Screenwriting : Screenwriting Goals by Patrick White

Write things that are meaningful to people and to myself that make the world/human experience better in some way or other - inspire, open hearts, open minds, provoke thought and conversation where it may be valuable, and take people on a journey which may somehow be a cathartic release/cleanse from their day to day existence and/or a much needed vacation of the mind and soul.

To become competent at expressing inspiration. This will naturally inspire the right people, but I'm not focused on that. I'm focused on developing my receptivity and transmission.

write something "epic"..

Why would Hollywood need to be destroyed? To me it seems like Independent Film Festivals offer something more Independent and channels like Sundance Film Channel do the same. Any business tends to focus on money and doesn't always think of niche consumers unless there is enough money in it. Independent theaters are often less crowded, but if they were more crowded then Hollywood would do films more like what they offer. Animation films for family sell, comic book films sell, i audiences would go to the more obscure films, then they would be more the mainstream. I think people like Chris and Jonathan Nolan have helped move Hollywood along in styling by bringing an Independent film sensibility to things. The Pixar films like 'Up' have raised a certain sensibility in the mix. Honey Boo Boo was probably never expected to do as well as it does. Reality TV is around because people are watching it. I have been impressed that audiences have seen shows like "The Help" or the recent Bradley Cooper film dealing with mental illness. Shows like that succeeding in any way commercially, I think give Hollywood more of a reason to do films like that. People vote for the Hollywood mainstream by lining up for mainstream films and not for other options.

Systems are something I think about these days a lot - religious systems, business systems, the food supply, ecosystems, environment, etc... Sometimes an outside system pushes an inside system along and then they merge (like Walmart selling organic foods for example). I think videogames have hurt Hollywood in some ways by taking the young male market to some degree which has made some other viewers more relevant. I notice a lot of creative people resent Hollywood but I think with the right creativity and commitment they could develop the next Sundance Film festival (which is more commercial than it once was, because it is more and more relevant). I work to channel my creative frustrations into ways of working with the system and in and around it - by working towards stories for example that are so good they will let me use characters I want, or by weaving in b stories that are what I may really want to say with an A story that is what may be more commercial. Alternatively by telling a rather solid emotional story through a mainstream concept, people can and do do interesting things. I think there is value to opening one's eyes to ways people are working to have a soul within Hollywood - like with "Happy Feet" being a fun cute show and still speaking about environmental issues for example or Kung Fu Panda addressing bullying and valuing personal uniqueness, or the way there are so many crime shows that are popular, but then people are doing creative and/or meaningful things with characters and stories within the structures and genres. In such cases, the structure can be something to use as a base, rather than something to resent. I think there is value both to developing new structures and to working within existing structures. I am glad someone worked to get organic produce into Walmart vs. just trying to open their own shop for organic produce. Places like Whole Foods and Wild Oats made produce like that relevant in Walmart. I encourage friends to write plays and think about doing them myself sometimes as a way to tell stories that may not otherwise be told. Community theater is a great way to do some of that. I would like to see more local filmhouses at some point as methods of getting distribution for local film makers. Maybe combining that with local artists somehow and other things either through neighboring shops or some area of gallery within the theater. With films like "Searching for Sugarman" (the film about Rodriguez) being made on an IPhone, there is clearly room for local film making to evolve in some new directions that could be amazing for local stories or stories that speak to more niche groups.

I think Honey Boo Boo is still going strong. A youtube search should bring up clips if you dare to suffer the consequences. :)

to leave something compelling for others. to know that my being alive, today, was worth the effort.

Get my work seen

great question...for me it's to make it true from you. Corny but true...

My ultimate goal is writing the best story I can. A protaganist you care about in some way.

Personally I write to entertain. If I can earn a buck doing it, then that is a bonus.

The ultimate goal of all performing arts is to perform truthfully. Hence, a screenwriter's ultimate goal must be the same.

What would that something else look like, Dan?

To see someone else face light up after reading my script.

@Dan. I like the challenge of reinventing myself as my passions and goals morph. I wish you luck in following your heart and choosing that which makes you feel the most alive.

@patrick - To write screenplays that entertain and inspire, and only then to make money for writing them, not crap.

My focus is fairly narrow at the moment. I have a story to tell of a character whose name is still well known ...but much of his story is forgotten. I want to tell that story so that people understand his contribution and passion. After that, I will see whether I still want to write other stories.

As a writer, you are not bound to an office or a 9 to 5 schedule, you can combine working and doing-nothing, whereas most other jobs require a strict separation between the two (except in Japan where you are allowed to take power naps)