How do you find YOUR way into Hollywood?
I want to share an analogy I heard but didn’t realize how real it was until further along in my writing journey:
There is a castle that has many doors, but if one peasant finds a door and makes their way in, the King orders that door to be closed and cemented off, never to be used again. So the next peasant has to find another door and that cycle continues.
There are many ways to break in, but you have to find YOUR way in. You wouldn’t be able to do it the way I’m doing it and I wasn’t able to do it the way the writers I look up to have done it.
Okay, so what are SOME ways that might end up being YOUR way?
· Make stuff. Make short films. Do a 48 hour film fest. Make your own tiny budget movies.
· Write. Write shorts. Write MULTIPLE features. Write novels. Write comic books. Write commercials for local businesses.
· Get your work out there. Self-publish. Get work in anthologies. Post your work online. Have a social media presence and don’t be shy about it. People love hearing about others who chase their dreams.
· Enter contests. Enter fellowships. Enter film fests. Upload your script to script-hosting sites.
· Meet people. Go to film festivals or screenwriting events. Set up lunches / coffees with local filmmakers. Email or DM those you look up to. Don’t ask for favors, but see what you can offer of value.
· Explore other interests. Be a well-rounded human being. Experience life. Have interesting stories. Be the person who everyone wants to work with.
I know you might look at this list and think it’s exhausting, especially for my fellow introverts. And it is. Especially when you consider just how long all this stuff takes. But if it were easy, I wouldn’t have to be writing this post. My advice would be to try every door you can and try them multiple times. You never know… that door you’re most afraid to try just might be the one that opens.
What if you could write multiple screenplays every year and have a clear path to getting those screenplays sold?
ScriptBlast Members is an online productivity and accountability community to help you finish more scripts faster, upgrade your network, and turn your hobby into a career.
As a member, you’ll get:
- Weekly Video Lessons
- Access to a Resource Library
- Monthly Group-Coaching Calls
- A Curated Community of like-minded writers
- And more!
Click here to try it free for a week!
