As a screenwriter you should know that it all begins with you! That applies to your great storytelling and ultimately to your vision of success. You have to see your personal story succeeding as well.
You may wonder if you’re supposed to pursue a screenwriting career or if your writing is good enough. Or even whether you deserve to be super-successful.
It is natural for doubts like these to creep in from time to time, but the key is not to indulge them and dwell upon them.
If your writing is really good, then to have your best shot at being a successful screenwriter, you have to find a place deep within yourself that can accept that you have the ability to be great and that it’s your birthright. If you want to get a literary agent or manager and have Hollywood producers to want to make your movie, you need to believe in yourself and your work first.
One of the challenges is that you will mostly get negative feedback when you have your script reviewed or even considered for production. And yes, you surely need to nurture and develop your abilities by studying the craft of screenwriting.
When you get negative feedback, consider the value of criticism, as long as it’s feedback from a professional, but even then see if you agree with it and if it makes sense. If it does make sense, then do something about it. If it doesn’t, then consider why they might have said what they said, and then decide what you might do to get a different response next time.
Most importantly, don’t allow your self-confidence to diminish when you get negative feedback. Fully believe in yourself and do not fall apart just because you think a reader, a script analyst, or development exec judged your script too harshly.
It’s your birthright to be successful. And not just yours – all human beings are meant to be successful.
Much of the success you have comes from the belief that you are on the right track and taking action for your career in the face of that.
Get to know the workings of your mind deeply. Identify habitual negative patterns and start to interrupt them.
Do whatever it takes to be able to authentically believe in yourself and to know in your guts that success is your birthright. Don’t let anything STAY in the way of that.
If you have trouble believing in yourself and your right to success, then do meditation, get coaching, do visualization or whatever it takes to get to that point. And make sure you keep honing your craft.
You must do to be successful, and it cannot happen any other way. Success is your right, your birthright. Claim it.
