Ask the Coach: How Can I Stop Self-Doubt From Stopping Me? – On Script Mag

In this month’s “Ask the Coach” article, I’m responding to a question from a reader about self-doubt and feeling like an impostor or not a “real” writer.

Dear Jenna, I keep feeling like I’m not a “real” writer and that I’ll never be good enough. But I want to write! How do I keep my self-doubt and feeling like an impostor from affecting my writing and creativity?

Feeling like an impostor or not a “real” writer is tough. It can even feel like maybe you’re not allowed to pursue this career you want. But every writer starts out from not being a writer. Some start earlier, some later, but we all start somewhere.

Many writers think we can’t call ourselves writers until we are sold, optioned, hired, produced, or published, and stick words like “aspiring” in front of the word “writer” until reaching one of those states, almost as a way of atoning for the temerity in adopting the identity at all.

In my response, I discuss:

  • Writing regularly as an antidote to feeling like a writing impostor.
  • Claiming your identity as a writer with the words, “I am,” while also taking the actions to back it up.
  • Seeing your access to the challenges of being human as a tool for helping you develop deeper characters.
  • Working with a compassionate mentor.
  • Framing what you’re telling yourself about writing and about who you are as a writer.

What are you telling yourself about writing and about who you are as a writer, and is that story serving you? If not, tell a better story. 

 

Want the full scoop? Get all the details in the full article on Script Mag:
 
 
 
If you’ve got writing questions, please send them my way!
I’d love to answer them for you in my column.
 

Ask the Coach: How Do I Set Goals While Recovering From Burnout? – On Script Mag

In this month’s “Ask the Coach” article, I’m responding to a question from a reader about setting goals for the new year while also recovering from burnout. 

Hi Jenna, it’s the start of the year, and I know it’s past time to sort out my writing goals for 2024, but I’m (still) recovering from burnout and I worry about pushing myself too far. I’m writing on spec, so I don’t have deadlines I have to meet, just a sense that I need to get work out into the world ASAP. What suggestions do you have for making the most of writing this year, while also continuing to recover. Thank you! ~ One Burned Out Writer

It’s no small task, and as someone who’s been in a similar situation, I know it takes as long as it takes. Many writers, creatives, and entrepreneurs around me seem to be experiencing similar circumstances. I’m seeing quite a few thought-leaders advising against pushing hard on the goal-setting front this year.

Whether your burnout is personal, writing-related, or because of the happenings of the broader world, taking the time you need to recover is critical to your ability to generate your best work. So do give the gift of recovery to yourself.

In my response, I discuss:

  • trusting yourself and your intuition with goal setting
  • focusing on what would feel good to you over deadlines and SMART goals
  • focusing on the practices, habits, or rituals you’d like to have in place around your writing
  • guiding your writing while recuperating by intuition rather than force
  • allowing time for “sideways drift”

Thankfully, writing is not incompatible with recuperation. I would argue that writing is a critical part of how we heal and find ourselves again, if we have the patience and willingness to stay with it. 

 

Want the full scoop? Get all the details in the full article on Script Mag:
 
 
 
If you’ve got writing questions, please send them my way!
I’d love to answer them for you in my column.
 

Ask the Coach: On Pacing & Structure with Screenwriter Jeff Howard – On Script Mag

In this month’s “Ask the Coach” article, I’m addressing two similar but separate questions from readers about building to a climax and keeping a story moving with help from guest expert Jeff Howard.

Question 1: How do I build tension toward a climax using structure and pacing?

Question 2: How do I combine actions with dialogue to keep the story moving?

Here are the recommendations Jeff discusses for building tension using structure and pacing, then about using dialogue to keep a story moving.

  • Tighten pacing with a shorter “second half.”
  • Design tension with your outline.
  • Earn your climax with your second act.
  • Use dialogue as “frosting” on the cake of your script.

 

…if you want to build to an exciting climax, you’ve got to mirror it with the first act and you’ve got to plan how to get there.
— Jeff Howard

 

Want the full scoop? Get all the details in the full article on Script Mag:
 
 
 
If you’ve got writing questions, please send them my way!
I’d love to answer them for you in my column.
 

Ask the Coach: On Character Development & Arc with Screenwriter Jeff Howard – On Script Mag

In this month’s “Ask the Coach” article, I’m addressing — with help from Screenwriter Jeff Howard (‘Midnight Mass,’  ‘Haunting of Hill House,’  ‘Oculus,’  ‘Ouija: Origin of Evil,’  ‘Gerald’s Game’) — two similar but separate questions from readers about character arc and character development:

Question 1: How to develop a character arc that is consistent with the story?

Question 2: How to continue developing your characters throughout the story?

Here are the main insights discussed in response:

  • Character or plot first?
  • Imagine your plot and character together from the start.
  • Intertwine character and action early.
  • Don’t worry about ‘core wounds,’ etc.
  • Think of your character as a real human being — always trying to win.
  • See character as living through the eyes of another person.
  • Embrace action and character as one and the same.

 

To me, good character work is living within the moment of what’s happening — the actual moments of the story — not laying some construct of life-changing stuff on top of your story. 
— Jeff Howard

 

Want the full scoop? Get all the details in the full article on Script Mag:
 
 
 
If you’ve got writing questions, please send them my way!
I’d love to answer them for you in my column.
 
Image of an open laptop with script text on the screen. A pair of hands hover over the keyboard.

Ask the Coach: Odds & Ends: Getting Started with Screenwriting & More – On Script Mag

In this month’s “Ask the Coach” article, I’m addressing a collection of shorter questions from writers wondering about getting started with screenwriting, writing and learning screenwriting in another country, getting an MFA, and finding other screenwriters.

My responses include:

  • Steps to begin exploring and learning screenwriting
  • Tips for finding writing mentors
  • How to evaluate whether an MFA program could be a good fit
  • The challenge of the term thick skinned
  • Where to find writing groups online, especially for screenwriters

There really are no “shoulds” with writing. There are so many paths forward, and it’s about choosing what resonates with you the most.

 

Want the full scoop? Get all the details in the full article on Script Mag:
 
 
 
If you’ve got writing questions, please send them my way!
I’d love to answer them for you in my column.
 

Ask the Coach: 6 Antidotes for Self-Doubt in Writing – On Script Mag

In this month’s “Ask the Coach” article, I’m addressing a set of questions from a reader about managing self-doubt in writing.

“[My] fear of failure has several prongs for me:

1. What if no one likes my writing? I’m trying to make it as truthful as it is filled with emotion and colorful descriptions, but maybe it’s just me because I relate to it all.

2. I’m currently writing a memoir that involves some memories of my parents and their failures — but good memories also. I feel guilty/disloyal for writing about their failures, but to some extent that’s where the strength of the story lies.

3. What I create in my head as I’m falling asleep never seems to be as great when I put it into my computer.

4. I suffer off and on with imposter syndrome, but I usually like what I write in the end.”

This is a set of challenging questions so many writers wrestle with. It reads to me like issues of self-doubt more than a fear of failure, though the two are intertwined.

First let me say this: In working with writers all over the world, being a writer myself, and reading first-hand accounts of seasoned, professional writers, so many if not all writers deal with self-doubt and fear much of the time (including me).

Here are the 6 antidotes I discuss in my response:

  1. Use self-doubt as a clue that what you’re working on is important.
  2. Trust that truth transcends differences.
  3. Ask yourself empowering questions.
  4. With memoir, write for yourself first.
  5. Embrace the vision while also welcoming imperfection.
  6. Trust the process.

The real key to all of this is learning to manage the doubts and the fears so they don’t stop you from writing, and so that they don’t make the experience of writing miserable along the way, by triggering overwhelming negative self-talk, habitual procrastination, perfectionism, and even shame.

 

Want the full scoop? Get all the details in the full article on Script Mag:
 
 
 
If you’ve got writing questions, please send them my way!
I’d love to answer them for you in my column.
 

Ask the Coach: 7 Tips for Getting Back to Writing After Summer – On Script Mag

With the start of school and fall on the horizon, there’s this energy many of us naturally connect to that feels motivating and inspiring to start new things, take action, get organized, and make things happen. Lean into this energy and let it buoy you toward the momentum and progress you’re wanting.

In this month’s “Ask the Coach” article, I’m addressing a question regarding getting back to writing after summertime.

“My kids are starting school again. (Whew! Ack!) Truth be told, it’s been hard to write this summer with so much going on between family vacations and organizing summer camps. How can I regain my momentum after a rocky summer, writing-wise?”

Hey, good question! Many screenwriter-parent types are asking ourselves similar questions right now. Whether you’ve been writing intermittently, or not at all, the good news is that as your kids head to their classrooms, you can tap into the “back-to-school” energy they’ll be experiencing too.

And this is true whether or not you’re a parent. There’s a natural activation energy that arises in the fall and spring in particular, so this is a smart time to revisit your writing practice and give it a refresh if needed.

Here are the 7 steps I discuss in my response:

  1. Remind yourself to treat writing like a pro.
  2. At the same time, allow writing to be fun and joyful.
  3. Lean into the back-to-school activation energy.
  4. Revisit your writing practice.
  5. Remember, you can ramp up gradually.
  6. Keep going to keep going.
  7. Be ready to adapt.
Want the full scoop? Get all the details in the full article on Script Mag:
 
 
 
If you’ve got writing questions, please send them my way!
I’d love to answer them for you in my column.
 

Dig Deep, Write Brave – I’m Speaking at The Writing Brave Summit

I’m delighted to share that I’ll be a speaker at The Writing Brave Summit * hosted by Brooke Adams Law (author of Catchlight and founder of Writing Brave, a book coaching and publishing company). 

This virtual event focused on helping you channel the book that’s inside you runs from June 13th to 16th and is free to attend live.

Join the Summit to learn from expert speakers and industry leaders who will share their knowledge, experience, and insights on topics including:

  • Writing from your body + your heart, instead of solely from your head
  • Overcoming academic trauma and reclaiming the power of your voice
  • Creating powerful writing routines
  • Harnessing the power of your intuition in marketing
  • Trauma-informed writing
  • Making your life as an artist
  • And many more!

The summit will take place over four days and feature live and pre-recorded sessions. (My session is pre-recorded.) You’ll have the chance to connect with fellow writers and learn from some of the best in the craft.

It’s free if you want to attend all the sessions live (with a 24-hour replay); you can also elect to purchase the all-access pass, which means you get the recordings forever, plus lots of terrific bonuses, including exclusive offers from speakers. (I’m including my course Make This Your Year to Write as a free bonus for all-access pass ticket holders.)

Join us for the Writing Brave Summit * and take your writing to the next level.

 

* This is a referral link, which means I earn a 50% commission if you purchase after clicking, and which I appreciate very much. It helps me keep the writing ship afloat. :) 

Ask the Coach: On Finding a Manager & Meeting Producers (After the Strike) – On Script Mag

In this month’s “Ask the Coach” article, I’m addressing two questions regarding finding representation and connecting with producers (and some notes about navigating these appropriately during the Writer’s Guild strike).

Here are some of the action steps I discuss in my response:

  • Do the research to find the companies and individuals that are a good fit. (With recommended resources.)
  • Look for ways to connect.
  • Nurture relationships over time.
  • Build your own overall network of industry contacts that may naturally lead to an introduction at some point.

Focus on genuinely connecting with managers you think could be a good fit for you and your work. Follow them. Read what they post. Respond authentically when appropriate. Help out with something they’re looking for. Relationships evolve organically when nurtured over time. Keep an eye out for an opportunity to work together to arise, naturally.

Want the full scoop? There are more details in the full article on Script Mag: 
Ask the Coach: On Finding a Manager & Meeting Producers (After the Strike)

 
 
 
If you’ve got writing questions, please send them my way!
I’d love to answer them for you in my column.
 

Ask the Coach: Finding the Line with Scene Descriptions – On Script Mag

In this month’s “Ask the Coach” article, I’m responding to two questions about writing scene descriptions, including seeing it as an opportunity for your voice to shine, and where to draw the line with what to include and what to leave out.

Here are the main points I discuss in my response:

  • Scene descriptions can be a delightful way to design your pages.
  • Scene descriptions are a place where your voice gets to shine.
  • Include thoughts and emotions in scene descriptions sparingly.
  • Focus on what’s truly important to the story when writing descriptions.

Writing scene descriptions offers a unique opportunity for screenwriters to feature their voice, style, and creativity. Allow it to come through with all the choices you make, while striking the balance between creating the blueprint for the visual, cinematic world of your story, keeping your writing open and flowing on the page, and giving your readers and audience insights into the depths of your characters and the critical information they need to follow the story.

Want the full scoop? There are more details in the full article on Script Mag: 
Ask the Coach: Finding the Line with Scene Descriptions


 
 
 
If you’ve got writing questions, please send them my way!
I’d love to answer them for you in my column.
 
Photo by Ron Lach on Pexels