* I’m 55. I’ve sold scripts, signed with a partner at UTA, and joined the WGA. None of it gave me a sustainable career as a storyteller. Here’s what I’ve done so far: -Made 50 shorts before NYU Film School -Won Best Screenplay for my NYU senior thesis film -Wrote, directed, and produced 2 indie features -Signed with a partner at UTA -Did over a dozen writing assignments and script sales -Joined the Writers Guild of America -Got 1.1 MILLION YouTube views on a scene from one of my films -Taught 1,000+ screenwriting students at UCLA Extension -Coached 35+ writers through my 9-Step Screenwriting Process, including an Oscar nominee, a Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner, a Nicholl Fellow, and a multiple Canadian Screen Award winner. (And I’m just as proud of the clients who won none of those fancy awards.) Here’s what I learned... You can’t depend on Hollywood. I estimate that 100K screenplays get written every year, and fewer than 3% of them make the writers a dime. But people NEED stories. And they don’t care if those stories come from Hollywood. That scene from my film with 1.1 million views? Audiences found it directly. No gatekeeper had to say yes. So here’s what’s next... I’m opening 7 spots for experienced screenwriters and filmmakers in IN-DEMAND SCREENWRITING. We develop your story 2x faster, build real audience demand, and get your material into the right hands, with or without agents - with or without Hollywood. You'll finish with a treatment, a concept trailer, and real market connections. The goal isn’t another great screenplay sitting on your laptop. It’s making a living telling stories you love. If this speaks to you, DM me and tell me why. If it sounds like a fit, I’ll walk you through how it works.

* hey Screenwriter boldly embrace your failures BE TERRIBLE learn be less terrible learn become only a little terrible learn some more and eventually become GREAT

* I’m 55. I’ve sold scripts, signed with a partner at UTA, and joined the WGA. None of it gave me a sustainable career as a storyteller. Here’s what I’ve done so far: -Made 50 shorts before NYU Film School -Won Best Screenplay for my NYU senior thesis film -Wrote, directed, and produced 2 indie features -Signed with a partner at UTA -Did over a dozen writing assignments and script sales -Joined the Writers Guild of America -Got 1.1 MILLION YouTube views on a scene from one of my films -Taught 1,000+ screenwriting students at UCLA Extension -Coached 35+ writers through my 9-Step Screenwriting Process, including an Oscar nominee, a Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner, a Nicholl Fellow, and a multiple Canadian Screen Award winner. (And I’m just as proud of the clients who won none of those fancy awards.) Here’s what I learned... You can’t depend on Hollywood. I estimate that 100K screenplays get written every year, and fewer than 3% of them make the writers a dime. But people NEED stories. And they don’t care if those stories come from Hollywood. That scene from my film with 1.1 million views? Audiences found it directly. No gatekeeper had to say yes. So here’s what’s next... I’m opening 7 spots for experienced screenwriters and filmmakers in IN-DEMAND SCREENWRITING. We develop your story 2x faster, build real audience demand, and get your material into the right hands, with or without agents - with or without Hollywood. You'll finish with a treatment, a concept trailer, and real market connections. The goal isn’t another great screenplay sitting on your laptop. It’s making a living telling stories you love. If this speaks to you, DM me and tell me why. If it sounds like a fit, I’ll walk you through how it works.

* Hey screenwriter, Which excuse will you drop today? I’m too old | too young | too much of an outsider | too good for Hollywood | too etc... Instead - focus on creating an emotionally impactful story. Find kindred spirits to package & produce it. #AnswerTheCall

* Hey screenwriters, are you driving the day? Or is the day driving you? You can choose. #UnleashYourSuperpower

* Our job as pro storytellers is to show up into THE FERTILE UNKNOWN. In those darkest patches of woods, we confront the CREATURE, stare it down, and receive the ELIXIR. We bring that home, and delightfully detail the exact story we're born to tell...

* Hey Screenwriter Overwhelmed by a flood of choices to get to your next level? A book? Class? Writers group? Trial & error? A mentor? All of them? Focus on the optimal/minimal. Find YOUR special path for long-term results - spending the least amount of time & energy.

* Hey Writer - The only thing stopping us from that next level in our career is that thorn in our side. The thorn we put there ourselves. The thorn we have the power to remove, once we find the courage and clarity to love ourselves for jabbing it in there in the first place.

* hey Screenwriter, you have permission to be awesome today (and that permission doesn't come from me - it comes from within YOU) #AnswerTheCall

* Hey Screenwriter, How good is your development circle? Consider laymen to test basic clarity & plausibility. And to make a good script, GREAT, hire an industry heavy-hitter to make sure it's professional. I don't do notes, but happy to refer you to my own guy. DM me.

BIG SHOUT OUT to Justin Fox — who joined my Story Development Mastermind 1-Day Sprint with a brand new idea. By the end of that day, he walked out with a FULL TREATMENT. 30 days later, he typed FADE OUT on his professionally developed first draft. 😌 If you want to move that fast too, reach out — the next Mastermind starts soon. And drop a comment below: what tends to slow you down... Lack of time? Perfectionism? Structure issues? Procrastination? Character stuff? I’ve coached writers in 1,000+ sessions and written 45+ screenplays. I enjoy helping writers gently face whatever’s in the way, right here in the thread, so you can keep moving.

* Most pro writers think their script is ready for the marketplace after at least 12 drafts + many rounds of feedback Most amateurs think their script is ready after 2 drafts...  ...because it's the best they've written We don't know, what we don't know #AnswerTheCall

Hey valley or west valley writers, mark your calendar for Oct 27! Come join us! We're a nice group of peeps! @BrooksElms

* hey writer, Maybe... things "should" be the way they already are - and that we have all the power we need. 😌

* hey screenwriter what's your favorite screenwriting book ever? and why?

1) Gently admit you’re currently practicing skills in different ways than masters 2) Every day, learn 1 new part of a fundamental skill 3) Start TODAY (For real👉🏻 START NOW)

* Intermediate screenwriter question: How do you know when your script is finished? The draft is ready for feedback when you can't think of how to make it better. It's ready for industry outreach when your development circle stops giving you ideas you like better.

* A pro writer known for writing broad material, confessed that he wants to write a personal screenplay, but he feels like that would be exposing his insides. I assured him that's exactly what he'll be doing. And his audience will love him for it.

I sold two screenplays with my agent at UTA. And STILL couldn't build a sustainable screenwriting career. Here's how that happened... I started as an NYU film school kid who made 50 shorts with friends and dreamed of going pro. I moved up to making indie features which kinda sucked because nobody saw them. I turned to screenwriting and won a $10K screenwriting contest and... my career still didn’t move. I eventually got signed by a partner at UTA, sold two scripts with him, but he had too many other clients to keep selling my work. I checked IMDb to see how many.. It was 92 other clients, yo. That’s not sustainable. Even after I got into the WGA... I STILL wasn’t getting the consistent work I wanted. WTF? But then a scene from my old feature got 1.1 million views on YouTube. Around the same time, a friend got Channing Tatum attached to his movie JUST by creating a concept trailer. Before the script was even written! That's when I realized I'd been playing the wrong game. I was trying to get chosen. By agents. Producers. Studios. But what if I could go directly to the people who might actually want to WATCH my movies? And what if I find out if there was real demand BEFORE spending hundreds of hours writing the script? That's a very different game. So I reverse-engineered a system to get real market signal, real fast. I call it IN-DEMAND SCREENWRITING. Now I'm developing concept trailers for my two most recent projects, testing them with actual audiences, and coaching fellow experienced screenwriters to do the same. Instead of waiting around to get chosen, we're creating demand for our screenplays. Want to see how this could work for YOUR movie? I'll send you the details, just comment YES.

Screenwriters are vague about goals. And what happens in vagueness - stays in vagueness. Some aim too high for things out of their control: "win an Oscar." Others never stop to get clear on what they deeply want. After 40 years studying this game, I see 3 MAJOR career milestones that are 100% in your control, totally measurable. Hit any of these and it will forever shift your identity. #1 -- THE LEGIT PRO Are you writing at the pro level? To know definitively, look for: A) Producer or production company attaches to your work (or pays you to write) B) You get hired into a writers room C) You secure representation D) THREE established industry people vouch for your talent - passing your script to a producer, giving you an 8 on the BlackList, or 70+ on Spec Scout. 3 TIMES. Not just once. These mean you're not hoping anymore. You have objective proof. #2 -- 20 READS Last month I spoke to a room of 150 writers. Last week I ran an online workshop for 20 more. Of those 170 total - only ONE writer had gotten 20 reads on her screenplay. One. My friend, you will not sell your script without reads. If you don't have a system to get 20 READS on every script you finish, you're playing the game as an amateur. Which is actually cool, if that's what your heart wants. Just be honest with yourself. And if you're serious about going pro - you need a proven marketing system to get 20 qualified reads, like clockwork. If you want to hear how we can install my marketing system for you to get 20 reads on your script (WITHOUT an agent) DM me. My program: MEET IDEAL PRODUCERS MASTERMIND starts THIS FRIDAY June 5. #3 -- 10K RAVING FANS This one is for writers who also want to produce, direct - or build an ongoing creative partnership with a producer or director. I'm not talking about 10K views. Or 10K followers. Those are relationships owned by social media platforms - not you. This milestone is 10K people on YOUR EMAIL LIST, in an ongoing relationship -- because they love the way your storytelling makes them FEEL. Across many sectors, the average email list owner earns $1 per subscriber per month. Which means $10K/month from a tribe of fans who genuinely adore your work. That's independence. So... THE LEGIT PRO proves your craft is real. 20 READS proves you're in business, not playing around. 10K RAVING FANS reminds you of your Calling, on the regular. At least that's how I see it. Do you see it differently? Is there a BIG career goal you'd add, something just as concrete and just as much in your control? Drop it in the comments. I'm genuinely curious.