When many of us think of Thanksgiving, several things come to mind. Visiting family and loved ones, watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, football or Planes, Trains and Automobiles, a turkey dinner with stuffing, sweet potato, cranberry sauce, etc. Not to take away from any of these things, but the holiday is also a time to be reflective and express gratitude for all the things that are good in our lives. Of course some people are going to have more things to be grateful for than others, especially screenwriters who have numerous ups and downs in their career pursuit. Whether you’re a beginner screenwriter or a professional with a loaded IMDB page, some years are bound to be better than others. That being said, even during an “off year,” there might be more things to be thankful for than you realize. 

In this spirit, below are 5 Things Screenwriters Can Be Thankful For this Thanksgiving holiday.

1. Being Able To Express Yourself 

Regardless of what stage you’re at in your screenwriting journey, the work itself can be very gratifying — as most creative endeavors tend to be — and being able to express yourself is something to be thankful for. Not everyone can do it. If you’re able to fill the blank page with characters, a world and a story, you have a unique gift. Whenever I start or finish a script, I’m grateful to be able to write and express myself. Even if the script doesn’t sell, I always consider it an accomplishment.  

So enjoy the process, and be thankful that you can express yourself via your writing. Many times in my life, the act of writing — and the act of writing alone — has gotten me out of some dark places and ultimately it created career opportunities for me.

2. Having a Good Work Routine

Sometimes it’s difficult to balance writing with your life, especially when you have a day job. However, if you’ve managed to create a personal work routine that works good for you, be thankful for it. Having a routine and sticking to it is one of the most important factors to finishing a screenplay and it can also enhance your writing and productivity.

From having a set time to write every day to creating a perfect environment for your writing to meeting daily page quotas, a consistent work routine is an essential part of being a screenwriter, and it’s nearly impossible to become a professional without one. So once again, if you have a good work routine, be thankful and keep it up! 

3. Supportive People in Your Life

There are many challenges that keep you from finishing your script, and it’s not always easy to stay motivated. In addition to having a personal work routine and embracing the screenwriting process, it’s extremely helpful to have supportive people in your life. Maybe it’s a friend or family member. Perhaps it’s a spouse or romantic partner. Whenever you’re down or not sure about your dream of being a screenwriter, these are people you can turn to, and they will encourage you to keep at it. If you have people like this in your life, it’s definitely something to be thankful for.

But even if you don’t have anyone directly in your life like this, there are screenwriting communities out there. Between writer workshops and other online groups, there are numerous people out there with the same dream as you and they’re people you can reach out to. If you have joined one of these screenwriting communities and they’re a supportive group, you can likewise be thankful to be part of it.

4. Feedback

Another reason you should be thankful for supportive people is the feedback they can provide you. Whether they’re people you’ve known all your life or have just clicked with in a writer’s workshop, these individuals can act as sounding boards and read your script and give you feedback. Feedback is vital for screenwriters — especially beginner screenwriters — and it oftentimes can lead to you writing a better script. 

Not only will revising your script improve your chances in a highly-competitive marketplace, it can possibly make your script more appealing to agents and managers. Also, a big part of being a professional screenwriter is receiving notes from industry professionals and addressing them in a rewrite. Thus, by receiving feedback from trusted people, you’re developing one of the most important skill sets of a screenwriter.

5. Screenwriting Resources

Before the days of the internet, a screenwriter didn’t have many ways to learn their craft or break into the film and television industry. Now you’re only a few clicks away from numerous screenwriting resources. 

In addition to screenwriting workshops, there are various script coverage services that offer evaluation from professional readers (these services are usually for a fee, but there are different tiers and some are quite reasonable). Also entering your script into a screenwriting contest can sometimes lead to script coverage or even meetings with top managers as a prize (e.g., Final Draft’s Big Break Screenwriting Contest).

There are also online resources that can help guide you through your screenwriting journey like the Final Draft Screenwriting Blog (regularly updated with screenwriting and industry-related articles), the Write On podcast (featuring interviews with professional scriptwriters revealing tips and screenwriting anecdotes), and Final Draft’s Learn section of their site (offering instruction to beginner screenwriters). 

With all these resources available, you have an advantage that past screenwriters never had. So make use of what’s out there, stay motivated, and have a happy Thanksgiving!