Screenwriting : How do you handle rejection? by Phillip E. Hardy, "The Real Deal"

As a producer, I am responsible for lots of rejection sent to writers. But that rarely means they made a mistake. It just means that the particular piece of material I read wasn't right for me. It's a subjective job, reading scripts... and there are so many factors out of the writer's control that will weigh in whether or not I get excited about the material I read.

I too am faced with rejection all of the time. But if you believe in the project you push forward. I once had a spec that I loved but every buyer in town passed on. A couple of days after I sent it out, a studio exec on a project I was in pre-production on actually laughed at me for asking him to read it. For a brief moment I thought perhaps I'd made a mistake liking it, but I shrugged it off and moved on. 13 months later I was in production for a major studio on the script that they and every other studio had passed on. "It only takes one..."

Travis: Thanks for your thoughtful post. I have a great deal of respect for the producers I work with and the sweat equity they put into getting work in front of their contacts. For I know that they too feel the frustration of rejection. I've had one producer associate work on various things for several years who has put work into some pretty impressive folks

I still second guess myself frequently but that doesn't shake my unalterable confidence in my long term ability to succeed.

Good luck with your projects.

Rejection is just a natural part of the film business. I no longer accept or even read unrequested scripts. I reject most of the scripts I do read as unsuitable for me but I do often pass on worthy scripts to others. My rejection does not mean that there's anything wrong with the script - just that it's not right for me (at this time). I've submitted numerous scripts through various means only to have most rejected. I just take a deep breath and keep on keepin' on. I've had award /festival winning scripts rejected or not even read... It's just business - get over it.

I usually wallow in self-pity for a couple hours, then try to get back on the horse the next day. Two years ago I entered a script in a few "big time" contests. One night I learned I didn't make it past the first round for one of them, and the very next morning I opened my email to find that the same script was a semi-finalist in another contest. You never know what's around the corner, so you just have to get back on the horse.... Even if it is easier said than done sometimes.

I handle it well. I aim to just move on and quickly. Doesn't always happen. I get it out in as healthy way a possible when I'm having a bad reaction to it. But, generally speaking, I end up framing it in context. A lot of idiots tell me no because of the context. Doesn't matter if they are idiots or not. In my head, for the moment, I weigh if I ever have to talk to them again and I have a movie moment where I play out what I'd like to say internally. Then I say thank you. And I move on. And when someone has a similar story about the same people, we laugh about it and we thank the stars that we are not said idiot, whoever they are, whether they are an idiot or not. Because, in my mind, for that movie moment, they are the greatest buffoon. It sounds nuts to type it out. But I think people wonder what the hell I'm up to because I'm always genuinely smiling. The dumber the reason they said no, the harder I smile. Some people bring out the big toothy grin one the plane ride home. Some people just get a chuckle.

I just keep writing. If something I write gets rejected I just focus on the next project and strive to make that even better. Always improve.

Don't expect anything. This way if nothing happens your expectation is met and if anything better happens it's exceeded.

Rejection of an idea is one thing (and yeah, it hurts), but it's the things we say to ourselves because of that rejection that becomes the real issue!

I can deal with rejection. The subjective contradicting advice and who to listen to is what I struggle with the most. When two different producers or coverage tells you completely different things - "make it lighter/make it darker", "more dialogue/less dialogue", "get straight to the plot/spend more time setting the story"

Rejection is part of life. And if you do anything creative you are always going to put yourself out there for rejection and criticism. You need to know how to cope and deal with rejection before you write a script - not after it. If you are given a reason for your rejection, then you need to unpack it and see if there is any truth or learning in it.

I agree with Pete. I've gotten such conflicting advice and "contest ratings" that I am totally confused. I now believe is really does depend on the reader's feelings. The SAME script has been a finalist, a top ten finalist, an honorable mention and a big first place winner, while also being a quarter finalist, semi-finalist and never even making it at all. The responses from written pitches have been just as varied. Some say I need to explain what "special order" and "alpha-female means" while others want to know who I would casts in lead roles, while others say that is not my job. I have discovered when someone says the "tone" is not clearly defined, that means what other movies it is like. In reality it does seem a crap shoot. But if you just keep on playing, you are bound to have all the right ducks in the right row.

What if you haven't made any mistakes and the people rejecting are just idiots? It happens. :-)

Folks, when I say mistakes, its just a general statement about the written or verbal pitching process that could be done better. For me, no matter where I'm at, screenwriting and pitching is about evolving and improving my process. If you're a writer who's process is perfect, I salute you.

As far as a reader's reaction to script content? That is largely subjective. However, a large percentage of spec scripts just suck.

David - just find a different flock of Turkeys to hang out with.

Meh, maybe I shouldn't have used the word idiots. 99% of the answers to our stuff is no. Or "No Thank You" if we are lucky. But when a pitch goes out and gets a pretty decent whiff of interest from most parties or is presented well enough that it gets multiple read requests and you get the one guy that goes with "your pitch was incomprehensible" or something to that effect, you know you've found the royal douche bag in the group. He/She doesn't belong in the idiot pile. He gets his own special crown from the legendary kingdom of Moronia. That should be less than 1% of that 99% if you are doing it right. But we also frame those rejections, along with whatever picture google coughs up with that person's name on it and we throw darts at it at a little bar in the TMZ that's pretty close to most of the douche bag(s) after work hang outs. And once, and only once, we tampered with one of those "rich dude pick up young girls" apps that cost a lot of money and are ultimately "very exclusive". But we wouldn't do that again because douche bags rage a LOT. Us getting to see it once in person made us realize that even with our 99% no and no thank you, we have a better life than those dudes could ever imagine. We did a bunch of the pitches here. Like way more than usual. Every single pitch (to different projects and formats was a no. We got one meeting. Then we got into a meeting with one person from here via different means. We passed on the meeting once we realized they were involved. I would say less than 3% of the people we've encountered related to this process were true douche bags. The one "meeting request' from here never called back or followed up in any regard. We discovered that all of these 3% ppl have something in common. They're always late. To everything). And I can't really deal with the non-punctual. So I'll replace the word idiots in my screed with residents of Moronia and Non-Punctuals. (Sorry to the other non punctual out there)

"I can take the despair - It's the hope that's killing me" John Cleese, 'Clockwise'

I can shrug off rejection. I stand in front of shelves of books in a bookstore - all of them written by talented people - and reject 99% of them after looking at their cover, reading a blurb (logline) and maybe passing on an author I'd tried before. Hell - I'll skip entire areas of the fiction aisles I'm not interested in.

It's not 'personal' - and I don't take rejections personally. It's just not what they need at that moment. And I've gotten some interesting notes in rejections as well. Some I've incorporated - some I've skipped on.

It's the near misses - that are tough. Signed options. Cashed checks. Rewrites completed. "Money on the way - we're going to start shooting.... 'soon'" and then for a number of reasons - it doesn't happen.

That's starting to wear me down.

But mostly I deal with it by sending it out again - and starting a new script.

Expect to be let down and you'll never be disappointed. :)

Sounds trite to say, but 18 years in the military has taught me this: don't get bitter, get better. And when you fail, don't fail to learn from it.

I watched a video on Reddit not so long ago of a screenplay writer who had sold 6 screenplays giving advice. He held up 20 screenplays and said see that, I sold 6 of the 20 not all 20, 6. When I finish a screenplay I start another so even if one gets a pass, it might be the next one that doesn't. It's how I roll.

Honestly, I find it's helpful to think of any read as an opportunity to find collaborators who are appropriate to YOU. Make your writing strong enough to serve as a litnus test, when it comes to checking out someone else's values as a storyteller. Then, start treating it that way. When someone responds with enthusiasm or useful observations, then they've seen the things in your writing you need them to to make them useful as collaborators. Anyone who's not onboard with your writing isn't going to help you move forward.

Stop getting interviewed, and start interviewing other people. Approach your work from a position of power, if not entitlement. Just make sure the writing and the other work you put into supporting your community earns you that power to begin with.

I guess many members here do not write writing samples. It’s “make my specs into movies or bust.”

Claude - writing a really tight and well scripted short is very difficult indeed. I don't know the actual numbers but I'm fairly confident in saying that any screenwriter-in-training will write a dozen or so scripts before one sells; likely more. That's a lot of rejection to have to deal with.