On ‘Breaking In’ To The Industry
I don’t like the term ‘breaking in’, which is why I always tell Bang2writers to CREATE their dream writing career. I think it’s a much more useful term. It reminds us that we have the tools to do whatever we want!
There is indeed no clear-cut path and every creative will have a different one. That said, I was a rank outsider in the industry, starting from a position that was both complex and challenging. By sharing my story, I hope I can inspire you as you create YOUR dream writing career. Ready? Let’s go …
1) Creating Bang2write
I knew that living outside London and LA counted against me … and that was before I added up all the extra challenges I had. I was a teen single mum living in the middle of nowhere, with no money, no contacts, no childcare and no help. I also had NO idea where to start!
So I sat down and thought about what I DID have … which was an internet connection. Aha!
I decided to utilise the B2W main site in the first instance. I did this first by script reading, then by sharing what I’d learned about writing, then interviewing industry pros. The rest, as they say, is history! MORE: Grab your free writing stuff for your novel or screenplay
2) Advocating for Underrepresented Voices
I made it my mission to support diverse voices in storytelling, challenging industry norms. I started doing this at a time it definitely wasn’t ‘cool’ to do so. In fact, in my early career, I got called an ‘impostor’ or a ‘trouble-maker’!
I didn’t care. I was very aware how marginalised I was as a new writer with my type of background. I figured I couldn’t be the only one, so I set out to find others like me.
When I couldn’t find them, I made sure I advocated for and/or amplified marginalised voices wherever possible. Looking out for others is not only a good thing, it’s common sense as others then look out for you. I have many contacts who are as invested in my success as I am in theirs.
I still do this … and the way the industry approaches this *is* – thankfully – significantly different to 20 years ago. (Yes, it’s not perfect. Yes, progress is too slow. Yes, it feels like we’re going backwards politically. But there HAVE been some considerable gains taking us forwards).
3) Blending Expertise
I found myself working in film finance early in my script reading career. This was fascinating, not to mention a real game-changer in my understanding of how stories are SOLD.
I realised it wasn’t JUST about the story in screenwriting.
I got that stuff like production constraints, star power, target audiences and their preferences, budgets etc were super-important too. In other words, money was key … it is called show BUSINESS for a reason!
I was also in therapy. I became super-interested in psychology and started doing a deep dive into human beliefs. Around the same time, I started doing marketing and business courses. I discovered money, psychology and beliefs were all interlinked as well.
I started to approach my script reading and script editing through these lenses, combining them all with writing craft. By examining audience psychology and industry trends, I became someone to watch.
This was because I had the eerie ability to predict what could happen next. I predicted the surge in female leads and LGBTQ characters, not to mention the move away from The Hero’s Journey and into other plotting archetypes.
Whilst I am obviously not always right, there’s a reason so many in the B2W community and beyond insist I ‘must be a witch’!
4) Told my Origin Story
My start in life was difficult. The odds were against me doing ANYTHING when I had so many challenges just starting out.
Even as I created my career, there were more problems. I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, had two mental breakdowns, almost died during childbirth, got cancer, lived with significant financial insecurity, then a family member committed a crime against my kids.
That’s without all the issues the industry has gone through in the same period. These include Brexit, Covid, the US Writer’s Strike, rising costs of living and much more besides. No one could have blamed me for saying it was ‘all too much’ and giving up.
But I took strength in my origin story. All the doors were closed to me starting out, yet I managed to crawl through the catflap. There was no way I was going to quit after achieving that!
So I kept telling my origin story, saying no one expected I could do it, but I did.
This strengthened my resolve and kept me going, plus it brought more Bang2writers towards me. They could relate to my struggle and told me about theirs. This built trust and community.
5) Taking Risks
I came into the industry believing I had nothing to lose and everything to gain. This meant I was able to experiment with unconventional career moves, like live script edits or offering unusual and in-your-face critiques of popular TV shows and movies.
But more than that, because I believed I had everything to gain, I did not censor myself. I did not pretend to be someone I wasn’t or suck up to people. I was 100% authentic and said what I did and did what I said. I still do this.
A lot of people did not like this, but that was okay. They were not my people and I did not want to work with them anyway. By being myself, I might have repelled a few, but I became a magnet for others who WERE my people. What’s not to like?
