How to Make it As a Screenwriter, According to This Popular Hollywood Consultant

If you want a straight-up answer in this business, ask No BullScript Consulting owner Danny Manus. He’s a well-known screenwriting consultant in Hollywood, and he’s seen it all! So, naturally, we had lots of questions when we sat down to interview him on screenwriting, or, more specifically, how to succeed in screenwriting. You can watch his advice on everything from general meetings to pitch meetings, and business tips to big mistakes to avoid. But today, we wanted his simple truth: If you could only give one piece of advice to someone who says they want to be a screenwriter, what would it be?

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“If you want to be a screenwriter today, my advice would be, you have to really, really, really love it,” he told us. “There has to be nothing else that you are trained or prepared to do. Because, if there is, then you should go do that because it will be easier, whatever it is. It will be more stable, whatever it is. It will be a steady paycheck.”

Well, that’s good and bad news, I suppose. The bad news? He’s right. Making a living off screenwriting alone is not easy and not consistent. The closest thing to consistent screenwriting work would probably be being staffed in a TV writers’ room, and even those gigs have a pretty short lifespan in the bigger picture. But, if you’re willing to work more than one job and have the energy to take on the challenges, you could tackle the consistent paycheck issue.

The good news? This key ingredient for success is free. It’s yours to take. Your screenwriting success is largely in your hands. You need to hone your craft, stay persistent and disciplined, and keep believing in yourself. To do any of these things, passion for the page is absolutely necessary if you want to turn your screenwriting hobby into a career.

“You have to really immerse yourself in the business as much as the craft,” Danny said. “So, you have to really love it. It’s got to be in your bones. It’s got to be the thing you want to do and love to do.”

Of course, there will be hard days. Maybe even hard months and years. But again, the key to getting through it lies in your love for screenwriting.

“You don’t always have to love the process. God knows most writers don’t,” he said. “But, it has to be the thing that you feel most passionate about doing.”

Passion: Check.

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