It's so easy to get caught up in the screenwriting/acting industry and go through the motions. Hoping to get a job, finding a job, moving on quickly to the next thing.
You don't realize how much better you've become until you start seeing 5 star reviews everywhere you go. I've always been overly critical of my own stuff and I understand there's always a hierarchy in any industry. You're always better than many people and you're always gonna seem horrible compared to the veterans of the industry. That's just how it goes.
I took a month off for "vacation" and I put that in quotations because it was a vacation from my day job but I still did my writing and script consultations at home so it ended up being more of a half vacation.
And all of the script ideas I've written and the loglines I've posted here and the script consultations I've done on Coverfly X have all 5 star ratings from different people around the world and these are people I don't know and they have no obligation to sugar coat anything I do or praise me. They don't owe me anything.
It made me realize for the first time in my life that I've finally made it. I may not be a well established name in the industry. I might only have a few indie short film credits to my name (we don't count the god awful self-Tik Toks I made back in the day and put it on my IMDB because I was desperate for any kind of relevancy at that time) but I've made it in the sense of professionals and newcomers praising me for all the work I do.
Because it's not just the newcomers who take my advice that is fascinating to me. It's the respect I've been given by people in this industry who have way more success than I'll ever see in my life time. That's how I know I've made it.
I put in the hard work my entire life. I skipped Christmas dinners with family. I've sacrificed having a girlfriend. I've take days off my real job so I can live this crazy fantasy of maybe one day I'll have a film that actually gets anywhere. I don't have the riches or the fame, but I have something far greater than that. The respect and appreciation of those who do. And to me that is the ultimate sign that I've made it.
Granted, I started off being very lucky. I made friends with actors, directors, producers, writers before I even knew I wanted to be in any part of this industry. I had connections before I even used social media. However, I never wanted to take the easy road. I could have allowed myself to accept their offer to work on projects but I wanted to pave my own way. I wanted to start from scratch. I wanted to spend days, months, years taking endless courses on screenwriting, acting, directing, and producing. I even changed my name because I didn't want to piggyback off my success or anybody else's success. I did it all by myself.
So, if anyone tells you that you're not good...don't waste your time arguing with them on social media because you'll never win that battle. Spend that time perfecting your craft. In the end, you'll be 5 stars too. And that's all day!
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You've highlighted this very important moment in an artist's journey where they stard to self validate. Yes, you've had those five-star reviews, but what's important is you've processed them in a way that emboldens you, rather than dismissing them. This should then become an upward cycle where you feel more motivated, show more confidence, and get a continued positive response.
Good for you. It's an essential transformation in my opinion.
I'm at the point now where I couldn't care less about negative/critical feedback. I've proven myself now. I'm only interested in alignment.
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Congratulations, Ryu Reeves! Glad to hear the hard work has paid off! I know about half vacations. I'm taking the day off from writing, and I'm still thinking of ideas for my projects.
"So, if anyone tells you that you're not good...don't waste your time arguing with them on social media because you'll never win that battle. Spend that time perfecting your craft." You're right. That's something I wish I knew when I was a new writer. I treat trolls and negative people like TV now. I switch the channel (move on to the next comment or thing).
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Like this guy's candor and asked for an add.
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Excellent attitude and post, Ryu Reeves! Keep up the hard work. If you keep at it the success will come and the sacrifices will be worth it. Lucky breaks happen to those who put themselves in the right position. Feel free to reach out to me at success@stage32.com if you're ever looking for additional help or guidance.
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Ryu, thanks so DOGGONE much for posting...and here's wishing you more and more success (not only here in 2025, but beyond)!