Reader Question: Is it realistic to expect a career as a screenwriter?

My response to an email query.

An excerpt from an email I received today: Is it realistic to expect a long-term career as a screenwriter? Here’s my response.

The short answer: No.

I wrote about this in a blog article: Movies don’t owe anybody a living.

This extends to anyone seeking to do anything in the creative arts. We simply cannot expect to make money at it, certainly not something sustainable for a long period of time.

That is not to say it’s impossible. There are thousands of screenwriters in Hollywood right now who have made a living at it. I had a strong 15-year run in Hollywood and have had some success with my writing even after I left L.A. and I’m nowhere near what A-list writers are able to achieve financially. One of my screenwriting students signed a $140M deal with Amazon a few years back.

So yes, people can and do make money as screenwriters.

But I would never recommend to any aspiring screenwriter to bank on that. Even if they were to sell one or two scripts, maybe landed an open writing assignment, probably smart to keep the “day job” until they see how things shake out.

This is especially important given the nature of business in Hollywood post-COVID / post-WGA strike / mid-streaming upheaval. There are simply fewer writing jobs in both film and TV right now. The C-suite denizens are still trying to figure out what the hell they’re doing, other than cutting costs and eliminating jobs to appease Wall Street.

That line above — Movies don’t owe anybody a living — is a riff of an observation by the late Levon Helm, drummer and vocalist for The Band. Here’s the full quote:

And you know, playing-wise, music don’t owe anybody a living. Just because you play music, it ain’t supposed to make you rich or famous. It’s supposed to be your life, and it’s supposed to help you, and help those you love, and you’re supposed to play it, really try. And if you get a shot, if you get on national television, or if you get a record out that somebody can remember, great. That ought to encourage you not to quit, but it don’t mean a whole lot. You know, that was day before yesterday, and if that’s the best that any of us can do, it ain’t going to count for long. So, in case we can’t do any better, at least we can show up and have a good time.

I read this quote back in 1979 when I was playing music for a living in Aspen, Colorado. I’ve always remembered it. Even when I was flying high n Hollywood and getting paid to write multiple movies projects at the same time, I kept reminding myself: This could all go away.

As Levon Helm suggested: Do it because when you “show up” and write, you can have a “good time.” Do it because the very act of creating stories brings you joy. That way, even if you don’t make a single dime from your writing, you’re a success. Why? Because you’re following your bliss. You’re doing something because it gives your life meaning.

Finally, this: I was a complete Hollywood outsider when I sold a spec script to Universal for three-quarters of a million dollars. I knew one person in the business, an assistant to a development executive at 20th Century Fox. Therefore, I cannot in all honesty tell you not to pursue your ambition to become a screenwriter. It happens. I’m living proof.

But a long-term career? No, you cannot bank on that.

Movies don’t owe anybody a living.

Write because you love it.

Another Go Into The Story article I wrote worth reading: Feet on the ground … head in the clouds.

It’s okay to dream big. It’s better to dream big while you’re covering your expenses doing a job you enjoy.