Oct 25, 2011
Craig and John tackle a listener question about the early stages of a screenwriting career: deciding which meetings to take, which projects to pursue, and how not to go broke in the process.
Once you've been hired for your first paid screenwriting job, the temptation is to pop the champagne corks and ditch that studio apartment in Koreatown. While every success is worth celebrating, the transition from "aspiring screenwriter" to "working screenwriter" can be unexpectedly brutal.
Checks come late, notes come often and opportunities can lead you astray.
Back when you were an aspiring screenwriter, anything seemed possible, because it was all make-believe anyway. Why not write a 14th-century comedy about strudel-makers?
Now screenwriting is your job, and that means making choices about what kind of career you want, what you'll write, and how you'll keep a roof over your head.
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UPDATE 10-27-11: The transcript of this episode can be found here.