The “secret.”
You can follow that word with just about anything: the secret to success, wealth, a bestselling novel, a feature film, a distribution deal, even a marriage. But for now, let’s focus on the screenplay the one you’re writing, the one that could take you where you want to go.
Like you, I’ve grown numb to all the people clamoring about having the secret to “making it” in the entertainment industry. The funny thing? You’ve probably never even heard of them or their work. Yet somehow, they’re offering you this valuable opportunity for a very low price, of course.
Here’s the truth: if anyone actually had this “secret,” they wouldn’t share it. They’d hoard it. They’d clutch it until they were immortalized in Hollywood, crowned as the voice of their generation. No one with genuine knowledge of what society wants to consume would spill it online for $29.95.
(Was that too cynical? I’ll do better next time.)
The Problem with Chasing Trends
I’ve heard it all before: follow the trends, write what’s hot, aim for what buyers are looking for. But here’s the problem by the time you finish your screenplay about a murderous clown, the market will have already moved on to demon possession. Trends are quicksand. By the time you’re standing on one, it’s already sinking.
I recently watched a video where a “Hollywood insider” said the secret was to write what scares you. At first I thought he meant horror, but no he meant crossing boundaries you wouldn’t normally cross.
I get it. Everyone is different. Every writer has their quirks, their rituals, their little tricks to push through the hard parts. God knows I’ve got mine.
But the truth?
Passion is the Only Real “Secret”
The greatest stories the ones that actually break through aren’t written to chase a trend. They’re born out of passion. Out of obsession. Out of a writer who couldn’t not tell that story.
Sit down at your desk, open your laptop, and write what you’re passionate about. Will it always lead to success? No. But if you do manage to catch lightning in a bottle if your story connects with the world. It will be because it came from you. Not from tricks. Not from schemes.
Look at the biggest independent films year after year, decade after decade. They almost always come from unknowns. They’re deeply personal. They’re raw. They stand out precisely because they weren’t written by committee or designed to mimic last year’s box office hit.
The more corporate the project, the more collaboration, the more watered-down the result. That’s how you end up with staggeringly average stories.
The Takeaway
Stand up for yourself. Write bold stories. Ignore the snake-oil salesmen who claim to know the one true “secret.” The only real secret is this: care deeply about the story you’re telling, and then have the persistence to see it through.
And if someone does want you to compromise? Make sure they’re paying you seven figures first. (Lol.)
