Screenwriting - The Answer to Life

My script didn't sell and his did. Life is so unfair. I have written more. This was his first screenplay. I'm a better writer. My story is much better. His dialog sucks. &%$#@ Him!

This is the type of inner dialog that gets us into trouble. We do not know why everything happens in the big picture. The peace comes when we avoid reacting to it and go on with life. Tomorrow is another day and our success may be waiting in the wings. The answer is to keep doing what we love, day in and day out. That is where the true joy is.

MDJ


As I grow to understand life less and less,I learn to love it more and more.
--Jules Renard

Screenwriting - Write We Must

It doesn't matter if we write a sentence, a paragraph, one page or more a day... The key is to write. As writers we need to develop our own course to success. At times the process may seem slow and at others fast. Each timeline is different in the creative world. Persistent writing will draw to us our goals and dreams.

MDJ

It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop.
--Confucius

Screenwritimg - In The Eyes Of Others...

Where do we rate in the eyes of the world? Our character is something we add to or take away from every day. What am I doing today to create the "me" I have always wanted to be?

MDJ

Reputation is for time; character is for eternity.
--J. B. Gough

Screenwriting - Listening

Do I really listen to what others say? Most of us speak our hearts and minds through our own form of subtext. When we take the time to really listen to others we learn so much more about who they truly are. Real listening requires us to see all others as human beings... Human beings with dreams, goals, joys and pains.

MDJ

Hear the meaning within the word.
--William Shakespeare

Screenwriting - Today's Purpose...

When we have a life mission we give meaning to our journey. When we have purpose we find excitement, joy and passion in every day. What is your purpose today?

MDJ

Nothing contributes so much to tranquilize the mind as a steady purpose--a point on which the soul may fix its intellectual eye.
--Mary Shelley

Screenwriting - A Responsible Life

Life is too short to squander our dreams. There is time each and every day to make one small move towards the life we have always dreamed. What small action will I take today?

MDJ

The whole of life is but a moment of time. It is our duty, therefore to use it, not to misuse it.
--Plutarch

Screenwriting - Creative Egg In One Basket...

We may have created a life centered around only screenwriting. In doing this we may be missing other writing opportunities. We honor our creativity when we let it flourish in other areas of our lives. This will also strengthen our writing by expanding our life experience.

MDJ


People with many interests live, not only longest, but happiest.
--George Matthew Allen

Screenwriting - Planting Our Feet In Today

There is nothing wrong with taking a look at the past nor glancing to the future. It is only a problem if we live in either of those places. Today is all that we have. Take this day, this moment and make the most of it. Fill each and every day with love, dreams and passion.

MDJ

I never think of the future - it comes soon enough.
--Albert Einstein

Screenwriting - Enough is enough...

There are those days when we creative people have just had it. We may be thinking: I will never make it. I am sick of dealing with difficult agents, producers, directors and the like. I am sick of selling out for less than I am worth. I just want to quit. It's during these difficult days that we need to let the thoughts come and let them go... Nurturing our body and soul for the day is a great idea and always remembering tomorrow is another day.

MDJ

There is no failure except in no longer trying.
--Elbert Hubbard

Screenwriting - My Favorite Character

What character that you have created is your absolute favorite? We create many throughout our writing careers. Our characters can teach us and help us in our own lives. They can help us to be more outgoing, more loving, more giving, more accepting. They are the multidimensional role models that we have created for others as well as ourselves. It is amazing how we inspire ourselves through writing great characters.

MDJ

The way to gain a good reputation, is to endeavor to be what you desire to appear.
-- Socrates

Screenwriting - What's Your Fuel?

We all have something that motivates us to go for our dreams. Today is a good day to examine the fuel that drives our dreams. When we are in touch with this our passion remains strong even during the challenging times.

MDJ

Without inspiration the best powers of the mind remain dormant. There is a fuel in us which needs to be ignited with sparks.
--Johann Gottfried Von Herder

Screenwriting - Contracts

Some contracts are only a page while others seem novel length. What is the contract you have made with yourself regarding your writing dreams? If you don't have one, today might be a good day to create one. If you do have one, how often do you break the commitment you have made to your dreams? The gift of the imagination we have all been given comes with a requirement that we use it.

MDJ

Commitment leads to action. Action brings your dream closer.
--Marcia Wieder

Screenwriting - Making the Most of Today

We have 24 hours ahead of us. How will we divide up the time? We are so blessed as creative individuals. We get to choose how we will spend our day. Some of my favorites during the perfect day... Dream. Create. Love. Write. Regenerate. Contemplate. Exercise. Give. What are yours?

MDJ

The future depends on what we do in the present.
--Mahatma Gandhi

Screenwriting - How We Look At Things

How do you define failure? The way we look at it gives us insight into our objectivity. Some writers see rejection is failure. Others see it as one step closer to success. The choice is ours. -- The truth of the matter is that the objective mind attracts success.

MDJ


Go back a little to leap further.
--John Clarke

Screenwriting - What's Holdng Me Back?

It's easy to blame others or circumstances for our setbacks. The truth is that we are in charge of our own lives. When we grasp that fact to the core of our being our lives will begin to change for the better. A question to ask ourselves as creative people... Am I in charge of my life and career?

MDJ

The best way to make your dreams come true is to wake up.
--Paul Valery

Screenwriting - Life Imitates Writing

We create worlds in our imagination and transfer them to paper. The interesting thing is that much of what we create may be real. Our writing is a dress rehearsal for life. Challenges in our writing overcome offer hope to our real lives and those for whom we write... the world.

MDJ

The best way out is always through.
--Robert Frost

Screenwriting - Willingness

If we are only willing to do the work much will come our way. Writing is the work we must do. One letter, one word, one page, one screenplay at a time. If we are patient, persistent and professional the rest will take care of itself.

MDJ



The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather in a lack of will.
--Vincent J. Lombardi

Screenwriting - Measuring Success

Each and every day we have the opportunity to better ourselves and how we choose to do that is up to us. How do we measure success in our work as creative people? This is a great question to reflect upon. Our answer may give us insight into how well we treat ourselves.

MDJ

Success is best measured by how far you've come with the talents you've been given.
--Anonymous

Screenwriting - Enjoying The Process

When we are able to enjoy the creative process on the deepest of levels our projects benefit. If we struggle to get through the writing process our work suffers. We need to find ways to bring joy into every part of our creative journey. Our level of passion for what we do is a good place to check in...

MDJ

It is fun to do the impossible.
--Walt Disney

Screenwriting - Fear & Success

What is that one thing that I fear the most? If we are willing to confront our fears we grow. The movie characters that we create do this very thing. Are we too busy creating the character we want to be in life?

MDJ

The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek.
--Joseph Campbell

Screenwriting - How To Succeed In The Entertainment World

Deep within each of us the answer to this question sits. The key is that we must pursue our life journey to find it. Some find it quickly. Others take longer. The key is to never give up and to maintain a positive attitude.

MDJ

A man can succeed at almost anything for which he has unlimited enthusiasm.
--Charles Schwab

Screenwriting - Dreamwork

We may dream of seeing ourselves on stage at the Academy Awards receiving the Oscar for Best Screenplay... Maybe we dream of receiving a seven figure salary for one of our great movie ideas.... Maybe we want to direct the film of that great movie idea. These are all lofty dreams and well within reach. Individuals have achieved these very goals. The one thing they all had in common is that they worked for them. We keep our dreams alive by doing the work.

MDJ


No dream comes true until you wake up and go to work.
--Anonymous

Screenwriting - Touching Others

How many people do I need to touch with my writing? When we work from our heart and a place of passion then we only need to touch one person at a time with our creativity. The universe takes care of the rest.

MDJ

You may only be someone in the world, but to someone else, you may be the world.
--Unknown

Screenwriting - Fate vs Hard Work

We as humans search and refine our belief system during our life journey. -- The entertainment world is a challenging one. Maybe something that got us into this business (our imagination) holds the key to our success. It may be fate that determines our level of success or it may be something else...

MDJ

If the wind will not serve, take to the oars... Destitutus ventis, remos adhibe.
--Latin Proverb

Screenwriting - Changing Life Course

It is easy to maintain current life patterns. They are familiar to us. The risk is in doing something different for the betterment of our lives. Today we can examine some of those sensitive areas so that we may get back on our true life course.

MDJ

You will never leave where you are, until you decide where you'd rather be.
--Dexter Yager