Why You Should Hang With More Successful Writers

If you’re trying to break into writing for television or film, chances are you’re already hanging around with some other writers. If you don’t have friends who are going after the goals you are, get some new friends.

It’s not that complicated. Join some groups, get out and meet some other writers. You can do it. You have to decide you want to do it first. Then you take the logical next steps.

If you can manage it, try to make friends with writers who are just a bit more successful than you. It’s clearly more intimidating to try to hang out with really successful writers. You know who I’m talking about. You don’t have to meet those people right away.

There’s probably someone in your screenwriting class who’s placed very high up in—let’s say—the Page screenwriting competition. That’s someone you want to get to know better. Offer to buy them coffee and find out how they did it. Be curious. Have an open mind. Be friendly.

What happens when you start hanging around with people who’ve had some success? If you’re smart, you listen to them. Ask questions. Find out where they got the idea for their script. Which screenwriting books do they like? Do they have an agent or a manager? How did they make that happen?

When you get close to a more successful writer, you start to see succeeding is possible. After all, your new friend’s had some success and they’re just someone in your class. Hanging around with this person will help you feel you can place in the Page competition, too. Success is possible.

Where do you find writers who’ve achieved some success—but not too much? You can find them working on laptops in coffee shops and bars. You can find them at seminars, contests, and pitchfests. Even if you can’t find an actual person to hang around with, you can join an online group (on Facebook, LinkedIn, for example) and get to know those writers.

Writers who’ve experienced some success are generally pretty happy to share their secrets. Like all writers they’ve struggled and overcome some steep odds. Let them share their stories with you. If you listen you’ll learn how to sell your own screenplays.

The better you get to know writers who’ve experienced some success, you’ll pick up on how confident and determined they are about writing. Those feeling can be contagious. When you see someone you know achieve their goals, it makes you feel that you can do it, too.

If you really put your mind to it you can make lots of friends who are decent screenwriters. Then you can meet for coffee every once in a while. You can share your movie ideas with them and gage from their reaction how good they are. At some point you’ll be exchanging scripts. You’ll be giving each other feedback.

The writers who are the furthest ahead of you in their careers will have the most valuable feedback. When you read their scripts, you’ll get a better idea about how to do it right. You can discuss what works and what doesn’t. After a while you’re both bound to get better.

If your successful friends get to know you and still feel that you can make it, think about how great that’ll make you feel. And that’ll do a lot for your confidence—which will help you trust your judgment. Hopefully you’ll both advance in your careers together and be there for each other.

Another big part of succeeding in screenwriting is networking with other writers, directors, and producers. Your writer friends will be able to introduce you to the people in the field who can help you get closer to your goals. And you should be able to share your contacts with them.

You and your friends will hopefully reach professional levels in screenwriting about the same time. And if you keep in touch you’ll be able to help each other throughout your careers. In my twenty five years of writing for film and television I know I’ve gotten many staff jobs and some feature writing assignments by keeping up with my friends.

When my writing partner and I were just starting out we took a writing class with Lorenzo Music, the creator of the TV show Rhoda. We met some other writers who were at about our level. When we started to get work, they did too. We helped each other get jobs on four different shows.

One of the writer/producers who gave me my first job in television (writing for Mork and Mindy) came up for a job when I was looking for staff on my own show. Some fifteen years after he’d given me and my partner a job, I was more than happy to return the favor.

David Silverman, LMFT, treats anxiety and depression, especially in highly sensitive individuals in his LA practice. Having experienced the rejection, stress, creative blocks, paralyzing perfectionism, and career reversals over a 25 year career as a Film/TV writer, he’s uniquely suited to work with gifted, creative, and sensitive clients experiencing anxiety, depression, and addiction. David received training at Stanford and Antioch, is fully EMDR certified, and works with programs treating Victims of Crime and Problem Gamblers. Visit www.DavidSilvermanLMFT.com.