OK, I see an op-ed piece for the LA Times in the making here. Or a commentary for P&W. T, I know you've sworn off freelance writing as an avocation, but once you add your second set of insights, I'd deeply consider it if I were you!

-- Chris, who actually took some time from endless teaching to do some journalism myself this week

I know you are so right about screenwriting. I gave up on sending into contests like Nicholl about 10 years ago. I know it's near impossible to be "discovered" here in NJ but still I keep writing and writing. I swear it is a compulsion. I think part of the reason some of us keep doing it (even knowing the odds of success) is that we imagine it is like hitting the lottery, only we have a bit of control over the outcome and instead of being a million to one odds, it's only 1000 to one, so we think those odds are pretty good. We also believe that our ambition and talent will help us rise above. And we try not to think about the fact that there are tons of really smart, ambitious, talented writers out there with better connections than us.

I've chosen the "independent" route anyway. So far, it has been personally satisfying. It would simply be nice if there was a way to make a living doing it this way.

Wow... that was very eye-opening. I'd wanted to be a television script writer when I was a teenager, but never saw any way to really get started. It sounds like I'd have had a better chance than trying to break into movies, but still not much fun.
I guess situations like Fran Walsh working on writing the screen play for the Lord of the Rings are fairly few and far between.

You're oh so right. But there's more to it. There's the people around you, and how they're impacted by your dreams and/or obsessions. (Says the woman who has to work full-time despite yearning to be a freelancer or SAHM, all because my husband is a writer/actor in LA.)

TC

Wow! I needed this perspective on things. There are the magazines, web-sites, classes, etc. . . telling you what is needed except they have left bits of information, that you have projected to us, off. Interesting - hmmmph. They don't tend to tell you how difficult things really can be. It wouldn't sell. I could've seen myself two years into this project for the wrong reasons. Now, if I do attempt the script or book, it's for my pleasure of seeing my g-grandfather's story out there because I believe it's big enough for people to get excited about and not because it could've - would've - made millions.
Two points to you Tamar, your blogs are making me think about the real reason behind things. It's difficult to face sometimes!

Well said. And you didn't even mention that sad face that for so many of us who won't see 40 or 50 again, age and experience is not exactly highly regarded in Hollywood.