Rejection Unscripted

I wanted to start this blog by talking about something that ALL writers must go through:

Rejection.

Everyone has a taste of rejection at some point in their lives; whether it's socially, at school or in the workplace. While rejection is inherently negative; it remains an important component for the writing process and the development of the writer.

So, how can we turn something inherently negative into something beneficial?

Photo by Anthony Tran on Unsplash

It is no secret that rejection can sting. In this sense, it becomes easy for a writer to slip into the initial thought process of "I must be a bad writer" and "I'm not good enough".

I'd be lying if I said that I've never had similar thoughts.

However, it is essential to remember that rejection is about your work and it is not usually anything personal against you as an individual. Writing is subjective and perhaps your work just does not fit in with what that individual or company wants. Think of it like when you watch a trailer for a new film - if you are someone who does not like romance films, then it is highly unlikely that you are going to sit through The Notebook (2004). Everyone has different tastes and it is something to be mindful of when submitting your script to anyone.

Alternatively, being rejected from one opportunity can open the door for another. For instance, if you pitched the same script to another individual or company then it might be precisely what they are looking for. If this opportunity does not happen straight away then there is still time. It's all about persistence.

Let's have a look at a few of the most successful scripts that got rejected multiple times before they were given a golden opportunity:

Pulp Fiction (1994) - Quentin Tarrantino

Pulp Fiction (1994)

Quentin Tarrantino had trouble finding a studio that was willing to produce Pulp Fiction (1994) and very few studios were willing to touch the script. It was once dubbed "The worst thing ever written." by TriStar. Fortunately for Tarrantino, Miramax picked it up and the film went on to be one of the most influential films of the 1990s.

The Usual Suspects (1995) - Christopher McQuarrie

The Usual Suspects (1995)

The Usual Suspects (1995) was rejected numerous times by studios due to its unconventional narrative structure. McQuarrie ended up writing a total of nine different drafts until a European financing company agreed to help. The script is now listed by the Writer’s Guild of America as the 35th greatest screenplay of all time.

Casablanca (1942) - Chuck Ross

Casablanca (1942)

Casablanca was not initially rejected, but screenwriter Chuck Ross decided to conduct his own experiment by sending the completed screenplay (30 years after it was made into a film) to 217 movie agents. He re-titled the script to “Everybody Comes to Rick’s” and sought to find out what feedback he would receive. He found that 38 of the 217 agencies rejected the script. Some of the feedback that he received claimed that there was "too much dialogue” and that the narrative was “too weak.”.

If Tarrantino or McQuarrie decided that they were going to give up after their first rejection, then the stories that they had written would never have been told onscreen. These screenwriters have been successful because they did not give up after the first negative review of their script. Instead, they decided to continue trying and eventually found someone that was willing to tell their story. In Ross's case, it just goes to show that not all agencies are going to read a script in the same way.

Truth be told, there will always be someone who does not like your script, but that is no reason to give up. Even some of the most successful scripts have their critics.

Photo by Christin Hume on Unsplash

In some cases, rejection comes with feedback. It can be a valuable tool for you as a writer to receive an honest critique of your work. It may sound daunting listening to the reasons why your script did not get chosen, but it is essential that you do, so that you know what areas you may need to take another look at. Remember that criticism is constructive and not destructive. Critiques are used as a learning curb to help you improve your writing. They help you to identify possible weaknesses in your script and could change the story for the better.

Photo by Jude Beck on Unsplash

No matter how many times your script gets rejected, whether that is once or numerous times, it is important to always keep trying because one 'yes' can make all the difference.