I see a lot of bummed out folks about the recent announcements on the Nicholl competition. A little thread of encouragement. #screenwriting #writingcommmunity

Competitions can help some folks progress, it looks decent on a resume and good for talking points. But not placing in one has zero impact on your career and even placing in one is not a one stop launch into stardom at all. What is, is your growth as a writer and a professional.

In a recent conference with Jason Blum he stated that, “I have never looked at writing competitions. I know zero about them. Maybe my jr execs look at some but honestly, it doesn’t impact me.” Most prod co. don’t, so don’t despair because you didn’t place.

I look at competitions for value. What truly do they do to actually help the writer grow. They are a business after all so what I am I getting when I take part of the product/service they offer. The best bang for the buck from what I could see is @ScriptPipeline.

This is in no way an inside endorsement, in fact, I never dealt with them before. Just saw how they are proactive in the community and what they actually preach and do. That’s rare in the competition world. But even if you don’t place with them, you’re far from over!

This industry is about growth! 100% not only growing as a writer & a skilled one at that, but growing as a professional which is rarely discussed. The two MUST go hand in hand. I can’t stress that enough. You’re actions, words, presence & convictions is what will get you far.

We all hear about persistence which is key but that persistence must be followed up with professionalism. Give a reason WHY people want to work with you. I have seen more good writers who are beautiful people to work with, get hired over great writers who are idiots everytime!

How you recover from a failure or a stumble is key. Pick yourself up immediately. Focus on your goal & career. These things are minor. We never won a competition with our comedy scripts and yet here we are with 2 dev deals on our comedy scripts. What more proof do you need?

So repeat after me, “I DID NOT FAIL for not placing in a competition.” You just didn’t convince that group is all. So go convince someone else. Perfect your craft. Grow not only in your writing but as a professional. Now, go make yourself the best person you can be on all fronts!