Blocked?  Remember Why You Started Writing

Citizen Kane . . . is routinely named as the best movie, almost by default in list after list. Maybe it is. It's some movie. It tells of all the seasons of a man's life, shows his weaknesses and hurts, surrounds him with witnesses who remember him but do not know how to explain him. It ends with a search for "Rosebud," his dying word, with a final image that explains everything and nothing." Roger Ebert

At some point in your screenwriting career, you're going to face a long period when you just don't feel excited about writing. You might be just starting out and it’s taking longer than you imagined to get that first break. You might be a working writer who hasn’t been able to sell a screenplay or land a TV staff job in a while.

Those long stretches trying to finish a screenplay can test your resolve. You might find yourself questioning your skills as a writer. You might find yourself setting the work aside for a while—hoping to somehow regain your excitement for writing.

How do you recapture the initial excitement you felt about writing screenplays? If you’re like most writers you were inspired by watching great films or in some cases by a single film. At the time you no doubt had a favorite filmmaker, too. If you’re anything like me, you rushed out to see every film he or she made.

And no doubt your favorite filmmakers had their favorites. And they also rushed out the see all of their favorites' films. And more than likely, there was one amazing film that stood out for them—that inspired them just the way it did you.

We’ve all heard stories about how Quentin Tarantino poured over classic films working at a video rental store in Manhattan Beach. As those stories go, he was especially inspired by spaghetti Westerns and Howard Hawks Film Noir classics—and it shows in his films like Django Unchained and Reservoir Dogs.

An earlier generation of filmmakers was inspired by films like Citizen Kane—which critic Pauline Kael once called the best film ever made. Filmmakers like Martin Scorsese and Stanley Kubrick cite that as a film that inspired them. Both directors also include Fellini’s 8 ½ in their list of film influences.

Known for comedies primarily, Woody Allen also lists those two films as inspirations. Allen has also clearly been influenced by two foreign directors, Federico Fellini and Ingmar Bergman. Of course, he was inspired by comedies, too. He’s mentioned specifically that his favorite comedy was Duck Soup with the Marx Brothers

Among independent filmmakers, Richard Linklater, writer of A Boy’s Life and Dazed and Confused says he was influenced by Robert Altman’s Nashville and Francois Truffaut’s The 400 Blows. Steven Soderberg, writer of Sex, Lies and Videotape lists among his influences, Woody Allen’s Annie Hall and Coppola’s The Godfather.

When you’re feeling stuck think about all the films that inspired you to start writing. What was it you loved about them? Did they have a strong social message? Did they feature especially moving performances? Did they create a suspenseful or horrifying atmosphere? Think about how many times you watched them? What did that feel like?

When times get tough and you’re not at your best it’s easy to forget. Don’t forget how they made you feel. I recommend you find copies of your favorite films—online, on a DVD, or whatever and watch them. Try to recall the excitement you felt when you first saw them.

Of course, there was more to your decision to write than just loving one film. You had to feel your skill sets would make you a great writer. Maybe you wrote short stories, plays or poems as a kid. Maybe you were (like I was), the high school cartoonist. Maybe you were the funny guy in your group of friends. Maybe you were an actor in your high school drama department. Maybe you liked to paint or draw.

Make a list of all the great movies and the gifted filmmakers that have inspired you over the years and include the skills you’ve brought to the table and all the other experiences you’ve had that made you a better screenwriter. You might have forgotten somewhere along the way.

Then think about everything you’ve done since to further your career. Did you make short films with your friends? Did you go to film school? Did you work on the set of a movie? And at what point did you realize you could do it? Think about how those experiences felt. Get in touch with those emotions—they’re the ones that inspired you to start. Let them inspire you to keep writing.

David Silverman, LMFT, treats anxiety and depression, especially in highly sensitive individuals in his LA practice. Having experienced the rejection, stress, creative blocks, paralyzing perfectionism, and career reversals over a 25 year career as a Film/TV writer, he’s uniquely suited to work with gifted, creative, and sensitive clients experiencing anxiety, depression, and addiction. David received training at Stanford and Antioch, is fully EMDR certified, and works with programs treating Victims of Crime and Problem Gamblers. Visit www.DavidSilvermanLMFT.com.