First off, let’s address
the issue of talent or no talent. Do you
have talent at all?
Here’s the good news: Most scripts I read show some talent. So yes.
You probably have some talent!
The bad news is: Even really talented writers have to struggle to write
a script that works.
And now for more good
news: Identifying the type of talent you
have can help you focus on the right projects and give you a better chance of
succeeding.
Two
Different Types of Talent
There
are two types of talent in screenwriting: Horizontal and Vertical.
Horizontal
Talent
Movie execs need to worry
about popularity. Popular stories generate big revenues.
Writers need to worry
about it too. It’s hard to win major
contests unless multiple judges respond positively to your script. And it’s certainly not easy to get anything
sold (at least to the major studios) unless multiple industry players agree on
the quality of your efforts.
But does popularity equal
talent?
It’s a kind of talent, but
it’s not the only kind. The ability to
get most people to think your writing is “pretty good” (the ability to be
popular) is what I call “horizontal talent”.
Popularity has its
advantages, but there’s another kind of talent:
Vertical Talent
“Vertical talent” is the
ability to get a reasonable chunk of people, say 25%, to think your script is
“amazing” or “truly special”.
Charlie Kaufman is a
classic example of a vertical talent.
His movies are not overwhelmingly popular, but those who like them
absolutely love them.
Which Are You?
Both types of talent can
lead to success, but it’s important to ask yourself which type you lean
toward.
The more vertical your
talent is, the more you’ll need to keep your budget low and focus on “indie”
markets.
The more horizontal your
talent is, the more you’ll want to focus on business aspects such as genre
popularity and buying trends.
Wait, There’s A Third Kind
of Talent
This blog is taking an
unexpected twist. There’s a surprise
third talent.
What is this mysterious
third type of screenwriting ability? I’ll
give you a hint:
It’s your job to push each
script as far as it can go, both in terms of its popular appeal and its
artistic excellence. It doesn’t matter
if it takes you ten drafts. If you can
get to a script that works, you’ll be proclaimed a great talent.
The third – and most
important – kind of talent is something called “grit”. Grit is simple; it’s trying hard,
consistently, for a long time.
In the end, it’s about
effort: writing multiple drafts of multiple scripts, getting feedback and
responding to that feedback.
Without grit, neither
vertical nor horizontal talent is likely to sustain you.
But if you know yourself
as a writer and then lock on to your career with a bite that won’t let go, your
chances of success will be great!
