Do Not Try To Sell Your Screenplay

If you’re really, really smart, you don’t go into it. This is not for really, really smart people. You gotta be dumber than that if you wanna succeed in creative expression. You gotta be a little crazy.

Richard Walter
UCLA
Associate Dean, Student Affairs; Area Head, MFA Screenwriting Program

When I first moved to New York City, there were insults, shock and awe around every corner. You see, I was good Southern boy with private school manners. A guy slinging pizza never told me hurry up and order. Little old ladies said thank you when you held doors open for them. If a homeless man whipped out his dick and pissed on a train platform, people would go running, not move a few feet outside the splash radius and continue listening to the music on their iPhone. I always said the city had everything you could possibly need except privacy. And that hardens people. I suppose the industry’s no different. There’s no room for outsiders. If you’re crazy enough to emigrate be prepared to get pissed on. Just keep a raincoat on hand and run for shelter when it starts sprinkling. And when you do get showered upon, and you will, escape into your own world, not the micturition of others.