Hits, Misses, Awards, and Flops: Professional Writing -- A Constant Lesson In Humility

Most writers have felt it -- “they love my work” -- “they hate it” -- “they’re going to produce it” -- “they killed it” -- learning to live with the ups and downs of acceptance and rejection is a major obstacle that most writers need to conquer -- developing the proverbial thick skin -- making a commitment to keep on writing despite the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune -- on October 1st I'll be discussing this theme with members of the Palm Springs Writeres Guild. For sake of illustration I’ll highlight some of my own slings and arrows during my professional writing career -- having my portfolio rejected by many advertising agencies before landing a copywriter job at legendary Ogilvy & Mather -- countless Hollywood producers turning down my spec scripts before landing writing assignments at Paramount, MGM, Warner Bros -- writing and producing one of the all-time favorite television shows only to have my next two pilot scripts relegated to the scrap heap.  I’ll tell what it’s like to write and re-write scripts for icons like Bill Cosby, Danny Kaye, Sammy Davis Jr. -- waiting in the wings during my first stage play hoping that Milton Berle, Sid Caesar, and the rest of the audience laugh at the right places.  One day rave reviews the next day ughs -- one day multi-script deals the next day book rejections – one day fifty million people watching my work the next day nobody.  I’ve known Tony-winning playwrights who were told by the press that they can’t write -- Oscar-winning screenwriters dumped by their agents -- Best-selling authors turned away by publishers.  Writing is unquestionably a humbling profession -- but I’ve never met a dedicated writer yet that’s quit -- we all seem to wake up the next day and start writing something new -- something different -- something better -- like every writer on earth believes, our latest work will certainly be a masterpiece.