With one click
Export a perfectly formatted traditional script.
Screenwriter, producer, and director Robert Jury climbed the ladder in Hollywood through hard work and determination. He’s done the LA thing, and he’s also been successful as a writer living in his current home of Iowa City, Iowa. Over the course of a couple of decades, Jury learned that there’s no substitution for perseverance and passion. So, we loved his answer when we posed the question so many aspiring writers ask, “Is it hard to be a screenwriter?”
Jury started his career as a script reader, interned at Warner Bros. Pictures and worked for Touchstone Pictures Company.
Through that process, Jury said he discovered that he had a passion for writing.
‘Working Man,’Jury’s latest film, is the culmination of a decade long project. The story follows a factory worker who continues going to his job every day, despite the factory being shut down. But Jury added,
Between rejected scripts piling up in a corner somewhere, and new projects that take years to come to fruition, the screenwriter’s path to success often sounds daunting, or even impossible. But how hard is it to become a screenwriter? Is it worth the screenwriter salary? We asked Jury for an honest answer.
It was encouraging to hear Jury say this because it seems writers mostly hear about how hard it is to pursue this dream, how they should consider other options, and what the odds are of becoming a screenwriter. But perhaps, other jobs that are ultimately fulfilling are also just as difficult. So why give up on your screenwriting dreams?
SoCreate will make screenwriting a reality for more people around the globe. Maybe it will also make the profession more appealing and easier to pursue. Until then, I’d encourage you to go for it, just like Jury says.
Writing is worth it,
You may also be interested in...
5 Things Professional Screenwriters Would Say to Up and Comers
Most writers who’ve “made it” won’t sugarcoat the facts: earning a living as a screenwriter is hard. It takes talent. It takes work. And maybe most importantly, it takes standing up when you’ve been knocked down … over, and over, and over again. But the reward? It’s oh-so-worth it to be able to do what you love for a living. Today, we’re dishing up some screenwriting advice from a pro. We had the pleasure of meeting screenwriter, playwright, producer and director Dale Griffiths Stamos at the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival. She’s also a dramatic writing teacher, so she sees students aspiring to live their passion every day. She has some sound screenwriting advice for them ...
Writers Vallelonga & D'Aquila: Chip Away at Your Script Until It Looks Like 2 Oscars
It’s hard to give titles to Nick Vallonga and Kenny D’Aquila. For our purposes here, we’ll call them screenwriters, but this pair is multi-talented. You can barely stand next to them and NOT be inspired to do something creative. You probably know Vallelonga from his two-time Oscar win at the 2019 Academy Awards (no big deal!), both for Best Original Screenplay and Best Picture for “Green Book.” The film is based on the true story of Vallelonga’s father Tony Lip, who toured the south with famed pianist Dr. Donald Shirley in the 60s. But Vallelonga also produced the film, directed many others, acts...
How Much Money Does a Screenwriter Make? We Asked 5 Professional Writers
For most, writing is less of a job and more of a passion. But wouldn’t it be ideal if we could all make a living in a field that we are passionate about? It’s not impossible to get paid to do what you love, if you’re willing to accept the reality: there’s not much stability for writers who choose this path. We asked five expert writers how much money the average writer can expect to earn. The answer? Well, it’s as diverse as the backgrounds of our experts. Per the Writers Guild of America West, the minimum amount a screenwriter can be paid for a low budget (less than $5 million) feature-length film...