Push up your Stock Price

As I was reading Unk's blog yesterday he proposed a site for screenwriting advice contributed to by fellow bloggers. A grand idea, I must say. But how can I help with that, I thought? I haven't even finished my own work let alone helping someone else along with theirs. I even touched on that in the comments of his post. But I'll expand on that in a moment.

It got me to thinking though about a Creative Screenwriting article I read some time ago... You have to excuse me if I'm loose on the details about which article it was but it made a interesting point about viewing being a screenwriter like you do your real job. I'm sorry your paying job.

So 40 hours a week (or more) you do your work to bring the company more dough or customers or whatever it takes to make the company prosper. The article went on to say you need to become the boss (no more checking out the new games at Armor Games) and crack the whip to the screenwriter in you. Because your company needs screenplays to prosper. And your company doesn't want just any screenplays they want the best screenplays.

I think I can expand that metaphor some myself. What does having the best do for a company? Good products lead to a better profit margin, sure. But there has to be more than that. Even more--it drives up your stock. Another good day on the stock market. Others will profit for the reliability of your company. And if that company is making screenplays, so be it. Sometimes this analogy has helped me to realize what I am really doing here.

Getting back to Unk's blog, I think not only are you the company yourself, producing your product of screenplays, but screenwriters as a whole are the company. You have to think of yourself as one of the stores in a chain (maybe not so much the Wal-Mart of screenplays--cause we want to treat our employees better.) If one store falters, the whole chain feels it.

With what Unk is putting out to all of us is helping the newbies while we help ourselves. This part will also drive up our stock cause before we had this job we had to learn it to some degree like interns soaking up every detail every nuance related to the job. The learning curve is huge for a screenwriter. New ideas, concepts, genres and so on pop up every day not to mention your id sitting on your shoulder whispering the next great idea for a screenplay... It still happens. I have to admit I'm like Unk: I love movies 24/7--just ask my disgruntled wife ( please don't that could go on for awhile) and so I'm always on the prowl for screenwriting and movie stuff all the time.

But, as it goes, it's a job and even that stuff can make us not the best workers in the company. I know I've had way too many sick days and I should have been let go some time ago.

Thanks Unk for cooling me down and giving me pause to think more about what your grand idea is.

Okay, break's over...gotta get back to work.