From Concrete to Cannes: How to go from hard hat to film brat!
This op-ed is written by Saskatchewan screenwriter, Mike Ede.
As I stare at this blank page wondering how to start off this Op-ed for the Saskatchewan Arts Alliance (Thank you BTW Jessica) I ponder…why would anyone want to read what I have to say? No…really! I’ve never written one of these before!
What could an almost 50-year-old, Saskatchewan-ite, who by day Manages roadway construction crews, but moonlights as an award-winning screenwriter (so weird to say), bring to paper that would be worth reading?
More so, how does an arguably “normal” everyday dude get into the world of screenwriting in the first place while managing a regular 9-5’er? The answer isn’t an easy one! Sorry, but not everyone’s path is the same. In fact, most writers I’ve had the pleasure of meeting have taken a completely different path to get to where they are with varying success. So, I will do my best to unpack my story the only way I know how…by giving you as much advice as possible before my time is up, because let me tell you…it’s been a wild journey so far, but I wouldn’t change a damn second of it!
But I will warn you. If you show even the slightest bit of interest in this op-ed, you’ll likely come out of it with one single thought. “If this weirdo can do it, why can’t I?” Which is exactly my goal!
THE TOUGH PART – Every writer when starting out has a regular 9-5 job that they fit their “writing time” around. For some, this may be the easy part. For me…not at all! When I write, I feel guilty. Not because my family makes me feel this way, because the best part is…they don’t! The guilt comes from the fact that I enjoy doing things with them, and time is the one thing none of us have enough of (sorry to get heavy, but it’s fact!). How do I manage to fit my writing time in without the guilt, you ask? Actually, I do it much like I’m doing this op-ed…on an airplane heading to a prestigious film festival to collect another award for my screenplay work! Not bragging at all, because trust me…this still feels very foreign to me but I am proud of how far I’ve come in such a short amount of time.
TURN OFF WORK & FIND YOUR ZEN – For me, my Zen is not work! I know, weird right! How could road construction not be your Sweet-Spot? LOL. My bliss is my basement! I surround myself with inspiring art work and geek memorabilia. In my opinion, nothing gets you over a creative “hump” more then having a painting of Igor from Young Frankenstein staring down at you. Igor: “What hump?”
Sorry…I forgot to warn you before starting this. I speak in mainly movie quotes, so I hope I don’t lose you.
Some people write in public! Coffee shops, mall food courts, wherever. Sometimes this stuff just writes itself. But if that doesn’t work for you just keep something close by to keep notes in. Especially when you wake up! Dreams tend to be a gateway for creatives as well, so stay tuned into those. Listen, if you’ve read this far…then congratulations, you’re already ahead of most, or at least where I was when I started. Which was right around the time the world went into lockdown, 2020. As my wife and I settled in to binge-watch another episode of Tiger King (I know!), a feeling came over me: “I can write a better show than this!” To which my wife quickly said “Then do it!” I retorted that I didn’t even know how, to which she tossed back: “Well, not with that attitude you don’t!”. Was she challenging me!? Of course she was. It’s what great partners do. Challenge accepted.
GET YOUR TOOLS THEN GO AFTER YOUR GOAL – I started to read everything I could get my hands on that had to do with scriptwriting (yes…even that one about the cat!), then downloaded a screenwriting program and started writing. I use FinalDraft. I then hammered out my first horror feature screenplay called Those Things, which I entered into some screenwriting festivals. These do cost money so be conscious of the spend. Festivals are a business, choose the ones that will help you reach your goals, because there are scams. DO YOUR RESEARCH!
I then took a university course on scriptwriting. Why? Because the feedback I was getting from the festivals was…this story is great, but my formatting was all over the place!
PUT IN THE WORK – After acing my course, I took my new found knowledge and just pounded out screenplays. It didn’t matter the genre. I wrote horror, comedy, sci-fi, western, fantasy, and even a rom-com! I switched between shorts, features and even wrote some television pilots. Whatever my brain could conjure up, I wrote it. The more, the better.
And that’s when the awards started coming in. Seriously! They’d just show up in the mail. My son would bring in a package and yell “Dad! I think it’s another trophy for you!” This is when it really started to hit home. Maybe I could be successful at this?
FIND YOUR VOICE – Where do my ideas come from you wonder? I create from a mix of my own life experiences and I make up stories that I’ve always wanted to see on the big screen, because one thing to remember is: “write stories YOU want to read!” For me, great characters are where I write from. I want my characters to be complex, but fun. Interesting, but ridiculous. And most importantly…relatable! So much so that actors drool over the opportunity to play them.
LET PEOPLE READ YOUR WORK! – Seriously! They’re NOT GOING TO STEAL YOUR IDEA! I mean…they could! But you’re going to copyright your stuff beforehand, just Google how! Remember this about readers though: “They‘re not always going to like your work,” so, get over it. Just because someone doesn’t like your story, doesn’t mean it’s bad. You just need to find your audience. Once you do…it’ll be worth all the hard work!
Has any of this sunk in yet? It’s hard, sure, but the best things in life usually are!
Quick recap:
Carve out time to write. Anywhere and anytime, as long as it’s safe to do so.
Get the tools and go after it! You can write in any program, but whatever works for you. No laptop, no worries. Pen and paper have worked for centuries!
Put in the work! Write everything and anything. All formats and lengths. Why? Because if someone ends up liking your work, they’re going to want to read more and you better have more! Nobody gets famous off their first piece of work.
Let people read it! How on earth is anyone famous going to find you if no one has read your stuff?
Fine tune your craft! Re-writing is brutal, but necessary! Just when you think it’s perfect, it’s not. But that’s ok.
GET YOUR WORK OUT THERE – Social media is your friend. Well, maybe not, but it’s a way to get your name (and work) all over the world, so embrace it. Also, search for local shows or festivals and attend! Networking is key. They need to put a face to the work.
Now…last but certainly not least…
BE FRIENDLY! You could write the best screenplay ever written, but if you’re an A-Hole nobody will want to work with you. The industry is full of horrors, but if you stay diligent (and curious), you’ll find there are many others navigating the same rough waters as you, so be kind! I had a few mentors help me a long the way and I’ll never forget that.
Well, that’s it…you’ve heard my advice, now go, create! Your story may have been told before, but remember…it hasn’t been from YOUR point of view! We’re all uniquely imperfect. Lean into that and write the next best movie only YOU can!
Thanks for sticking around and if you see me in the wild just know…I’m still a boring 9 to 5’er, but I’ve managed to find a way to dream out loud, and my ten-year-old self wouldn’t change it for the world.
Mike out.
