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OK so I want to change this convo to something more positive. Don& #39;t be sad or exasperated. If you love cinema, double down. I moved from the UK to LA in 2009 because there were no opportunities for me (a Welsh-Iranian who wanted to write something other than Richard Curtis films) https://twitter.com/MattofBarnston/status/1199618207625175040">https://twitter.com/MattofBar...
In Hollywood I found a pretty scary place without any contacts. I had maybe 1 person I knew here and a bunch of people I& #39;d met 3 years earlier when a spec I wrote (my 14th) caught some interest and fizzled out. None of this meant anything. I was starting from ground zero.
So I did the only thing knew: I wrote specs. I wrote two more in fact -- numbers 15 and 16 in my personal catalog -- and a TV pilot spec. While taking generals over a 2 year period. Eventually one of those specs turned out to be one that blew up. The other spec then sold too.
This all happened within a month of my first child being born, and me trying to figure out how to feed my family now that I& #39;d quit my day-job, and decided to go for broke on writing. So I did the only thing I knew -- I wrote and wrote and wrote -- and I met people.
There were a lot of dead ends and busted jobs, and things that didn& #39;t go my way. We all have those war stories. But a curious thing happened. I eventually found that somehow I& #39;d chosen people to surround myself with who became my community, & soon was working steadily.
A manager who became my best friend, an attorney whose wisdom & counsel I could listen to for hours, other writers I could always turn to and a few execs and producers who would always have my back. By any measure, I consider myself successful & lucky because of this community.
So my advice is don& #39;t be sad tho it& #39;s ok to be exasperated. I still am a lot of the time. From development to post, I get it, it walks with me. But if you love movies (or TV) just keep writing and find your community ...
... only, remember that even if you one day become one of those steadily employed, that while yes there are others more successful than you, there are many who may be in a lull, or going through a tough spot, so need your support. Writers need to look out for other writers.
I hope you keep writing, and don& #39;t give up on your dreams. Good luck.
