When writing professionally, there is also a question of velocity. And once opportunity presents itself, you want to have your craft dialed in, well honed and practiced in order to be able to not only show up but impress on the page at every turn. Whether you are a believer that mastery requires 10,000 hours, or put in your time without a clear hour goal in mind, the point is a simple one: The secret to writing is writing. That’s the only way to develop not only your craft and sensibility, but also your voice and process. Break them down to understand their architecture. There are a million different ways to develop your craft, but it all starts with one thing: Writing. Developing the sort of screenplay that capably takes the reader through a powerful, unique, brilliantly executed story utilizing thoughtful and carefully orchestrated story design and architecture, which leaves the reader excited, moved, eager to meet and work with the scribe behind its pages. Understanding what it takes to not only write a fantastic TV pilot, but also how to write a pilot that sets up a show. Knowing how to deliver a story in a way that is both structurally effective and emotionally resonant. And that means, well, everything: Structure. If you want to have a successful screenwriting career, you have to have a mastery of your craft. And – just as importantly – a few suggestions for how you might be able to get yourself ready for that magical moment when preparation meets opportunity. And so, drawing on my many years working with professional writers, below is what I came up with: the three things every writer has to be good at if they want to not just get that first break, land that first job, get that first meeting, or get that first seat in a writer’s room, but instead build a tangible, sustainable, long-standing (contract negotiations pending!) screenwriting career. Over the years, I’ve gotten a ton of questions that are similar… but different: What are some of the traits of successful screenwriters? What steps should I take to get repped? How do screenwriters break in?But somehow I’ve not written about the skills required to be successful at the job (in non- strike times, and only once the AMPTP and the WGA have agreed to new terms that provide writers fair pay among other things, obviously) once you have arrived in it. What are three things I should be good at if I want to be a successful working screenwriter? A couple of weeks ago, I met with a writer who wanted to know:
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