Lessons for Writers, III

This last article in this series is about the writer. Being a screenwriter and a military advisor has taught me a few lessons about the movie industry in general and my skills in particular. I would just like to share some of my impressions of the writing industry with you.

Paul Riddell, noted columnist and reviewer of science fiction once wrote, "Here's the simple fact of life: most of the characters who believe that they could become writers _should_ be discouraged. Hell, they should be horsewhipped, but that's another tale. I am, of course, talking about the twits who look at writing as an alternative to working a real job; the dingleberries who pass on those great tales about how writers make that proverbial $37.50 an hour. The reality is a lot more somber for the wannabes: being a writer usually means putting in a full forty hours a week on a soulkilling job before turning around and putting in another forty hours (or more) on a novel or essay."

Let's look at some bare - boned facts. According to the Writers Guild of America, West Chapter (WGA - W), the average screenwriter in Hollywood makes less than $40,000 per year. Trying to get an original screenplay read in Hollywood by an agent, let alone a production company, takes a lot of connections and perseverance.

Now, let's say you have been the odds and have gotten your original Civil War - era screenplay sold. This screenplay is a historical with authentic language and scenes. And again, for argument's sake, let's say that get to do the re - writes. Do you get to see your dream of re - creating the world as it was? Not necessarily. After the producer and director have gotten through with your re - writes, you see your story completely altered. The authentic dialog is altered to more contemporary language. The scenes are altered. The battlefields change.

When production starts, the weapons master cannot find Spencer rifles. All he can find are Krag - Jorgensons. The production company cannot afford to ship everyone out to Antietam for the battle. So, the battle gets to be filmed in San Fernando Valley. The authentic Zourve uniforms you wrote in your screenplay become standard Civil War blue uniforms. All this for a salary of a measly $15,000 to $20,000.

Now, in the end, who gets the blame for the changes? You, the writer, get the blame. You get the blame for the changes. You get the blame when the uniforms and weapons are not correct. You get the blame for the unprofitable production. Do you get the credit if everything goes right? No. The stars, producer, and the director get all that credit.

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