I’d like to take a minute to talk about the single greatest factor that will determine whether a screenwriter will be successful or not.
Of course there are lots of qualities that a screenwriter must have. A screenwriter must be persistent. They must have self-belief. They must work at and practice their craft on a daily basis. A screenwriter must also learn the art of screenwriting through reading, study and practice.
The Inner Critic
In my experience working as a screenplay agent, assisting other screenwriters in their careers, I believe that the best screenwriters I worked with had a good inner-critic.
The best screenwriters knew when they had written something that wasn’t up to standard, and they also knew when they had nailed it. I believe this inner-critic is one of the major factors in screenwriting success.
A lot of screenwriters will send their script to a screenwriting agency thinking their work is outstanding or good enough—when quite honestly, it isn’t.
It’s All About Quality
The best screenwriters are not only their own harshest critics, but they are able to be objective about their own work. They are able to know when a scene works and when a scene doesn’t work.
When a screenwriter has this quality, it’s almost a guarantee that they will be successful. In fact, in general, these screenwriters have no problem getting a screenplay agent or, indeed, selling their screenplay.
Why? Because they are able to craft and shape their screenplay to such a high standard that it becomes a work of outstanding quality. In essence, their screenplays are like a diamond in the rough, or a thorn in a bed of weeds (if you prefer flowers).
How does a screenwriter develop a good inner-critic. After speaking to my most productive and sought after clients (all of whom utilized the inner-critic), they all told me the same thing. Read other great screenplays.
There are many great screenplays out there. The well-known screenwriter, John August (who also hosts an excellent blog on screenwriting) cites James Cameron’s Aliens script as his favorite screenplay. But the key here is to not just read one screenplay.
Devil On Your Shoulder; Angel In Your Ear
Read as many screenplays as you can get your hands on. And also read as many bad screenplays as you can find. That way you will be able to tell the difference between what works and what doesn’t.
Once you develop your inner-critic—not a devil on your shoulder, but an angel who can whisper in your ear and tell you when what you’re writing is good and when you’re writing something that is complete rubbish.
Harness this inner-critic and screenplay agents will be clamoring to represent you. And in the long run, when all your scenes are of excellent quality, you will find it much easier to sell your screenplay!
Here you can find a great place to check out screenplays from different movies – Drew’s Script O’Rama.
*Jennifer Sloane has worked as a screenplay agent in Los Angeles and Nashville for the last five years. Jennifer loves good movies, music and animals. A former television and movie executive, Jennifer currently heads business development at Script Mailer (a company that connects screenwriters with agents and producers in Hollywood).