Debunking Hollywood Myths for Uncredited Screenwriters - Part 1

The light switch is either on or off. A woman is either pregnant or not pregnant. In Hollywood, you are either a credited screenwriter or you aren’t. For the uncredited screenwriter, this distinction is critically important to understand. Unfortunately Hollywood itself too often clouds this distinction. As a result, many myths have developed in and around the entertainment industry that have substantially diminished the aspiring screenwriter’s chances at attaining that first screenplay sale.

Let’s start by examining the word, MYTH: a traditional story accepted as history that serves to explain the world view of a people. In this case, the “people” are uncredited screenwriters. Such aspiring writers toil for many years, spending thousands of dollars and thousands of hours in pursuit of their first screenplay sale. Yet, tragically, 99% of writers NEVER sell a screenplay. Why do so many fail? In this new series of posts, I will examine some of the most common myths faced by uncredited screenwriters for the answers. Today, I'll tackle two of the big ones!

Myth: “It took years to sell screenplays like ‘Forrest Gump.’ It’s only a matter of time before my screenplay sells if enough people see it.”

This myth rationalizes failure and causes many writers to never have a chance at a Hollywood career. True, it can, indeed, take years for professional writers to sell a particular project. But writers must challenge any belief that affects their career progress. Although each human being is born with certain innate talents, no one is born a naturally gifted screenwriter. Every A-list screenwriter in Hollywood will testify to this fact. Eric Roth, the incredibly talented writer of “Forrest Gump,” managed to get paid for at least eleven projects before “Forrest Gump” was released. That is a great deal of evidence that Mr. Roth had talent.. Trust me, if Tom Hanks and Robert Zemeckis are considering your screenplay, then you have tremendous talent. If NO ONE has ever paid you for your writing, then you shouldn’t assume your material is automatically worthy of consideration by major Hollywood literary agents, managers, and producers. Unfortunately, every day, writers send out material before it’s ready and forever burn bridges with their contacts based on this myth.

Myth: “Plenty of aspiring screenwriters sell their first screenplay to major Hollywood players. I can do it, too.”

I understand how many new to Hollywood get tripped up on this myth. The industry trades are notorious for perpetuating such a perception. But, this one is pretty easy to shoot down. Just do a Google search of everyone’s background before that first screenplay sale. What you’ll find are seasoned professionals who usually spent MANY YEARS learning about the entertainment industry from many occupational aspects before becoming screenwriters. Then, there was time spent developing their writing craft, which doesn’t just happen by sleeping with screenplays under their pillows. Very hard work is involved. Finally, when enough knowledge and dedication intersect with enough opportunity, the giant first script sale happens. But such success rarely happens “overnight.”

Yes, you can find the occasional Diablo Cody out there. Of course, it is worth mentioning that she is a brilliant (maybe one-in-a-million brilliant) writer. She also had proven to people in Hollywood who matter that she had a unique talent for storytelling. That’s why she got to write the Steven Spielberg-produced series, “The United States of Tara.” If you are that good of a writer, then every studio in town is offering you a deal. Few writers generate such heat early in their careers. I have more than a few writers tell me they want to star in their first feature script. After all, Sylvester Stallone did it in “Rocky.” But we must remember, that was 1979! I don’t see that happening much lately. True, Peter Mehlman got his first television staffing job on “Seinfeld.” But he had been a successful writer of national magazine articles for years before. Do research and test this myth. You’ll quickly reevaluate the difficulty in writers selling their first script.