The Doldrums...

Creativity has been my compass for as long as I can remember. My mom once wrote in my baby book that I was “a little comedian,” and decades later, I’m still chasing stories, shaping scenes, and finding ways to make people laugh or lean in. It’s not just what I do — it’s who I am.

There’s always a project in motion: a screenplay draft, a novel chapter, a blog or Substack post, or a street photography series (you can see some of my shots on Instagram @jimvinespresents). Creativity is my constant companion, the wind in my sails.

But every so often, the wind dies. The passion, the spark, the drive — gone. I drift into the doldrums, watching YouTube videos, doing nothing that looks remotely “productive.”

And here’s the truth: that pause isn’t failure. It’s fuel. Those quiet stretches are the hidden engine of the creative life. They’re the moments when ideas ferment below the surface, when strength gathers invisibly. Creativity needs silence as much as it needs noise.

Then, almost without warning, the breeze returns. The sails snap taut. Suddenly I’m scribbling notes, hammering out script pages, or writing the very words you’re reading now. The doldrums pass, and the voyage continues.

So if you find yourself becalmed, don’t panic. Rest is not the enemy of creativity — it’s part of its rhythm. The stillness is what makes the storm of ideas possible. Step back, recharge, and trust the wind will rise again.

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The Joy of Writing...

Do you write for yourself, or do you write only with the hope of landing an agent or making a sale? It’s a question every writer bumps into sooner or later, usually on a day when the words aren’t flowing or the rejections are piling up. But for me, the answer has always been clear: I write for myself first.

I love the act of writing. I love the quiet ritual of sitting alone with a blank page, the way the world falls away as soon as the first sentence appears. There’s a kind of electricity in that moment — a spark that says, something is happening here. It’s fun, it’s exhilarating, and it’s deeply satisfying in a way that’s hard to explain to anyone who hasn’t felt it. Writing is one of the few pursuits where you can be completely alone and yet feel entirely connected — to your imagination, to your characters, to something larger than yourself.

Over the years, I’ve optioned or sold a handful of screenplays. That’s always gratifying, of course. But there are many more — many more — that never made it past my desk. They’re tucked away in a drawer or stacked in a box in the back of my storage unit, gathering dust. And here’s the surprising part: I don’t regret a single one of them. I enjoyed writing those scripts. Every last page. The success wasn’t in the sale; it was in the making.

Because if you don’t love the process — the strange, joyful alchemy of inventing characters, building worlds, shaping moments, hearing dialogue spark to life — then what are you doing here? Writing without joy is like cooking without tasting, or painting without color. It becomes mechanical, joyless, a grind. And what a bleak fate that would be: to spend your days wrestling with stories you don’t love, chasing approval instead of discovery.

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PROCRASTINATION...

I used to know a budding screenwriter — I’ll call him Henry. We’d grab lunch, talk movies, and especially talk about writing movies. I’d tell him the storylines of whatever script I was wrestling with, and he’d tell me his idea for a screenplay.

Did you catch that? His idea.

Henry always had the same one. And it never existed in screenplay form — not a page, not a scene, not even a rough outline. Just an idea he carried around like a lucky coin. This went on for more than a year.

Eventually I asked him, “It sounds like you’ve got a pretty good concept. So why aren’t you writing it?”

He had a whole menu of excuses, but the one he served most often was, “I’m doing research.”

Since then, I’ve met plenty of writers — screenwriters, novelists, you name it — who lean on the same line. And look, I’m not anti‑research. Research is great. Research is useful. But at some point you have to stop researching and actually write the thing.

Personally, I do very little research before I start a project. Most of my stories don’t require much. (There was one exception back in 2008: I was hired to write a script that sent me to El Salvador for a week of on‑the‑ground research. Then I came back to L.A. and spent three months on a submission draft.) But generally, if I hit a moment in a script where I don’t know the mechanics of something, I just fake it with something plausible and leave myself a note: DO RESEARCH.

My only goal in the early stages is to get a first draft done — to make sure the story works from fade in to fade out. I can always go back and fill in the blanks.

And that’s really the point: don’t let research become the thing that keeps you from writing. It can feel productive, but it can also kill your momentum. Burn enough time “preparing,” and you’ll be exhausted before you’ve even finished your first act.

At some point, you have to stop gathering information and start telling the story.

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How Many Drafts?

The other day I spoke with a relatively new screenwriter. He told me he’s written about seven screenplays so far—none of which have gotten any traction. As we talked, I asked him: “How many drafts do you usually write before you consider a script ready to submit?”

His answer floored me. “Two, maybe three drafts,” he said.

Only three drafts for a screenplay? I couldn’t hide my surprise. He turned the question back on me: “How many drafts do you do?”

I told him I don’t keep exact numbers, but it’s always in the double digits. That piqued his interest, so I walked him through my process.

First, I get the initial draft down as quickly as possible. I’m not aiming for perfection—I just want the ideas on the page and the story locked in, knowing full well things will change. (I also stressed how important outlines are. Whether it’s a couple of pages or, in my case, 20-plus, you need one.)

Once that first draft is done, I go at it with a red pen. I cut unnecessary dialogue, description, and plot points. I strengthen weak ones. Then I repeat the process, draft after draft, until I’m no longer bleeding ink across the pages.

On average, I’ll do anywhere from 15 to 25 passes, depending on the complexity of the script.

So when he said three drafts? As Vizzini declared in The Princess Bride: “Inconceivable!”

 

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Finding Your True Starting Point (aka The Angle of Attack)

 

Sometimes, you’re halfway through writing a scene and suddenly—you're stuck. Not because the scene itself is broken, but because your Angle of Attack is off.

You’re aiming for Point D, but you’ve started at Point B. So you try again, this time from Point C. Still no good. The rhythm’s off, the emotional beats don’t land, and the scene feels like it’s chasing its own tail.

But if you’re lucky—or just paying attention—you’ll realize what’s missing. You need to start at Point A.

That’s the true beginning. The place where the scene breathes naturally, where the setup flows into the payoff, and where the emotional logic makes sense. Starting from Point A gives your scene the foundation it needs to move the story forward with clarity and purpose.

So the next time you’re writing a scene—or even outlining your entire screenplay—check your Angle of Attack. It might be the difference between forcing a moment and letting it unfold.

The Riches of a Creative Life (Even When the Checks Don’t Cash)

 

I was born into something of a showbiz family: my dad was a successful TV and radio announcer, and my mom was a Columbia Studios starlet and model. As for me, I was a creative little kid—always being silly, always making people laugh, always keeping folks entertained. But I truly fell in love at age eleven—not with a person, but with a Super 8 camera. It was 1974, and that little machine opened a door to a world where imagination ruled. My friends and I made movies with cardboard props and wild ideas, edited them with tape and scissors, and screened them for anyone willing to watch. We weren’t chasing fame or fortune. We were chasing joy.

At Beverly Hills High School, I found my tribe. The film and TV department was a dream factory, and for four years, I lived inside it—writing, directing, acting, editing, even building sets. The school had its own cable channel, broadcasting our work across parts of Los Angeles. We were kids, but we were creators. And that mattered.

After high school, I kept going—live theater, more video productions, and a stint in the film industry as a still photographer, grip, and even a stuntman. I met cool people, learned the rhythm of a set, and soaked in the energy of storytelling. Did I make a fortune? Not even close. But I made memories, friendships, and art. That’s a different kind of wealth.

In the ’90s, I turned to screenwriting. Working at a talent agency and major studios gave me access to hundreds of scripts. I studied them like sacred texts. Eventually, I optioned one. Sold another. Saw my first film produced in 1999. That moment—seeing something I wrote come to life—was electric. Not because of the paycheck, but because I had added something to the world I loved.

The journey hasn’t been smooth. Scripts have been shelved. Projects have fizzled. There were days I considered giving it all up and becoming a potato farmer. But the spark never died. I kept writing. Kept dreaming. A couple more of my scripts have been produced—though not yet released. Still, they exist. They were made. And recently, I discovered the joy of novel writing—two books so far. No royalties (well, nothing you could call life-changing), but endless creative freedom—and wow, unbelievably fun to write.

And yes, it’s important to pay the bills. I’ve worked plenty of “regular” jobs—waiting tables, hauling boxes in warehouses, doing security at major film studios, even grinding through mindless tasks at big Beverly Hills talent agencies. None of it was terribly glamorous, but it kept me (and my family) fed and afloat. The point is: you can do both. You can work to survive and still carve out time to create. It’s not always easy, but it’s always worth it.

And I’m still writing screenplays. In fact, I’ve got three new scripts—each in a different genre—currently being sent out, or about to be sent out, by my manager. The thrill of crafting something new and watching it find its way into the world hasn’t faded one bit.

So, to the young dreamers out there: if you’re wondering whether to follow your creativity even when the money’s uncertain—do it. The world needs your voice, your vision, your weird little stories. I’ve lived a life rich in meaning, even if the bank account didn’t always agree. And the only regret I’d have is if I’d ignored that eleven-year-old kid with a camera and chosen something “safe.”

Create boldly. Love the process. And trust that joy is its own reward.

QUOTE FOR THE DAY...

“There's this glorious and astounding magic that happens when I put pen to paper or fingertips to keyboard. I go to this alternate realm of consciousness. It's where I meet characters who speak to me, who take me to interesting places, and who introduce me to compelling situations. I'm not certain where any of this comes from because none of it was there when I sat down, when I was convinced I didn't have any words in me. But still, it's all there. So even when the thought of a blank page makes me feel a little queasy, I force myself into that chair anyway. And it's after a minute or two of laying down those once elusive words that I have to wonder what all the fuss was about. The words come; they always do.” -- Jim Vines