I want you to succeed as a screenwriter - Q&A advice I heard at the WGA "AIR" Screening

I saw AIR at the WGA theater on Friday and the screenwriter spoke after and I wanted to share some points that lit a spark in me, personally...

So I went and saw AIR at the WGA theater the other night. The screenwriter did an epic Q&A after. And I felt like sharing a few points that really inspired me. Also, the movie was fantastic. Ben Affleck’s The Town is up there on my list, and his filmmaking is top-notch in this story about Michael Jordan and Nike.

Air was the first credit for screenwriter, Alex Convery, and he spoke about how he wrote the script on spec after watching The Last Dance. He stressed the importance of passion. He had written another IP (without rights) the year earlier and the project fell apart, and he vowed to never do that again. Until… he saw the doc series, and said, I MUST WRITE THIS. Paraphrasing there. But what I took from the Q&A is that Alex let passion lead the way, even when the odds weren’t in his favor.

Mr. Alex Convery also spoke a lot about his project hit with the producers: Matt Damon & Ben Affleck at the right time in their life. Right when they had started their company Artists Equity - which had a mission statement of empowering their artists and giving them stake in the film. (This turns out to be a big part of the AIR script, with Michael Jordan’s royalty deal with Nike). The point he was making (or maybe I am trying to make): you can’t control who’s going to like your script; you can control how great you can make that script.

Say you’re a writer who’s been paving away on your dreams for awhile now. You’ve been doing the hard part: the writing. And of course, the even harder part: the finishing.

FINISH FINISH FINISH.

Why? In case you haven’t read the last 30 newsletters — finishing gives you the keys to the kingdom. It teaches you the lessons you need to succeed long term. It makes you a better writer, with more resolve. It gives you peace of mind, and it also reveals to you if your story is worth rewriting and taking to the market.

Again I say — FINISH FINISH FINISH!

Also, it’s key you learn to write a killer logline — simple, easy to understand, with a bit of the flavor and tone, and HIGH CONCEPT. Low concept premises are fine, but harder to sell. So I don’t write those, personally. Maybe one day. But I like writing stellar movie ideas. I pick and choose what I’m passionate about — but it tends to be an idea I feel plays really well as a movie.