Author T.J. Newman’s Open Letter To Dreamers

A guest column on Deadline from the author of two best-selling novels: Falling and Drowning.

In June 2021, I had the pleasure of interviewing T.J. Newman who had just recently made a big splash with her debut novel Falling. It was a terrific conversation and it took place just as T.J. was beginning to write what would become her second novel Drowning.

T.J.’s books are classic “page turners” and she clearly knows how to write big action-thriller stories. But beyond her talent as a writer, which is undeniable, in talking with her, I found T.J. to be a thoughtful and generous spirit. Indeed, she was kind enough to provide an endorsement for my book The Protagonist’s Journey: An Introduction to Character-Driven Screenwriting and Storytelling:

“The Protagonist’s Journey is a nod of respect to the craft of screenwriting. Equal parts contemplative and practical, Myers’ straightforward approach turns dense concepts into readily accessible ideas.”

So I was pleased, yet not surprised when I checked Deadline, as I do each day, and found a guest column T.J. had written. It’s a wonderful piece of inspiration to all writers, especially those who dream of achieving some measure of success with their writing.

Here is an excerpt from T.J.’s guest column.

I know that a lot of famous people — writers, directors, agents, lawyers, and powerbrokers — read Deadline every day.

But so do a lot of dreamers.

I know because for many years I was one of them.

This is an open letter to all the dreamers reading Deadline today.

After nearly two decades of trying and failing — and being rejected by 41 agents — last month, Warner Bros purchased the film rights to my second book, Drowning: The Rescue of Flight 1421, for $1.5 million against $3 million in a heated bidding war where five separate studios and streamers put up seven-figure offers. This is the part where I would normally say I never dreamed of something like this happening to me. But I did. I did dream. And dreams are important. They’re what keep us going. My dreams kept me going.

I’m writing to you now because I wish someone would have shown me a story like this after my first, second, or third round of failures; when I was ready to give up, when I was wondering why I was ever so foolish to think that my dreams could come true.

I know I’m the exception, not the rule. And I know it’s tough as hell out there because until very recently, I was out there with you. I know the odds are stacked against you. I know the industry is in a transformative year. I know the Writers Guild just went on strike and we have no idea how long it might last or what it will ultimately mean. Right now, everything feels unstable and uncertain.

But I also know that the pessimistic, doubting voices saying all that — both externally and the ones inside your head — shouldn’t be the only voices you listen to. Yeah, the odds are tough … but why not you? Why shouldn’t it be you?

The hardest part when you’re trying to get in the door is that so many of the people who reject you do so without ever meeting you or seeing your work. I don’t believe for one second that the 41 agents who rejected me all read my sample chapters, much less an entire book. Just as most actors never get into the room, most writers’ work never gets read. It’s one thing to have a casting director cut you off with a “Thank you” without even looking up. That leaves a mark every time. But it’s another kind of torment altogether when you feel like you’re screaming into the void — and no one even has the decency to shout back, “No.”

You feel invisible. And an invisible rejection feels even worse.

I look back now at my long history of rejection and think of how close I came to not being where I am now. It would have been so easy to have just accepted what each rejection was telling me, because Lord knows, it’s what I was telling myself.

I’m not a good writer.

The story’s not as interesting as I thought.

I’m not good enough.

I wanted to quit and give up. There were so many times I almost did. But every time I almost pulled the plug, I’d come back to this:

I didn’t come this far just to come this far.

And I’d pick myself up and keep going.

As I read T.J.’s inspiring column, I resonated with her observations, that self-doubt, what I call the Voices of Negativity. I wrote an article about how to combat them here.

If you need a creative and spiritual uplift today, read the rest of T.J.’s Deadline column here. Every bit of it is worth the read.

Congratulations, T.J.! You deserve your success and can’t wait to see the movie adaptations of your two novels … with more books to come!

Author Website

Twitter: @T_J_Newman