Odds & Ends: Getting Started with Screenwriting & More

Welcome to “Ask the Coach.” As a writing coach, I answer questions from writers about making the work of writing happen, tackling craft, business, and personal questions along the way. (Have a question you’d like answered? Check the details at the end of the article about how to submit one.)

Today I’m addressing a collection of shorter questions.

Here’s our first question about getting started with screenwriting:

Whenever we embark on learning a new skill, it’s valuable to learn from people who have gone before us. A challenge with screenwriting is the huge volume of sources to learn from, between books, courses, fine arts degrees, “gurus,” and more. Plus it can become easy to get stuck in learning mode or always feel like a student. (Though I’d argue that continuing to grow is a good thing.)

The way you choose to learn screenwriting will depend your budget, your available time and bandwidth, any existing skills you already have that may transfer, your life circumstances, and more.

Among the best advice I had about screenwriting early on was to try it and see if I liked the form before investing tons of time or money into it. So I took one class and found I loved it. Then I kept moving forward, participating in a short screenplay contest, then going on to take classes. Script University has good starter classes, and so do many, many others (I’ve also taken classes with ScreenwritingU, Jeff Lyons, and Jeff Howard, for example). My advice is to look for instructors who are working professionally and who understand the genres you’re interested in writing (if you have preferred genres, that is).

From there, keep exploring. In my early coaching days, my mentors used to say, “The first step is always illuminated, and so is the next first step, and so on.” In other words, take a first step and see what possibilities open up to you.

Here’s a second question about writing and learning screenwriting in another country:

My thoughts for you are similar to the prior reader. Study, learn, grow, repeat. There are so many wonderful resources available online now for learning how to write screenplays. (And many connections to Hollywood are happening remotely now, too.) The good news is that you are clearly, and firmly dedicated to writing consistently, which is one of the best ways to level up your skills and test what you’re learning. And, yes, you’re right that working with a professional screenwriter can help you by giving you feedback on your work and pointers for how to improve, once you feel ready for that.

When I choose a screenwriting mentor, I work to get a sense of who they are as a person first, to see if I think we will be a good fit for working together. I take classes with them, read their blogs, articles, or books, and/or watch the movies they’ve written. I’ve made mistakes in this department before, so I recommend evaluating mentors with both caution and curiosity.

And, please hold on to your unique perspective as an African writer. We need strong, clear voices representing cultures from around the globe, regardless of whether it’s produced in Hollywood.

Here’s a third question about getting an MFA:

I’ve written about getting an MFA degree before, which you can find here. In your case, it looks like you’ve found a relatively affordable and short duration program, which could be enjoyable to complete as well as potentially help you build relationships and connections with other writers. I can’t advise you about the specific program since I’m not familiar with it. However, I think it’s important to mention there really are no “shoulds” with writing. There are so many paths forward, and it’s about choosing what resonates with you the most.

In your shoes, I’d first get clear on exactly what I hoped to gain from the program. Then, I’d consider reading reviews about the program, talking to the advisors and professors that run it, and connecting with some students who’ve graduated from it. For former students, I’d focus on learning what they gained from the program, any ways they might have wished the program would be stronger, and any suggestions they might make about how to maximize your experience if you pursue it. Then, take a step back and compare their comments with your goals as a writer to see if it fits your needs and desires.

Whether you pursue the graduate degree, congratulations on all the writing you’re already doing!

Here’s a fourth (and the last question for today, this one paraphrased) about having a thick skin in writing and finding other screenwriters:

I’ve always felt it to be somewhat contradictory to advise writers to have a “thick skin.” Stories are very much a means of emotional transference and draw readers and viewers in with rich, emotionally complex storytelling. The ability to put ourselves deeply into those waters means — by definition — we are more likely to be in touch with deeper emotions and have them living closer to the surface within ourselves. So telling a writer to be thick skinned seems (to me) to be advising writers not to be good at their jobs. I can see a point about not being negatively reactive or lashing out in response to feedback, but that’s about all I think it’s good for, and that seems to be more a matter of personal self-discipline and emotional awareness and self-mastery than about having a thick skin. I also think that folks advising others to have a thicker skin tend to want to be harsh and rude without care or consequence.

When it comes to writing groups, I encourage you to consider looking for groups that focus more on doing the work of writing side-by-side, like the Meetup groups you mentioned, but online. There are many places to get feedback on your work, which you can keep separate from the camaraderie of co-working. There are writing sprints offered on many social media platforms, my Called to Write community, and I’ve seen John August offering sprints in the chat area for his “Inneresting” newsletter, which is more specifically designed for screenwriters.

The beauty of connecting with other writers this way is that it stays safe in the sense that it’s protected from feedback in the space where you need and want to be focused on getting the work done, knowing you can and will get content related feedback from other sources.

As writers, there are always so many questions! My goal is always to offer hope, inspiration, possibilities, and perspectives to help you keep moving forward as a writer, and I hope I’ve succeeded in this today.

Thank you for submitting your questions, and until next time, happy writing!

Screenwriters, what challenges do you run into that you'd love to see us address in our articles? Take our short survey here, submit your question to be answered anonymously via my online form here, or email me directly at askthecoach@calledtowrite.com. Look for answers to selected questions in my monthly “Ask the Coach” column on the third Thursday of the month.

Find me on Twitter @JennaAvery and Bluesky @jennaavery.bsky.social.