Except for piles of paper dutifully bound in industry-standard #5 Brads, my main contribution to the filmmaking world was organizing, running, propping up and babysitting a screenwriter's group in my city.  

This Was a Serious Group!

At the zenith, I had more than 250 people on a mailing list, was bringing in guest speakers from around the country, and branched out into such endeavors as readings and even -gasp!- production.  Big mistake, production.  Should have left well enough alone.

Running the group was a TON of work.  But work I enjoyed.    

Six years I ran the group.  Every first Saturday of the month was the main meeting.  There we did guest lectures, panel discussions, talked about how to craft certain scenes, how to make characters work, etc...  

Works-In-Progress

The third Wednesday of the month was our works-in-progress meeting.  There we went over actual scripts, talked through the stories and characters, and generally sought to make the work better through positive feedback.

The Danger Zone...

There is a danger in getting involved with a Group.  It's not what you might think it is, not what most people expect, but very real.  For anyone thinking of, or planning to, or involved with a Group, here's some advice...

A Group Is Not The Business!

The single best reason to join a Writer's Group is the feedback you'll get on your work.  The socializing aspect quickly gains ground as friendships are made, we get caught up in each other's lives, and a sense of community builds over time.

As much as I thought I was busy doing things to further my screenwriting, I came to this conclusion:  the Group is NOT the business of screenwriting.  Groups are for feedback and support, yet the support can be addictive.  

Gimme More...

Support is great, it can get you past a tough rejection, point you toward writing material that you are meant to write and make you feel as though you are not alone in the endless quest for the perfect query letter.  

But the Group will not, can not, buy your work or fulfill your goals.  It just can't, case closed.  And it is far too easy to find oneself giving more and more time to the Group while THINKING that you are actively pursuing your career.  It's a comfortable trap, a cushy prison.  You can lose YEARS.  Don't!

Don't Bite!

It's easy in a Writer's Group to let the discussion turn into a vicious slash-n-burn affair in which the weaker, less experienced writers are killed and devoured by the more experienced (jaded, angry, bitter?) veterans.  

Don't let it happen.  Demand fairness and courtesy and respect.  There's no excuse for anything else, no benefit in anything less.  

What Happened To This Guy Called Joe?

I had fulfilled my goals with the group, and where once I had  lots of energy and interest in making things happen, I found myself losing steam until I was still.  

In the end, real life beat me up, my job demanded way too much time, and  I found myself unsure if anything I could do would exceed what I had already done.  

The group was oddly a high point and low point for me.  In some ways, it was such a pleasure and made me feel good about writing that I cannot think of it in any negative way whatsoever.

God, What If This is It?

Yet in another way, because the group was the high point of my screenwriting existence... I felt like a terrible failure.  And the longer I went on as the "leader" of my devoted, sometimes desperate knot of friends and fellow writers, the more pathetic it all became.

I guess I'll be years figuring this one out.                                

"What?  I can't get more therapy this week?  ...Insurance ran out?  No way.  No way, I... wait a minute, wait a minute... isn't there someone I can talk to?  Someone cheaper?  Wait, I didn't mean it that way.  Hello?  Hello?!"

NEW!  Joe's "Revelation" about why he failed...
It's a page that could change your life.