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We've exploded Myth's 1-3 of Screenwriting so far: 1) You either got it or you don't; 2) You don't have to rewrite; and 3) You're creating "art." As to this last myth, we discussed the fact that if you think of your writing as art (remember, I don't mean you go around telling people this or even thinking it consciously; I'm talking about a subtle, possibly unconscious process whereby you treat your writing as a product of your Heart and Soul) then you risk closing yourself off to criticism. Again remember, I'm not saying your work ISN'T a heart-and-soul matter, I'm just recommending you not TREAT it that way.
And that leads me to Myth #4 of Screenwriting, which is the converse of its immediate predecessor: You're Creating Crap.
This is (though not always) at the other end of the extreme from Myth 3. Now I say '"not always" because sometimes, when a writer constantly labels his work crap, it's just a clever way of fishing for compliments. This writer, upon such pronouncements, really expects to hear, "No, it's not crap. It's good, really, it's actually amazing!" In other words, it's Art, or so said compliment-fisher thinks.
But for those who truly believe that their writing doesn't even rise to the level of competence (and there are many in the ranks of the novice screenwriter) this sentiment is just as dangerous as its opposite. Once again, it might be TRUE that what you've just spit out of your printer is crap -- but (also again) that's not the issue. The issue is HOW YOU SHOULD THINK OF YOUR WORK.
Most times, these writers are merely trying to pre-empt someone else's pronouncement that their work stinks. But whether due to low self-esteem, first-time jitters, or anything else, crap-think is damaging. It will cause you to overestimate someone else's opinion of your work, to possibly do more rewriting than necessary, to act on every piece of advice (instead of choosing the right pieces)and, in some cases, to never offer up your work for public inspection for fear of embarassment and confirmation of its crap-status.
In short, both the Art and Crap variety of writers are making their work personal, and either approach sets them up for distorting criticism and damaging the rewrite process. Now there is an ideal way to think of your work, one that will minimize the sting of criticism while maximizing its usefulness. We'll explore that method in next week's column. |
