Giving up. It’s a phase, I believe, that all good writers grapple with at some point. "It’s too hard." "I’m not good enough." "Maybe I should have been a banker." These are all thoughts that have crossed my mind (except the banker part) at one time or another throughout my many years as a writer. Thoughtful, calculating, creative, innovative, imaginative – all qualities that make a great writer - can harvest overthinking, and insecurity, and make us question our very worth as writers.

Screenwriting Is Not For The Faint Of Heart.

I call it the ‘boo’ industry – the business of opinions. You’ll take a lot of criticism, some good, some bad, some ego-driven and useless. You’ll be told it’s a great story by one, only to be told it will never be sold by another. You might not place in screenwriting competitions. You may endure countless pitches, only to receive rejection after rejection. You’ll be asked to refine and reimagine your work—over and over. You will be asked to rewrite…and rewrite. You will be asked to defend your decisions, time after time, be they with characters, storyline, exposition, or the ending. And through it all, you will need a tenacity made of steel.

The devil has certainly kissed my cheek a few times, telling me I’m not good enough, telling me stories of how I will never break into the vault door of Hollywood. But, when that happens, I remember my childhood stories. I remember how I couldn’t wait to drop my backpack and run to my mother after school and tell her about the odd stories that I had conjured up in my head, stories that would one day turn into movies, I would always tell her. I remember scrawling stories on the baseboards of my bedroom in crayon before I could even talk. And these memories remind me – I have stories to share and obligations to share them. I also recall the unbreakable bond that I share for storytelling with my African American, Scottish, and Irish ancestors.

But chin up, folks (shout out to Polly Anna). The train just stopped at the station of persuasion and the season of reason is upon us. This time calls for people like us. The society we live in yearns for inspiration and is desperate for your voice. We need to make sense of our complicated world. We need to understand different lands, different cultures, different stories. We need to foster connections, the kind of connections that come from conversations that begin with ‘Did you see [insert movie title here].

If your true soul calling is storytelling no man, no beast, no dragon, can take that from you. If it is your true path, then it is divinely guided, which means you have allies in very high places.

Never Let Anyone Sunset Your Dreams.

I almost did—more times than I care to admit. Raised by two "super educators"—my mom a teacher and my dad with two PhDs— conventional career pursuits were silently assumed (be a lawyer, a doctor). The idea of becoming a screenwriter, or pursuing anything in the film industry, was dismissed as a "pie-in-the-sky" fantasy, a flight of fancy reserved for those who didn’t have to worry about making a living or for those already born into the industry. I grew up thinking that following your passions was a luxury only a few could afford and that security and stability were the ultimate goals. But deep inside, I knew I was meant for something else, something that didn’t fit into the conventional mold.

I’ve been rejected more times than I can count, ridiculed by peers, and even humiliated. There were times I doubted myself so deeply that I almost quit. The world can be a harsh critic, and when the rejection piles up, the dream can feel out of reach, almost laughable. But through every setback, through every sneer, I held on. And in that persistence, I found my strength.

I Refused To Let The Voices Of Doubt—Both From Others & From Within—Define My Path.

I kept writing, kept pushing, and eventually found my place in the world of storytelling right here on Stage 32 where I got my first agreement with a high-profile, established producer.

And you, my friend, must do the same. Keep going, no matter how many doors close or how many times you stumble. The dream is worth it.

Just like we have to kiss a lot of frogs to find the one, we must also stumble through countless missteps and setbacks on the road to a meaningful writing career. But it's in those very missteps that we learn, grow, and evolve. The journey—no matter how challenging - is the most important part of the process. The goalposts, while significant, are secondary. It's the path that shapes us, refines our craft, and reveals who we are and who we will be as great screenwriters.

Thankfully, the times when I was fully committed to giving up never endured. Screenwriting was like a nagging, relentless itch that I had to scratch - that persistent, tenacious voice in my head that kept saying ‘man, that would make an awesome movie.”

You Cannot Afford To Give Up.

Keep writing. Keep pushing forward. The world needs to hear your voice, to experience your stories. Ignore the doubters, the critics, the naysayers. Become a warrior writer. And remember, you need both sense and sensibility—shoutout to Jane Austen. Trust your instincts, because they will never lead you astray. Set your goals, make your plans, and above all, hone your craft. Your stories deserve to be told.

And, most importantly, never give up. The world is waiting for what only you can offer.

Cupid has drawn his bow, and it’s aimed squarely at you. The trees of your hard work are about to bear fruit, my friend. The time is now. Keep going. If you are reading this, your moment is coming very soon.

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