Ryan Denham, screenwriter, director and producer, recently completed ‘exploring careers in the arts and creative industry’ at the University of Warwick. Here are his tips to help you succeed in the creative sector.
Make things…
As a student you will never have more resources (friends as crew/actors, materials from university, free time) to make whatever you want. So do it! Even when it’s terrible – ESPECIALLY when it’s terrible. It’s all experience you build as a writer, and most of all it’s fun.
Harass people…
Polite. Duh. Since the pandemic (with everyone stuck at home with no excuses to say no 😈) I’ve made a habit of constantly dropping into people’s emails and LinkedIn DMs (if I haven’t reached you yet, it’s coming ) and it literally never went bad. Some people are busy or unavailable, but 90% of people say yes to a 20-minute Zoom or a cup of coffee. It’s a great way to build a network and get some face time with people you respect and want to learn from, but only if you’re nice about it. So…
Be the kind of person you would like to meet…
The industry is huge… and small. People talk. Make sure they say good things about you. Even your classmates and teachers now. Ultimately, they will be your colleagues and references. They are the difference between your resume at the top of the pile and your resume in the trash because when asked about you, they shall be honest. Be the kind of person people want to vouch for.
Fallow trips are great…
Writers are very valuable, sensitive people, and writing is hard. Pressuring your first draft to come out like Shakespeare only guarantees that you won’t finish it. Just take out the first draft and rewrite, rewrite, rewrite. That’s where it comes together. And be kind to yourself. You are your first critic, but you are also more intimately connected to the work than any critic should be – don’t trust the voice that tells you you’re bad. Prove the opposite.
Get good at bad ideas…
Writer’s block is real, and it sucks. One of the best methods I’ve found to get past it? Improve games! You don’t have to aspire to be Ryan Stiles, but improvisation is really just the constant spontaneous generation of ideas, and that’s such a valuable skill to work on. It’s also the best way to get used to expressing ideas without “the voice” criticizing them first. That is also valuable. In a writers’ room, that’s it. All ideas add value, even the bad ideas – because they lead to good ideas. Oh, and this too Real also nice.
Be reliable…
This may be for me, but I’d always rather work with someone who meets deadlines, delivers on assignment, responds to feedback, and communicates well over someone who is a bona fide genius but an absolute liability. Of course, be both if you can, but being trustworthy is a choice YOU consciously make – and it will make everyone happy to work with you and more open to investing their time in you.
Everyone’s journey is different…
I went to college wanting to be a big time adult film director. I left university wanting to become an editor. I’ve done that ever since… and been a producer… and a runner… and a director… and a bartender… and finally a writer. I don’t think it really occurred to me at the time that writing could be a career for me – and certainly not outside of the traditional linear routes (which my university education was largely built around). The thing is, I didn’t immediately find what was right for me, and neither do most of the people I know and have studied with. Don’t put pressure on yourself to do everything right from day one. Try, fail, try again. Just always go in the direction of what gives you the most satisfaction and you will end up in the right place.
Discover every option…
When I thought about writing in college, I thought about film or television. But that’s the tip of the iceberg – and more fresh ice cream is arriving every week (that’s a terrible metaphor, but it makes sense). Writing is everywhere. Games, podcasts, radio shows, web series, streaming, socials, audiobooks, stage shows, comic books, novels, billboards… even fortune cookies need writers. Try things out. Discover new disciplines, or at least be open to them. They’re all fun and provide a unique challenge (and usually give you money that goes toward rent, food, and other things that keep you alive).
You can find Ryan on Linked In if you want to connect linkedin.com/in/ryan-denham
