Happy New Year/New Resolutions

Happy New Year! 

I’d like to take this time to send a big THANK YOU to all of my readers, clients, students, twitter followers, and writers in general who have kept me going and kept me inspired.  The end of the year is a great time to look over what you’ve done and what you’ve accomplished, give thanks to those who helped you accomplish it, and make plans to get everything done in the New Year that has escaped you thus far. 

It’s been a truly crazy year for me and No BullScript. We went from just being one of the hundreds of other consultants out there to one of the Top 15 “cream of the crop” consultants. I’ve written over 80 weekly articles for Business of Show Institute, as well as articles for Script Magazine, Moviebytes, Storylink E-Zine, Logline E-Zine, Virtual Pitchfest, and more!  I’ve redesigned my website, I’ve brought on a new script analyst in Naomi Beatty, and I’ve produced a short film titled “Wake Up.”  And in the last year, I’ve taught hundreds of students all over the country at events like Screenwriting Expo and Great American Pitchfest and to groups in LA, NY, Vancouver, Chicago, Santa Fe, Portland, Idaho, Dallas, etc.

And while it’s not screenwriting related, I’ve lost 30lbs and…I turned 30. Ok this last one I’m still iffy about.

So what about YOUR goals? What did YOU get to do this year and what do you need to do in 2011?

With every New Year, come new resolutions. Though many of mine look a hell of a lot like they did one year ago, so that’s probably not a good sign. I think my resolution for 2011 is to be more positive, optimistic and disciplined! Here goes…we’re all going to be become rich and famous and sell our scripts and books and studios are going to open their doors to every unrepresented writer out there and No BullScript will become the number one script consulting company in America! Whew! Okay…I got that out of my system… now back to reality!

It’s a good idea to have realistic goals and resolutions much like it’s a good idea to have realistic expectations about your projects. When a writer asks me how quickly they think they will sell their first script, my eyes roll to the back of my head. I wish everyone could sell their first script, but realistically, 99.9% of first scripts don’t sell.

You should certainly try, but you shouldn’t get down on yourself if it doesn’t happen. Your first script is practice. It’s about getting your ideas on the page, finding your rhythm and technique and a process that works for you.  It’s all about the learning and growing experience and whatever you learned on your first script, you will bring to your second and hopefully have more luck…I think that’s as optimistic as I get. Ha!

It’s good to set realistic and do-able timelines to get things done so that you don’t become overwhelmed or disappointed, but instead stay productive and inspired. Create a routine for yourself that optimizes your productive and creative swings. This has always been my personal downfall despite the OCD-like To Do Lists I’ve been making every day since I was 11 years old — so let’s create a new routine together.

Are you working on an outline for a new project? I am. So let’s set a realistic goal together – in three weeks, we will all have finished our outline. Are you working on a first draft, trying to flesh out your storylines and characters? Set a goal of two months, which is probably an average amount of time. Everyone works at his or her own pace, but sometimes the smell of a new year makes people anxious and excited to start a new project. So cash in on that excitement while it lasts.  Good luck and keep writing!