Patience is a virtue, I learned this a long long time ago. I've been learning and relearning this lesson my entire life. I am not naturally gifted at anything. I can't throw a football a million yards or sing the Star Spangled Banner perfectly. I'm not model thin and I don't have the ability to memorize anything (well, except for totally useless television facts). But I have desire. I have skill. I have drive. I have stamina and yes, I even have patience. And I think that counts for something.
I've been taking meetings with a management company for a few months now. We've been working on a career strategy and preparing me for "meetings" (aka, opportunities to be in a room with people who can hire me or buy my ideas). I've learned how to tell my story and I'm working on coming up with ideas I can pitch in short and long form. I'm basically learning to sell my skills and my desire and my drive. I'm learning what it takes to succeed in Hollywood as a writer.
Tonight I had another one of those meetings. It's quite something to share a story that I completely made up and have others talk about it, give ideas, even discuss possibilities for it. It's quite something to be taken seriously as a screenwriter with potential. Tonight that happened. In a big way.
There are no jobs yet. There are no contracts or checks or even meetings yet. But once again, it's a start. It's another step, a second step. And I'm trying so hard to be patient, knowing that the more I am, the greater the reward will be. Right? Right.
So many of you have taken this journey with me. So many of you cheer me on just by reading this blog, my writing. I'm amazed at what words can do, how they can make us laugh and cry and feel. I'm amazed at what my words can do. I'm amazed by this whole experience - the good, the bad and the in between. And I'm continually amazed by the lessons I learn.
So as I approach the end of my third year here in Los Angeles, I think about where I started. A girl with one poorly written, not properly formatted, screenplay. And now look at me. I've got a portfolio of screenplays and teleplays. I've got a novel. I've got a management company who wants to work with me. They chose me. Here we go...
2 comments:
It's great that you have this company to help you learn how to market your skills. I was at an enginerd (professional development) conference a few years ago, and they had everybody in the audience practice giving an elevator speech on what they do in their jobs. Some of us have been enginerds for 10, 20, 30 years, and we still struggled with it. Marketing yourself is a challenge, and you have to walk a fine line between marketing and arrogance/over-confidence. Good luck! :)
You must have learned that P word from your Dad. I work on mine every day. Oh I have found a lot lately, Hugs and Good luck, Mom
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