ONE TO WRITE. Note: I selected a script to sell in 2022. Surprisingly, the one I chose looks promising with the production of a short film version in December with high hopes of a feature-length project forthcoming. Funding is secured for the short film, but more money is needed for production and post-production. Regarding the scriptwriting, I’d made the goal in 2022 of focusing on a screenplay version of my first published novel, Unearthing Christmas. Now, I need to rethink my scriptwriting goal for 2025.
KEY TWO: SETTLE ON THREE IDEAS and briefly describe each idea—beginning, middle, and end—in short paragraphs. Note: I’ve never tried this tactic for settling on a script. It’s usually just one idea that motivates me to create!
KEY THREE: EVALUATE EACH IDEA on three criteria:
- Commercial potential and how engaging is the story concept.
- Is core story viable as a feature?
- Which idea is the one you have the most passion to write.
At this time, the thought of writing yet another spec script seems daunting. The chances of successfully selling a spec script are like playing the lottery, or close to it! A posting on social media platform reddit mentions that “0.3% of scripts pitched every year actually get produced.” And those are the ones that actually get read and reviewed! But writers need to write and not worry about what will happen beyond finishing a project. If I focused on a deal, I wouldn’t write, whether a novel, short story, screenplay, or stage play. The key is to write something I have a passion to spend my time and energy on. As I’ve stated many times, unless you’re writing diary entries, you need an audience or readership. We want others to know and hopefully enjoy what we’ve crafted after several drafts, disappointing days, near defeats, and, at times, giving up. I know that’s my challenge. I battle inclinations toward procrastination and perfectionism, a deadly combo for attaining any goal.
The webinar’s three keys to success are minimal but hold the right message: Write! Market! Keep going! If you’re ready to tackle a new screenwriting project without a deal, consider the advice of creating three ideas and choosing one that sparks your imagination the most. It’s worth a shot. Also, market the one you believe is ready for serving as your calling card in the industry. It’s never too late or early to pursue your goals. But have a plan! Happy writing for the remainder of 2024 and wishing you further success with your writing endeavors in 2025!