u/scotchmckilowatt

I’m in my early 40s and seriously considering a shift toward screenwriting after spending the last decade in nonprofit executive leadership. That experience has given me a lot of, shall we say, enriching texture and insight into human nature (and drama). I’m financially and professionally stable enough to finally devote real time to a writing practice, but I’m also trying to be honest with myself as an outsider entering this late.

I’ve completed and rewritten a TV pilot, built a pitch deck, entered a contest, and started developing additional projects. I read scripts regularly, try to craft a logline daily, and am beginning to reach out through my personal network and queries to managers and producers.

I’m not coming at this completely out of nowhere. I have a journalism degree, sold freelance stuff for magazines earlier in my career, wrote a play in college, and have spent years doing story-driven grant and proposal writing. I also know screenwriting is its own craft and industry, and I’m trying not to assume that my competencies in other areas equal actual professional readiness.

Part of this drive comes from family history too. My late father was a talented but unsuccessful screenwriter and novelist who struggled to accept feedback (if you’ve seen Bojack Horseman, you know the type) and watching that shaped a lot of my career decisions. I took the “responsible” path for a long time, but the desire to write seriously never really left.

Bill Dubuque’s path from corporate recruiting into screenwriting has been especially interesting to me, and the closest parallel I’ve come across in my research into journeys that could resemble my own. Though I’m sure survivorship bias is very real.

Ultimately, I guess I want to know what realistic expectations someone in my position should have? What mindset and actions distinguish people who successfully pivot into this work from another career from those just romanticizing escape from burnout? Thanks in advance.