ON WRITING: “You’re a good writer, not a great writer.”

“You’re a good writer, not a great writer.”

That’s what a trusted friend and collaborator told me a couple of years ago. It happened during lunch after I asked if I should pursue writing this screenplay or that one. “You’re a good writer, not a great writer. There are lots of great writers out there. You should focus on directing. Producing. Even acting.” I’ve told this story to a few people and they all react to it the same way. They all see it as a negative comment but for me it was positive.

In the film industry, truth is scarce. Everything’s embellished. Most comments, whether complimentary or critical, have some kind of manipulative motivation behind them. Rarely do you get a clear, blunt response. Such moments are refreshing, even they’re not fun to hear at the time. That statement above told me two important things:

1. How that particular person sees my value. He didn’t see me as a writer and therefore I shouldn’t waste any more of my time trying to be seen as a writer by him. It’s a blessing when a producer or director gives you an idea of how you’re seen by them. For example, if a director told an actress, “I really see you as the ‘mom’ type,” then automatically have an advantage with that person and can play to what they want from you. This kind of insight shouldn’t be discouraging; it should encourage us to focus on whatever strengths play most to each person or company. In this situation, I stopped writing scripts for that connection. But I didn’t stop writing…

2. Because I also took the comment as a personal challenge. I actually think his estimation is accurate. I am a good writer, not a great one, but the statement made me better. With the next couple scripts, I pushed myself to improve even it was only for an audience of one: myself. The writing became more about itself than getting a movie made.

I sent one of my next screenplays, DAYS OF THE HUNTED, to that same friend with no hope or expectation that it would change his opinion of my writing. He said it was my best so far. I don’t think it changed how he saw my strengths but it told me that I was making progress, even if only for my own internal benefit.

Ironically, the script that motivated the “you’re a good writer, not a great writer” comment ended up being the only screenplay I’ve ever sold. Originally titled RANGE DETECTIVE, it just entered production under the title THIEVES HIGHWAY, starring Aaron Eckhart. That told me a couple more important things:

1. One person’s “good” or even bad might be another’s great. What doesn’t work for one studio might sell like gold to another. The history of movies is full of such opposite reactions.
2. That it isn’t writing a great screenplay which gets the movie made, just like it isn’t being a great actor that gets you in the cast. Sometimes the lesser actor gets the part because he or she is better for it. So it’s more about writing the right screenplay for the right people at the right moment, whether it’s great, good, or terrible. As we see more than ever these days, very bad scripts are getting made as movies left and right. And there’s no shortage of great screenplays and great writers (much better than I) who have never been produced.

Of course it’s a lot of luck too but it’s also perseverance. It’s not taking comments like the one above as a roadblock and instead helping it focus your strengths in each situation while also emboldening your internal creative growth, whether anyone will ever see it except yourself.

This will eventually be published on my website, runningwildfilms.com, and my Travis Mills Facebook page. For the next week, it is exclusively available here