Agreed. That’s why I’m self publishing. Might not rise as high as I would otherwise, but the only person I have to worry about using AI is me…and I won’t use it.
Yeah, once again we agree to agree. Too much derivative crap is right. AI is upsetting everything, mostly for the worst. Attention spans are pathetic, thanks to TV, video games, internet, and bad teachers and parents. And it’s always been tough for writers (good ones), and even more so now.
I’ve written four books, three of them self-published. I’m no Hemingway, but like every writer, I once held a distant hope for a movie script to be proffered. Forget it. Like Hemingway said, “Writing for yourself is self-serving. Writing for others is pandering. You write for the thing that needs said.”
So many good points here. I'd also add that another irony is that it's practically impossible now to get a book contract *without* a platform like Substack and thousands of subscribers to prove that you can actually sell that book later.
Thank you. Oh, yes about the platform, *especially* with non-fiction. I hear conflicting things about fiction -- people say, "No! A platform is not necessary!" But I DO think you need a very compelling PERSONAL story that the publisher can promote and will translate well ON social media. Your novel can't just be a "good novel" -- the entire "author identity" needs to have a "hook" that relates to the project. And yeah, these personal "behind the scenes" stories don't necessarily make good books, which is part of the problem.
There are ways to deal with the attention span thing. Maybe short, serial videos instead of hour-long episodes or three-hour movies. Short serial posts instead of novels. I don't know if interactivity is necessary ... people mostly seem to gravitate to an interesting story, no matter how it's told.
Though video games are another way in which people consume/participate in storytelling nowadays, and seem to have pretty long attention spans there ...
AI is scary for many reasons. It's already decimating the music market (Harper's recently did a story on that). It seems totally unnecessary, even counterproductive, when it comes to fiction. Why use AI to produce more when there is already a glut? Why flood a market that is saturated and pays poorly? Like, can't we set AI on the problems of curing cancer, ending climate change, and brokering peace among nations, as opposed to churning out crappy stories in competition with live writers who actually have something to say?
The next way that people find to tell stories, and profit from it, will look obvious in hindsight. It's just that from this angle, we have trouble seeing what it will be!
I think the concern with AI is that it will produce content geared at or targeted to specific people and specific interests. I suppose it could respond much more quickly to trends too. Something breaks out on social media, and someone could produce a feature film in 15 minutes. Human creators can never compete with this, and suddenly we're out of a job (it also seems very contrary to the idea of "art" but it might be genuinely engaging -- and if it's not, AI could rewrite or edit while you're watching, to make it more engaging). It all seems rather insidious and horrifying to me.
And attention spans are what they are RIGHT NOW. Who's to say that won't be ever worse in one year or five or ten years? Will people be able to focus on anything?
But yeah, in the end, I guess we have to trust that whatever will be will be, and humanity has survived...well, I was gonna say "worse," but I'm not sure humanity has ever dealt with a technological advancement as profound as AI. It's an exciting time to be alive, I guess! LOL
As we discussed, I feel like I've been KILLING myself, creating some of the best work I've ever done. And my agent often can't even find editors *willing to read it*. This is completely different from even six years ago -- night and day.
But...yeah. I guess we have the power, on some level. We have to put our money where our mouths are. LOL
You know, I was just trying to read the Sunday paper, and I had EXACTLY the same thought. It's not just Trump -- it's AI too. The world -- or at least the US -- is going to be unrecognizable. But what do you do with that?
What are some ways you think screenwriters can use Substack or other non-traditional routes to get their work produced? I noticed that fiction and most forms of serialized storytelling fail on Substack. Do you think it would be worth publishing the stories you want to see on the screen here? Or maybe it’s better to write about the process—character profiles, deepens the show or movies themes through essays, and so on…
I think with screenwriting and film (and, frankly, fiction), the answer will be repositioning these stories in new ways, not simply working in an "old school" manner and expecting audiences to engage. I think that will involve leaning into what makes Substack different -- the serial nature, the interactive aspect, the filmmakers-are-accessible one. Maybe some kind of collective project? Or the "real-time" aspect? Or maybe there's something else I'm missing completely.
It might be a webseries -- with supporting materials, as you suggest. It might a combination of audio/podcasting with film. It might be something else audacious that no one has thought of yet.
The mistake I see people making is, yes, people trying to break in using an old school title and story. I think the story needs to be DIFFERENT -- suited TO Substack's strengths somehow. And I suspect that's going to be a mixing of real-world and fiction, along with serialism and interactivity. (I'm thinking highbrow, but I wonder if the first real break-out filmmaker success on Substack isn't going to be incredibly low-brow, something "reality"-related.)
I'm working on a couple of self-published fiction titles (although with the collapsing attention spans maybe they're doomed). I am thinking of ways to somehow make them all interactive.
Thanks, Brent! I just read the article, and I’m surprised I haven't heard of some of Naomi Kanakia's work.
I'm also playing around with some ideas. I just finished writing a series bible and am almost done with a pilot. I can see many ways to make it collaborative here on Substack, but I wonder if publishing a full series and a series bible could backfire if someone is trying to get it produced.
You know, I've never worried the slightest about anyone "stealing" my ideas. I figured, if someone likes it that much, how could that not possibly help me? But I was just talking with an (established) screenwriter yesterday, and he had a MUCH more wary take: he said ideas get stolen ALL THE TIME (based on personal experience). I'm still skeptical -- the reward seems to outweigh the risks -- but I thought his take was interesting.
It is kind of a Catch-22 though: if your project takes off, you're good, because everyone knows it's YOU. But if it languishes, then you're in a grey area.
I'm curious to see what you do! I think your "experimentation" phase has been fascinating, even if it may have been frustrating somewhat for you.
I'm glad you've been into my experiments! I also don't worry about people stealing my ideas. I also find it difficult to claim an idea is truly mine. Chances are someone has a very similar idea to me—it’s the execution that matters. I'm not worried about people taking my idea, but I'm worried that some producers might not be open to producing a show that has too much plot information online. I don't know.
Absolutely spot on, Brent. The other factor for many who dream of authorship is the costs…that and having some editor completely, and arrogantly, change your story!
I’ve been professionally researching my family lines for over 30 years. Rather than pass along dry vital records, documents of life events, I search for the basics, but really dig for the story of each person’s life…. John who entered the Civil War at age 44, and had the honor of escorting…with his unit, Lincoln's coffin through Springfield. Then there’s Clara, immigrant, whose husband deserted her and his three children soon after arriving in Cincinnati in1893. Clara found work, opportunities for her children in eduction and more. And my favorite, a huge surprise discovery about my great grandfather…..framed for murder!
I will write these stories and send copies to relatives, libraries…..
I’m an old lady now, and still dream of Great-Grandpa's story hitting the big screen…he was an author too. Maybe I’ll find that window!
I think this may be the best piece (and update) for creatives right now. I'm not as afraid of AI as I am of the shortened attentions spans. There's a dumbing down going on and it's ruining our thinking and reasoning skills. We have no "attention span" to focus."
I'm currently weaning off an opiate addiction and social media. It's been tough but the glimmer that keeps appearing through the darkness is that my thinking is clearer, still foggy, maybe an oxymoron? But I suspect as a writer and creator you will understand exactly what I mean.
I loved this article!! Thank you for the advice. As an amateur writer I hold on to hope for now for a more successful future.
Thank you, Patti. And yes, I completely agree -- the attention span thing is keeping me up nights. I never thought entire MEDIUMS would disappear, but now I wonder if it isn't inevitable that they will.
Haha, yes, I'm weaning too. In a way, it's easy, because social media is sooooo much less fun now -- it's often downright toxic. We're all well into the heroin darkness now.
I DO think the creatives will find a way -- we always have. It's just scary because no one knows what it'll look like yet.
Real gamblers compute the odds of success in the game they're playing. Creative types? Not so much.
Your direct-to-market/customer advice is spot on, Brent. The "middle-men" will just eat your lunch.
Haha well-put! I know many of the middle men do their best ("Some of my best friends..."). But man, the odds are long!
Agreed. That’s why I’m self publishing. Might not rise as high as I would otherwise, but the only person I have to worry about using AI is me…and I won’t use it.
It's a respectable choice!
Yeah, once again we agree to agree. Too much derivative crap is right. AI is upsetting everything, mostly for the worst. Attention spans are pathetic, thanks to TV, video games, internet, and bad teachers and parents. And it’s always been tough for writers (good ones), and even more so now.
I’ve written four books, three of them self-published. I’m no Hemingway, but like every writer, I once held a distant hope for a movie script to be proffered. Forget it. Like Hemingway said, “Writing for yourself is self-serving. Writing for others is pandering. You write for the thing that needs said.”
Thank you. I've had the same trajectory. It breaks my heart. Therr is hope but not in legacy media, IMHO.
Bang on, Brent. Great advice. Just gotta get out there and make the thing!
And also, just to be clear, I should go out and buy a bigger boat, yeah?
Exactly. You always get right to the heart of the issue. 👊✊
So many good points here. I'd also add that another irony is that it's practically impossible now to get a book contract *without* a platform like Substack and thousands of subscribers to prove that you can actually sell that book later.
Thank you. Oh, yes about the platform, *especially* with non-fiction. I hear conflicting things about fiction -- people say, "No! A platform is not necessary!" But I DO think you need a very compelling PERSONAL story that the publisher can promote and will translate well ON social media. Your novel can't just be a "good novel" -- the entire "author identity" needs to have a "hook" that relates to the project. And yeah, these personal "behind the scenes" stories don't necessarily make good books, which is part of the problem.
There are ways to deal with the attention span thing. Maybe short, serial videos instead of hour-long episodes or three-hour movies. Short serial posts instead of novels. I don't know if interactivity is necessary ... people mostly seem to gravitate to an interesting story, no matter how it's told.
Though video games are another way in which people consume/participate in storytelling nowadays, and seem to have pretty long attention spans there ...
AI is scary for many reasons. It's already decimating the music market (Harper's recently did a story on that). It seems totally unnecessary, even counterproductive, when it comes to fiction. Why use AI to produce more when there is already a glut? Why flood a market that is saturated and pays poorly? Like, can't we set AI on the problems of curing cancer, ending climate change, and brokering peace among nations, as opposed to churning out crappy stories in competition with live writers who actually have something to say?
The next way that people find to tell stories, and profit from it, will look obvious in hindsight. It's just that from this angle, we have trouble seeing what it will be!
I think the concern with AI is that it will produce content geared at or targeted to specific people and specific interests. I suppose it could respond much more quickly to trends too. Something breaks out on social media, and someone could produce a feature film in 15 minutes. Human creators can never compete with this, and suddenly we're out of a job (it also seems very contrary to the idea of "art" but it might be genuinely engaging -- and if it's not, AI could rewrite or edit while you're watching, to make it more engaging). It all seems rather insidious and horrifying to me.
And attention spans are what they are RIGHT NOW. Who's to say that won't be ever worse in one year or five or ten years? Will people be able to focus on anything?
But yeah, in the end, I guess we have to trust that whatever will be will be, and humanity has survived...well, I was gonna say "worse," but I'm not sure humanity has ever dealt with a technological advancement as profound as AI. It's an exciting time to be alive, I guess! LOL
"Exciting" is one way to put it!
LOL
It makes me sad to agree with you.
"And then try to prove there really is an audience for whatever you have to offer," you write.
It's a tough truth.
As we discussed, I feel like I've been KILLING myself, creating some of the best work I've ever done. And my agent often can't even find editors *willing to read it*. This is completely different from even six years ago -- night and day.
But...yeah. I guess we have the power, on some level. We have to put our money where our mouths are. LOL
Good piece. I wonder if just about everything is pointless given where we are going in the U.S.
You know, I was just trying to read the Sunday paper, and I had EXACTLY the same thought. It's not just Trump -- it's AI too. The world -- or at least the US -- is going to be unrecognizable. But what do you do with that?
Be grateful that I’m 64 and likely not looking at decades of dealing with it.
I’m 67 and have the same dark feelings.
Sadly, I think many of us do now.
I know, I feel the same way at my age. But what a dark thought to have!
I agree, but I’ve lost faith in the country and see a lot of downside to AI.
I mean, we are in complete agreement.
What are some ways you think screenwriters can use Substack or other non-traditional routes to get their work produced? I noticed that fiction and most forms of serialized storytelling fail on Substack. Do you think it would be worth publishing the stories you want to see on the screen here? Or maybe it’s better to write about the process—character profiles, deepens the show or movies themes through essays, and so on…
It's a good question! It might be THE question. And I'm afraid you won't like my answer (because *I* don't like my answer).
First, some people ARE having success with fiction: https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/is-the-next-great-american-novel-being-published-on-substack
I think with screenwriting and film (and, frankly, fiction), the answer will be repositioning these stories in new ways, not simply working in an "old school" manner and expecting audiences to engage. I think that will involve leaning into what makes Substack different -- the serial nature, the interactive aspect, the filmmakers-are-accessible one. Maybe some kind of collective project? Or the "real-time" aspect? Or maybe there's something else I'm missing completely.
It might be a webseries -- with supporting materials, as you suggest. It might a combination of audio/podcasting with film. It might be something else audacious that no one has thought of yet.
The mistake I see people making is, yes, people trying to break in using an old school title and story. I think the story needs to be DIFFERENT -- suited TO Substack's strengths somehow. And I suspect that's going to be a mixing of real-world and fiction, along with serialism and interactivity. (I'm thinking highbrow, but I wonder if the first real break-out filmmaker success on Substack isn't going to be incredibly low-brow, something "reality"-related.)
I'm working on a couple of self-published fiction titles (although with the collapsing attention spans maybe they're doomed). I am thinking of ways to somehow make them all interactive.
Thanks, Brent! I just read the article, and I’m surprised I haven't heard of some of Naomi Kanakia's work.
I'm also playing around with some ideas. I just finished writing a series bible and am almost done with a pilot. I can see many ways to make it collaborative here on Substack, but I wonder if publishing a full series and a series bible could backfire if someone is trying to get it produced.
You know, I've never worried the slightest about anyone "stealing" my ideas. I figured, if someone likes it that much, how could that not possibly help me? But I was just talking with an (established) screenwriter yesterday, and he had a MUCH more wary take: he said ideas get stolen ALL THE TIME (based on personal experience). I'm still skeptical -- the reward seems to outweigh the risks -- but I thought his take was interesting.
It is kind of a Catch-22 though: if your project takes off, you're good, because everyone knows it's YOU. But if it languishes, then you're in a grey area.
I'm curious to see what you do! I think your "experimentation" phase has been fascinating, even if it may have been frustrating somewhat for you.
I'm glad you've been into my experiments! I also don't worry about people stealing my ideas. I also find it difficult to claim an idea is truly mine. Chances are someone has a very similar idea to me—it’s the execution that matters. I'm not worried about people taking my idea, but I'm worried that some producers might not be open to producing a show that has too much plot information online. I don't know.
If something is successful, they won't care. LOL
True!
Ideas are easy. The execution…is not.
So very very true!
Absolutely spot on, Brent. The other factor for many who dream of authorship is the costs…that and having some editor completely, and arrogantly, change your story!
I’ve been professionally researching my family lines for over 30 years. Rather than pass along dry vital records, documents of life events, I search for the basics, but really dig for the story of each person’s life…. John who entered the Civil War at age 44, and had the honor of escorting…with his unit, Lincoln's coffin through Springfield. Then there’s Clara, immigrant, whose husband deserted her and his three children soon after arriving in Cincinnati in1893. Clara found work, opportunities for her children in eduction and more. And my favorite, a huge surprise discovery about my great grandfather…..framed for murder!
I will write these stories and send copies to relatives, libraries…..
I’m an old lady now, and still dream of Great-Grandpa's story hitting the big screen…he was an author too. Maybe I’ll find that window!
Bonnie Samuel.
Thanks, Bonnie!
Honestly, your project seems FASCINATING. Are you thinking of posting this in a Substack project? I hope so!
Re: editors, there is nothing as great as a great editor! And nothing as destructive as a bad one. LOL
I think this may be the best piece (and update) for creatives right now. I'm not as afraid of AI as I am of the shortened attentions spans. There's a dumbing down going on and it's ruining our thinking and reasoning skills. We have no "attention span" to focus."
I'm currently weaning off an opiate addiction and social media. It's been tough but the glimmer that keeps appearing through the darkness is that my thinking is clearer, still foggy, maybe an oxymoron? But I suspect as a writer and creator you will understand exactly what I mean.
I loved this article!! Thank you for the advice. As an amateur writer I hold on to hope for now for a more successful future.
Thank you, Patti. And yes, I completely agree -- the attention span thing is keeping me up nights. I never thought entire MEDIUMS would disappear, but now I wonder if it isn't inevitable that they will.
Haha, yes, I'm weaning too. In a way, it's easy, because social media is sooooo much less fun now -- it's often downright toxic. We're all well into the heroin darkness now.
I DO think the creatives will find a way -- we always have. It's just scary because no one knows what it'll look like yet.