I often hear writers complain about how unfair screenwriting is. I myself have felt this way many times. We’re told many different things on how to write a script, completely contradictory advice. One blog says one thing, another podcast says don’t do that. We go to a famous screenwriting conference and the panelist tells an amazing story about how their script got sold, and then we go to the next panel and they advise the crowd to ignore the very approach.
The Entertainment Industry is Not Fair
The writing of the screenplay doesn’t make sense if you add up all the things we are told and told to buy. And when we finally write a script people like, we can’t seem to get a straight answer on where it’s supposed to go. You wait months for people to read it. People make promises and then vanish. We sign agreements and watch nothing happen. Again, we find people do and say things that don’t add up.
And at the end of the day, after finally writing something beautiful and seeing the script stay in our computer, we go to the movie theater or fire up Netflix and we watch a story that is completely unengaging for a couple dozen reasons.
How did this show get produced? Why? Because someone went to the same school as their friend? The actor of the moment said yes?
It’s like a comic book. Maybe it’s not. It’s not diverse. Yes, it is. It’s horror. It’s the new horror. It’s the old horror. It’s not real horror.
Can they all be the reasons something was produced and my script was not?
Writers Complain About Writing
It doesn’t seem fair that the process of writing doesn’t seem fair, the industry doesn’t seem fair, and it definitely is completely unfair when huge budgeted movies are really boring, don’t make sense, are not funny, and generally suck.
We can definitely build this case—-screenwriting is not fair. The experience is discouraging and we can tell you why. And you can read why all over the internet.
Why do you think there are so many books and podcasts and videos and screenwriting contests and consultants and panels?
Because writers want it to be fair.
Writers want someone to make sense of it all.
They want to get on a plane and fly to a screenwriting conference in Texas and have the whole thing finally feel fair, have that one panel, that one speaker, say that one magical thing that will make it all seem fair and drive the frustration away.
Professional Writing is Not Fair
If you want to make a case for why there is no justice to the craft of writing, the business of storytelling and the current state of the entertainment industry, you can make it. You’re right. The conferences will fill up, the books will be sold, the podcasts will have another episode. There’s no bottom to this. Why?
Because it doesn’t matter and it’s not important.
Story is still ruled by one thing—-emotion.
The business is still ruled by one thing—-the heart.
The audiences still respond to one thing—-the truth.
It is the law that never ends.
Do not believe there are answers or rules or the right way. Listen to advice without desperation. The truth is you do not need any help. Go for the parties and celebrate how impossible the task of the story is. We don’t want it to be fair or easy.
Writing stories for strangers is difficult because it is not logical, or measured or reasonable. Why expect your experience to be anything but a path of beautiful twists and soul-crushing setbacks?
This is the road we hope to take our audience on, to a cathartic, wonderful end.
This is the path of writing stories for the world, beautiful and bewildering. Don’t expect peace on the job, but a deep reward of touching the lives of others.
It’s just you and what you write today.
That’s what is truly fair, and so it is.
By: Gordy Hoffman
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My story isn’t about screenwriting. It’s about play writing. When I started writing my first play I found this article that said over 70% of the plays written never make it beyond their first production. That means the people whose job it is to get plays produced are wrong over 70% of the time. This happens the article pointed out because many plays are staged because the writers have relationships with theaters or through networking with directors, producers.
Thanks, Edward!
Thank you, thank you, thank you for simply telling us the truth about what we have already suspected for a long time. I’ve been crushed so many times, yet for some odd reason, I go right back to it and start all over with a new story. I’ve tried to figure out why, but all I can come up with is I really, truly love to write. And I love what I write, along with some of my friends. Anything beyond that, I suppose, is just theory. Maybe I’ll get lucky, yet? Could happen.
Well, here it is, Pearl Harbor day, and having just read Gordy’s article on the unfairness of screenwriting, I see that he really means the industry is not fair. This, coming from a successful screenwriter! Ultimately he concludes that we screenwriters don’t really want the industry and the process of reaching fulfillment to be fair. Is that really true? Of course it is–if you are already in the winners’ circle. From that privileged POV you want the business to be unfair to the unproduced hordes! So for writers like me, still working to ascend to that POV, clearly, the subtext is: network, network, network. The business is “fair” only to the connected!
A corollary: There is a whole industry peripheral to filmmaking, and thousands of screenwriting contests, film festivals, panel discussions, lectures, pricey conferences, screenwriting courses, blogs, etc., that explain to us how to write and be successful. But rarely can these costly ventures provide the golden key. Many of those venues are populated by hopefuls like us and mentors who have given up their own hope and now cater to ours. Wringing out the elixir of truth, we learn that “fairness” comes only from years of hard work to become professional screenwriters whose work promises real production value–and networking like an unmerciful door-to-door salesman to get our work into the hands of filmmakers who want “fairness” too.
Thanks, James!
Story structure blogs are the most confusing to me. Aristolilian 3 act structure. Ok. Go check it out. Um, I don’t see any 3 act Greek plays. All one acts here. Ok, then check out Oedipus Rex. That was an Aristotle favorite. Hey where’s the part about showing the hero in his natural state before the journey starts? Where’s the inciting incident? How come saving the cat happens many years in the past? How come the hero has already begun the journey at curtain rise? How come the middle section starts at less than 10%, at line 150 of a 1550 line play?
Sophocles is never going to win any scriptwriting contest at this rate.
I would add to this but it really doesn’t matter. In the end we’re all just dreamers with as much shot at it as winning the lottery. Read, learn, write. Get one person to read your work who connects with it that’s the trophy. Hollywood is a business, art is not.
Enjoyed this. Who says life is fair? Just write.
I appreciate the feedback
It”s harsh but it does make it better and I learn. It”s frustrating though when each analysis tells you differently. It’s not about the story, its about who you know because terrible movies get made.
lol