The Insecure Screenwriter - Weekly Newsletter #0

Hello everyone, and thanks so much again for subscribing to this newsletter.

I’m really happy that it seems to resonate with people - and even better, someone actually sent in questions! Honestly, I was worried no one would.

I’m calling this Newsletter 0, since it’s the very first one. For this one time, I’ll also leave it open on my blog so new readers can see what it looks like before signing up. This issue is going out on a Wednesday, but from now on I’ll aim to deliver these on Monday mornings.

We’ve got 2 questions this time. Quick note: if you don’t want your real first name or country included, just let me know when you send a question and I’ll happily make something up - as you’ll see below.

Let’s get cracking.

QUESTION 1

From Willow in Sunnydale

“What do you do when you’re stuck around the middle of the story? You know how to begin, and you picture the ending, but you’ve got nothing in between?”

Great question, Willow - and to be honest, I got a little stuck just trying to answer it. The reason is that there are so many possible causes, and often when you’re in the middle of it, you can’t see why.

My first instinct when I get stuck is usually… to freeze. To wait until inspiration strikes. The classic “I can’t fail at something I don’t start.”

(For the record, I’m currently a bit stuck myself with a TV outline.)

The simple answer is: keep going. The beautiful thing about writing is you can always rewrite - and you will, anyway - so why not get something down?

I’m going to assume you’re working on something longer than a short film. (A short is about the only form where I’d feel fine skipping the prep phase.) If you already know your ending, then you’re probably doing some form of prep - a synopsis, outline, or treatment. If not, that might actually be the solution.

But let’s assume you are. You’ve got your beginning and your ending, and now you’re staring at the middle - which, in most cases, is the story itself.

This is often the “seed” of the idea. So I’d ask: what got you excited about it in the first place? And what’s missing now that made it stop being exciting?

Think about the audience. What do they want to know at this point in the story? What do they need to know? That curiosity is what keeps them engaged. If that’s unclear, the middle will sag - because there’s no urgency.

For example, right now I’m wrestling with a TV episode where the audience doesn’t have a clear question to hold onto, so the whole thing feels like it has no momentum. To save time, I’m still laying out the scenes I know I need - even though I know it doesn’t quite work yet. It will save me time later.

Here are a few tricks you can try:

Ask: what is the main question the audience wants answered as you enter this section?

Try cutting out the middle and going straight to the ending. Maybe that opens up new possibilities - even if you go back to the original plan.

Flip your plan: whatever you had the character do in this section, have them do the opposite. It doesn’t always work, but sometimes it unlocks things.

Check whether your “middle” rests on a plot point that doesn’t have enough urgency to carry it. If so, that’s the real issue.

Without more detail, it’s hard to give a step-by-step solution, but my honest answer to “what do I do when I’m stuck?” is this:

I just keep going.

Good luck with your project.

QUESTION 2

From Andy in the UK

“Spec script sales are growing in Hollywood. Do you foresee this trend extending into the UK/Europe anytime soon?”

I’ve seen those reports too - and yes, “write your spec” is always good advice. But I don’t think we’ll see the same trend in Europe.

The UK and Europe are, in this sense, closer to Iceland: films are mostly dependent on public funding and co-productions rather than the commercial model of the US. Which makes buying a spec outright here a much riskier investment.

That said, specs are still valuable. Mainly for two reasons:

Proof you can write - which can lead to paid commissions.

They can be optioned - with writers often getting most of the payment only once production actually begins.

But big, outright spec sales? I don’t think that’s going to become common in the UK or Europe.

Thank you so much for your questions - and I look forward to more.

You can use this link to send them along.

Happy writing.

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