Write, write, write

What does it take to make it as a screenwriter? And by "making it" I don't mean being on the A-list, but simply making a living as a writer. Once you're there, you can tackle the next challenge.

Think Indy - screw the odds.

Well then, what does it take? There are the main four, of course - stamina and discipline, craft and talent. But in the age of Twitter, we like to bring things down to the "140 or less", don't we? So I've bundled a few of my tweets on the subject (listed in no particular order).

You may just have what it takes if ...

• ... you get cranky when you don't write.
• ... a decade worth of rejection doesn't stop you.
• ... you write and cry with your characters.
• ... knowing you're alone on the planet, you'd still write.
• ... it's about your life-long passion for writing.
• ... there's no chance in hell but you write anyway.
• ... rejection doesn't make you bitter, but stronger.

These are just a few lines and they can either encourage or discourage. They can show that you're on a potential path or that you might want to do something else instead of screenwriting. Those eight lines are essentially about the passion and the odds. But always remember that networks and production companies are factories - they need to produce. And that's why writers "make it" all the time.

Yes, those damn odds are stacked high against every single one of us. But if we defy the odds with our very passion, chances are ... !