Hey Javi! I just had a couple of quick questions for you. I consider myself a writer. I say this because I've done it my whole life, (even in elementary school I wrote what I fancied were "novels" ) - not because I'm actually paid to do so, I majored in creative writing with a minor in film at USC, and I'm currently at the Los Angeles Film School majoring in directing with a minor in screenwriting and hopefully some editing too. I've written a pilot, and a I have a few screenplays and script outlines, etc. What I'm wondering is when or how did you know that you were ready to get out there and go for an agent, and writing jobs, or however you got your start? Did you always want to do tv versus film? I find that I'm my own worst critic and I don't want to ever show anyone important my stuff, because if it sucks, then there goes my chance. I've been interning at a production company doing coverage, and I know my stuff is better than alot of the crap people send out, but still... When you finish something, do you have the confidence to believe it's genius, or are there always things you wish you could fix? And if there are, how do/did you get over that hurdle?

wow - ok, let me try to eat this elephant one bite at a time...

...first of all, tv and film are two different animals. you need to decide which you want to do and focus on that one -- writing a pilot when you're starting out, while a good exercise, is not necessarily the best way to go. the conventional wisdom is that you should write spec teleplays in order to demonstrate that you can articulate your own unique voice while executing the format of an established show. how did i know i was ready? i didn't, i was young and arrogant enough never to doubt whether i was. honestly, you need to be able to take a fearless moral inventory of your work and figure out if it has the breadth to sustain an agent trying to sell your services -- as in, your agent sends out a spec teleplay you wrote, the executive producer reads it but wants to see something else -- do you have something else? other scripts that show your range as a writer? can an agent go out and truthfully say that if you were put on the staff of a show that you would be able to execute the format of the show and still bring something of your own to the table?

and a script is never finished. you have to have the wisdom to know when you have learned everything you could from one project and need to move to the next one in order to challenge yourself. otherwise you could get stuck working on the same thing forever (a diesase common to many writers)!

i hoope that covers it - thanks for the question!

ja
vi

Wow, thanks for answering my question, and so soon too! Your answers were really helpful. I worked on a major television drama for about 4 years and had the chance to see some of what the writers go through. I'm pretty sure I'm a film writer more than TV. Which is why I'm going to film school. The pilot just kind of happened, and I thought I should go ahead and write it even if I never do anything more than have it as a sample. You've given me something to think about. School is really helping to develop my sense of confidence and of what kind of writer I am. I'm constantly having to step outside my box and try new things story and structurewise. This is pointless, I'm rambling. I just wanted to tell you I really really appreciate you taking the time to answer my questions. Keep up the fascinating (albeit frustrating) work on Lost!