Sharing his screenwriting golden rules, Frank Cottrell Boyce wrote about how prolific film scribe Ben Hecht once said it would easier to get famous by riding a tricycle than by writing screenplays. Which, on first glimpse, might not sound like the most encouraging words for those who want to make a name for themselves in this profession.
But wait. Frank, who scripted 24 Hour Party People and A Cock and Bull Story, says this is a good thing. For when you are rubbing shoulders with the great and the good at film festivals, they'll be mobbed by the press having to trot out the same stories over and over while you are sunning yourself. He said: "Remember: invisibility is a superpower."
However, you might well have to be prepared to play the long game before you get a sniff of those film festivals.
Freelance screenwriter Stephen Davis says the most helpful career advice he'd received was that you should give yourself three to five years of trying to break into the industry before even thinking about doing something else. And of course, to make ends meet during this time, most aspiring writers need a second, or even third, job.
Stephen recommends having a stellar script at the ready, though, if your work brings you in contact with people who might be able to help launch your writing career. Because, if you happen to meet a producer while selling tickets at at one of those film festivals, for example, who asks you to send a script - as happened to Stephen - then they don't want to wait six months for you to finish it.
That's just a mere glimpse at the challenges and the rewards a screenwriting career has to offer. But to give you more insider advice and guidance about building a successful screenwriting career, we've assembled a panel of experts to take questions in a live Q&A. They'll be online between 4pm and 6pm on Tuesday 22 November - join us then or post your questions in advance below.
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Our panel:
Eleanor Yule is a screenwriter, director and tutor. Her screen credits include the feature film Blinded, Palin on Art and the BAFTA-nominated short A Small Deposit.
David Griffith is a feature film screenwriter, story consultant and screenwriting lecturer. Recent productions credits include screenwriter for the indie feature film Hard Core Logo II, I Shot Joe Dick and
writer/director the neo-noir feature TimeLock, which will commence festival screenings early in 2012. He also wrote A Crash Course in Screenwriting, a guide for young screenwriters.
Michelle Goode is a script reader, editor and writer. Michelle has read for the the London Screenwriters' Festival and Hollywood-based Screenplay Readers and also works with individual clients. Michelle was a finalist for the 2009 Sir Peter Ustinov Television Scriptwriting Award.
Phil Mathews is currently programme leader for BA (Hons) Scriptwriting for Film and Television at Bournemouth University. Prior to teaching at Bournemouth, Phil taught at Goldsmiths and London South Bank University.
Stephen Davis is a UK writer and graduate of the University of East Anglia and the American Film Institute in Los Angeles. He currently lives in Toronto and works for a theatre organisation while writing new spec scripts and pursuing further study in screenwriting.
William M. Akers has written feature scripts, series television and documentaries for studios, networks, and independent producers. He teaches screenwriting at Vanderbilt University, does story consulting, gives writing seminars around the world and is the author of Your Screenplay Sucks!: 100 Ways To Make It Great.
Arif Hussein is a producer, screenwriter, director and CEO of Kaos Films and founder of the British Short Screenplay Competition (BSSC). Arif is also a visiting lecturer in screenwriting as well as mentor to screenwriters and directors.
Greg Beal has administered the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science's Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting programme since 1989. Prior to joining the Academy, he taught film at Syracuse University, coordinated a variety of programmes at the American Film Institute, received a The Writers Guild of America, East fellowship, wrote several screenplays for hire, and wrote and directed several short films.
Michael Lynch spent three years working at the BBC, where he won several screenwriting competitions and worked with BBC drama. Mike left the BBC in 2005 to commence full-time teaching at Southampton Solent. He also teaches Film and TV history at the Open University.
