Screenwriters. Is It Time To Give Up?

Hi,

It’s Nick Jobe. Formerly Nick Job. It’s been awhile since you’ve heard from me. For years, my missives came from Page One, but my business has evolved since then.

And I’ve been busy! For two years “Nick Job’s Page One” had a waiting list, my writing clients were too many to count and some burnout ensued. After watching clients get staffed on TV shows, sign with top agents, sell pitches to studios, and find seasoned producers to move their projects forward, I figured I’d built enough of a foundation to focus on my family.

But I’m back to talk screenwriting, or, as I prefer “scriptwriting.” So let’s address the elephant:

The Sky Is Falling For Writers In Entertainment

“The business is shrinking” “The profession of scribe is dying post WGA-strike” etc.

Yes, on some level those dour headlines are right. Fewer TV shows and feature films will be purchased in 2024 and far fewer “spec” projects will be bought after the studios tend to their overall deals. The market for projects of unique cultural relevance is dryer than ever.

What then, as people of creativity, ingenuity, and (often) some credentials are you to do?

Well, if you want a career that follows the path Hollywood suggests; the meritocratic path of —> write a great screenplay —> send it to a renowned screenplay contest —> win contest —> get manager from exposure —> get staff writing meetings from manager —> slay meetings and get staffed on a show —> pay your dues long enough on a show to pitch your own project to the network —> profit, baby - then right now is a tough time.

If you’ve been relying on that series of low percentage shots to break in, or break back in, now is the time to stop.

But, if you’re like many of my clients, and you see a downturn as an opportunity, then keep reading.

Or if you’re someone who, like a great talent agent, identifies “holes in the defense,” or like a great start-up founder looks to the market “whitespace” of the future, then stay with me…

Now Is The Time For The Creator - Entrepreneur

Simply put, content is still being purchased from early-career scriptwriters. But it’s only happening for those bold creators who think differently.

We’ve always been taught to follow our artistic intuitions and success will follow. This fallacy is disingenuous, yet it continues to be pushed to creatives in acting and writing schools on both coasts as the way forward.

That philosophy misses the moment we’re in…

How about - hone your theme (s) - the piece of you that is so vulnerable and hidden and powerful you’re certain it could never be connected to a marketable story. (One only needs look to Baby Reindeer to see that visceral honesty is still being bought.)

Work with someone to craft that theme into a feature film, pilot or pitch that is undeniable from a craft standpoint, and unmistakeable from “this comes from you and only you” standpoint.

Finally, and this is the tricky part - think like a business person with a consumer product trying to break in to a chain of grocery stores.

Yes, I’m suggesting you think of your script-in-progress like a bag of chips.

Why?

Because you need to position your TV show or film in a saturated market in a way that makes sense to content buyers.

Very few scriptwriters think this way.

Why?

Because it isn’t innate to the mind of an artist. Because it’s a buzzkill. Because writers would rather wait for an industry titan to do this work for them.

No. If you want to work, and sell - the industry demands that you know where your product fits, and how it will earn money.

The Secret Writer Podcast Makes Waves

Two years ago, fellow writer and consultant, Steve Harper and I started The Secret Writer Podcast. We had so many clients wanting to know the “secret” to getting a foothold in the industry we decided to share some tips.

Twenty two episodes later we’ve interviewed Wicked writer Winnie Holzman, showrunner/show creator extraordinaire Matt Arnold, and ourselves? Yes, we interviewed ourselves!

Each week we package up guidance on what we see is working for career success and spill it on the pod. Give it a listen if you have a chance.

Limited Space for Consulting

For the first time in a loooong time, I have room for one - possibly two - new clients going into the summer and early fall.

Some side effects of working with me include: an increased (and euphoric) sense of self-belief, nausea and aversion to entertainment business doom and gloom, heartburn when being fed gatekeeper-speak that your spec idea will never get an audience in this town.

I can’t imagine I’ll have room for new clients for long, so if you’re interested in a crafting a creative product that has a place in the market, super-charging your belief system, and employing a legitimate strategy for forward movement in your scriptwriting career, drop me a line.

Until next time,

Nick