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This week's Answer: "Somewhere
Over The Hollywood Sign"
Hello, Getting. (I love your last name.
Are you by any chance related to Nowhere Man? And, if so, my
advice is the same as the Beatles: Don't worry. Take your
time. And... don't hurry, either.) Or did you accidentally
capitalize the "N" of "nowhere" and you're
actually referring to the fact that you're getting nowhere in the
United States? If that be the case, you simply need some gas and
a map. That is, if you have a car or some kind of vehicle to get
you where you want to go. Or you could use your God-given legs
and make your way across these here United States like Tom Hanks did
in that movie about the less-than-remarkably-brilliant-yet-remarkably
aware man who did just that. Because he wasn't really worried
all that much and knew how to take his time and not hurry, we could
refer to him as a "somewhere man."
And, I guess that's what you want to be. A
"somewhere man." Someone who is actually getting
somewhere with his screenwriting career. And you're asking if
this somewhere where you want to get necessitates traveling through
the Land of Screenwriting Seminars and The Networking Forest.
The answer is an emphatic...
no!
Well... maybe.
It all depends. What does it
depend on? I'm glad you asked. It depends on how much you
need what those seminars and networking activities are offering.
If you already know how to write a winning screenplay and don't feel
the need to improve your screenwriting skills, then you definitely
don't need any one telling you how to write a winning
screenplay. Forget them. So what if they've sold scripts
and you haven't? So what if they want to impart valuable
information gleaned from their individual experiences in the
business? Who are they to help you!? I say the heck with
all of them!! And those networking come-ons. Come
on! Who needs to meet other people in the very same business
that he or she is in.? What a ridiculous idea! It's much
better to sit at home completely isolated from anybody who could give
you advice, a helping hand, a referral, or even -- God forbid -- a
job. I say play it safe.
I was just by chance thinking of
another Beatles' song.
The Fool On The Hill.
DcH
*I just so happened to have recently
attended Chris Soth's "Million Dollar Screenwriting" seminar
(you can find his link on my links page) that I found extremely
valuable and would recommend to screenwriters, especially those who
want to "brush up their structure."
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