I see so many new writers get discouraged, not because they lack talent, but because they lack discipline, direction, or the motivation to keep going. They start with a dream, then stare up at this giant mountain and have no idea how to start crawling.
I’ve moved in a million different directions myself. I have a master’s degree in screenwriting, and I’ve still had to wrestle with doubt, burnout, and imposter syndrome. But I’ve also figured out what actually helps me stay productive and passionate about writing, even on the days I don’t feel like doing it at all.
These aren’t the only ways to get a script written. But they’re what keep me going. They’re what help me return to the page, again and again.
And if you’re reading this wondering whether your story matters, or whether you’re good enough to make it here’s what I want you to know:
Your dream is not worthless.
You are a very human person, having a very human experience with stories that matter. Even if you’re not sure how to make them commercial. Even if you’re not ready for your voice to be heard yet.
You have a voice. It is important.
And just because you feel lost right now doesn’t mean you’re not capable of making this dream real.
If someone else is doing it, you can too.
Now here’s how I keep going, even when it’s hard.
1. Move Your Body or Rot Your Brain
Writing is physical. People forget that. They think it’s all about sitting still and thinking hard, but sitting for too long literally slows your blood flow, dulls your brain, and shuts down creativity. You become disconnected from your body, and your writing gets stiff and foggy.
Your mind needs your body to be in motion. Movement wakes up your nervous system, releases tension, and boosts circulation to your brain. It can snap you out of overthinking and put you into a creative flow state faster than staring at a blinking cursor ever will.
You don’t need a gym. You need motion.
- Go on a 10-minute walk while thinking through a scene
- Do a few stretches or jumping jacks before you sit down
- Pace around the room while saying your dialogue out loud
- Take a movement break between writing sprints
- Do squats, lunges, or use a mini trampoline while brainstorming
I’m serious. This works. Some of my best lines have come mid-walk or while folding laundry. I’ve come up with entire endings in the shower or while unloading groceries. Physical activity gets your conscious mind out of the way so the creative stuff underneath can surface.
You don’t have to be athletic. You just have to stop being still for so long. Writing is a full-body process. Writing is oxygen. Writing is movement.
2. Green Tea Over Coffee or Sugary Energy Drinks
Writers love caffeine. It’s the ritual, the warmth, the jolt, it feels like creative fuel. But a lot of people are guzzling gasoline when what they really need is clean-burning fuel. Energy drinks, sugary coffee concoctions, and giant cold brews can light you up for an hour then drop you face-first into a brain fog crash that wrecks your focus for the rest of the day.
Green tea is different. It’s slower, smoother, and smarter.
Here’s why it works:
Green tea contains L-theanine, an amino acid that works with caffeine to give you steady focus without the anxiety spike. You stay sharp, alert, and calm, perfect for problem-solving and scene-building. Instead of feeling jittery or overwhelmed, your brain stays in the pocket.
It’s creative clarity in a mug.
You don’t have to be a tea snob. You just have to make the switch.
- Start your writing ritual with a warm mug of green tea (matcha if you need a kick, sencha for smooth focus)
- Sip iced green tea throughout your writing day instead of reaching for a second or third coffee
- Try adding lemon, honey, or mint if you need a flavor boost
- Keep a pitcher in the fridge so it’s ready to go when you are
If writing is a mental marathon, green tea is the water station.
Write better, longer, and more consistently. It’s my secret weapon.
3. Treat Your Brain Like It’s Your Job (Because It Is)
Your brain is your job. If you’re a writer, this is the machine that does the work. Not your laptop. Not your fancy software. It’s your brain. So why are so many writers running their creative lives on sleep deprivation, microwave snacks, and caffeine crashes?
You wouldn’t give a mechanic broken tools. You wouldn’t drive a Ferrari on junk fuel. And yet we expect brilliance from a brain that’s running on fumes and sugar. It doesn’t work that way.
When you eat garbage, your focus slips.
When you don’t sleep, your memory dulls.
When you’re dehydrated, your energy drops and your thoughts scatter.
When your blood sugar crashes, so does your willpower.
You’re not just managing a body. You’re maintaining the tool that generates your stories, your voice, your creativity, your ideas.
This doesn’t mean you have to become a health guru. It means you need to treat your brain like it matters because it does.
Start here:
- Eat real food. Whole grains, fruit, protein, and healthy fats keep your brain firing. A handful of walnuts and blueberries is better for your scene than a donut and a regret spiral.
- Hydrate. Even mild dehydration slows down your brain. Keep water nearby. Bonus points for lemon or electrolytes.
- Sleep like it’s part of your writing process. Because it is. REM sleep helps you process story structure, dialogue, and creativity without even trying. Sleep-deprived writers burn out.
- Avoid blood sugar spikes and crashes. They kill your ability to focus. Choose steady energy over sugary highs.
This is the difference between a foggy half-draft and a productive writing flow.
If you want to build a screenwriting career, start by fueling the tool that’s going to get you there.
4. Consume Like a Writer
Writing is only half of the job. The other half is feeding your brain. What you consume matters just as much as what you produce. If you’re wasting all your mental bandwidth scrolling TikTok, doomreading headlines, or half-watching Netflix, don’t be surprised when your creative tank is running on empty.
Writers need to stay in the loop. Stay in the know. Stay inspired.
Use your downtime wisely:
- Listen to screenwriting podcasts while you’re driving, cooking, or walking.
- Watch roundtable interviews while folding laundry.
- Follow writers, filmmakers, and screenwriting accounts on social media.
- Read trade magazines during lunch instead of mindless scrolling.
- Keep a running list of what inspired you so you can return to it when you’re stuck.
Also, study your genre like it’s your job.
If you’re writing a rom-com, watch every great (and terrible) rom-com.
Writing a horror? Read horror scripts.
Writing a grounded indie dramedy? Find its cousins and dissect them.
Read scripts that are similar to your story. Watch movies that match your tone or structure. Pay attention to pacing, scene transitions, dialogue, and emotional arcs. Figure out what works and why. You’re not copying. You’re studying. Let your influences shape your instincts.
Below is your Screenwriter’s Toolbox, a curated resource list to keep your momentum going, even when you’re not writing.
Screenwriter’s Toolbox: A Productivity-Packed Database
Websites to Read Screenplays (Legally & For Free)
🖥️ General Script Libraries
- IMSDB – The Internet Movie Script Database
A massive archive of movie scripts, mostly in HTML format. Great for reading online. - Script Slug
High-quality PDFs of both movies and TV scripts. Clean, searchable, and well-organized. - The Daily Script
A treasure trove of screenplays and transcripts, including unproduced scripts.
🎬 Award Season / Studio Sites (High-Quality PDFs)
These often release official scripts during awards season—perfect for reading current, prestige-level work.
- A24 Screenplays
A24 often posts their nominated film scripts for free download. - Sony Pictures Classics
Usually has scripts for Oscar campaigns. - Focus Features Awards
Includes scripts for films like Promising Young Woman, The Banshees of Inisherin, etc. - Neon
Award-contending scripts like Parasite, Triangle of Sadness, and more. - Searchlight Pictures
Frequently posts their big screenplay contenders for free download.
📚 TV Script Archives
- TV Writing
A goldmine for TV pilots and episodes, organized by show. Super useful if you’re working on a spec or pilot. - Script Slug – TV Section
Clean interface and downloadable PDFs for major shows.
Podcasts
- Scriptnotes
- The Screenwriting Life
- On the Page
- Write Along
- Final Draft’s Write On
- The Film School Podcast
Websites & Online Communities
Magazines & Industry News
- Script Magazine
- Variety
- The Hollywood Reporter
- Deadline
- IndieWire
YouTube Channels
- Lessons from the Screenplay
- Just Write
- Film Courage
- Screenplayed
- Behind the Curtain
- StudioBinder
- Round Tables – Search “Hollywood Reporter Roundtable” or “Variety Writers Roundtable”
TED Talks for Creatives
- Elizabeth Gilbert – Your Elusive Creative Genius
- Andrew Stanton – The Clues to a Great Story
- J.J. Abrams – The Mystery Box
- Shonda Rhimes – My Year of Saying Yes
- Tim Urban – Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator
Screenwriting Books
Craft
- Save the Cat! – Blake Snyder
- The Anatomy of Story – John Truby
- Story – Robert McKee
- The Writer’s Journey – Christopher Vogler
- The Nutshell Technique – Jill Chamberlain
Mindset / Career
- The Artist’s Way – Julia Cameron
- A creative recovery program. The morning pages and artist dates are game-changers for motivation and clarity. This book helps you reconnect with why you write.
- The Anti-Planner – Dani Donovan
- For ADHD minds. Helps you understand burnout, paralysis, and find your productivity flow without forcing yourself into systems that don’t work for your brain.
- Making a Good Script Great – Linda Seger
- Your Screenplay Sucks! – William M. Akers
- Rewrite – Paul Chitlik
- Adventures in the Screen Trade – William Goldman
- The Coffee Break Screenwriter – Pilar Alessandra
- So You Want to Be a Screenwriter – Kristen Lazarian
Writing Software
- Final Draft – Industry standard
- WriterDuet – Real-time collaboration
- Fade In – Budget-friendly Final Draft alternative
- Arc Studio – Clean, modern interface, ideal for outlining and writing
- Highland 2 – Created by John August, especially good for Mac users
5. Create a Writing Ritual (Not a Routine)
Routines are rigid. Rituals are powerful. A routine says, “I should.” A ritual says, “I’m ready.” When you build a writing ritual, you’re telling your brain, “It’s time to enter the creative space.”
You don’t need to write at the same time every day. You need to trigger the right mental state. Light a candle. Brew your tea. Put on your playlist. Open your document. Touch your lucky rock. Sit in the same chair. Whatever tells your brain, this is where it happens.
Add a simple anchor:
- Start each session with a breath or mantra
- Light a candle or turn on a lamp only during writing time
- Listen to the same instrumental track on repeat to create flow
- Have a “writing hoodie” or a favorite mug you only use while writing
Then, sprint. Set a timer for 20 minutes. Write one scene. Not in order. Not perfectly. Just one. When the timer goes off, take a break. If you feel the urge, go again. These short, focused sprints stack up fast—and they beat waiting around for inspiration every time.
6. Chronological Order Is a Scam
Some of the best scenes you’ll ever write won’t come to you in order. They’ll show up out of nowhere: a line of dialogue in the shower, an ending you didn’t expect, a moment of heartbreak on a walk. That’s the real stuff. Don’t ignore it just because it’s not “next.”
Write the scenes that light you up first. The ones you want to write. The ones you already see in your head.
You can fill in the gaps later. That’s what editing is for.
Writing in order is a trap if it keeps you stuck. No one gets bonus points for writing start to finish. You’re not in school anymore. You’re building a story, not passing a test. Stitch it together like a quilt. Rearranging is part of the process.
7. Give Yourself Permission to Suck
You cannot write a brilliant script and a perfect first draft at the same time. No one can. The pressure to “get it right” will kill your momentum and bury your voice.
So at the top of your draft, type this:
“This is the biggest piece of shit anyone will ever read, and no one will care about it but me. I’m trying my best. I’m learning. I’m doing this for fun.”
This is your permission slip to be messy, bold, and free.
Your job is not to impress anyone with your first draft. Your job is to finish it. Give yourself permission to be mediocre, weird, chaotic, and cringe. Let it suck. That’s how it gets good later.
8. Track the Why
Some days, you just can’t write. And that’s okay if you take the time to figure out why.
Keep a “why I didn’t write” log. Not to beat yourself up, but to learn your patterns. Were you exhausted? Overstimulated? Distracted by your phone? Intimidated by the scene? Trying to write something that wasn’t ready?
When you understand your resistance, you can work around it. You might realize you’re always stuck after lunch. Or when you skip your walk. Or when you forget to eat. Or when you’re writing something you don’t believe in yet.
This is about observation, not judgment. Track it. Then adjust. That’s how you build a process that actually works for you.
9. Excuses Are a Habit
If you keep making excuses, they become your process. That’s the danger. The more you say “not today,” the easier it gets to say it tomorrow.
Most people try to squeeze writing around the edges of their life between errands, after the kids are asleep, after the Netflix binge. But your career won’t fit into the leftover spaces. You have to carve out real time for it.
And no, one script will not change your life. One contest win won’t get you repped. One short film won’t land you a feature deal. This is a long game. You’re not writing a one-hit wonder. You’re building a body of work.
So ask yourself:
Are you hoping to finish something?
Or are you building a career?
Start acting like it. Make a five-year plan. Write multiple projects. Stop waiting for perfect timing and get to work. You’ll be amazed where you are a year from now if you drop the excuses today.
10. Imposter Syndrome and Perfectionism Are Liars
They sound like wisdom. They sound like caution. But they’re not. They are fear wearing a mask.
Imposter syndrome says, “You’re not good enough.” Perfectionism says, “You’re not ready.” Both are lies. Everyone feels like a fraud at some point. Everyone hates their first draft. That’s the tax we pay for doing something vulnerable.
The truth is: you are good enough to start. You are ready to write badly. And if you finish the damn thing, you’ll be miles ahead of the person who never starts.
You don’t get better by worrying about being good. You get better by showing up and doing the work. Even when you’re scared. Especially then.
11. Don’t Ask for Permission Make It Happen
Even if you’re only writing one story, you still have to champion it. Don’t wait for someone to hand you a deal. Don’t hope a stranger will find your brilliance in the slush pile.
Start thinking like a producer:
- Research indie directors who align with your tone
- Reach out to producers who believe in new voices
- Join screenwriting groups, festivals, and online communities
- Build your network slowly and genuinely
- Learn to pitch your story like it matters—because it does
- Create a short film or visual treatment to show your voice
Waiting for permission is the quickest way to kill your momentum. You’re not here to be chosen. You’re here to create. Be the driving force behind your story.
And who knows? In the process of trying to make one thing happen, you might start building the career you didn’t think was possible.
12. You Chose This Mountain So Climb It
This is going to take time. You won’t be a genius right out of the gate. That’s the point. Every bad scene, every rough rewrite, every hard day builds something in you.
Writing is a climb. Some days you move inches. Some days you backslide. But every day you show up, you’re still getting stronger.
If you’re feeling unmotivated, you might just need to learn something. Feed your creativity. Study. Watch a great scene. Read a script. Listen to a podcast. Take notes on what moves you. Every bit of it helps you climb.
And don’t panic if you take a wrong turn. Write a bad draft. Work on something that goes nowhere. That’s part of the trail. Just find your way back up.
This isn’t about getting it right the first time. It’s about not giving up.
There’s never been a better time to be a writer. You have access to tools, mentors, and knowledge on your phone. Use it.
Keep going. Climb your mountain.
Nobody else is going to make this happen for you.
But you can.
PS:
Whatever you do, don’t be like me.
I wrote this article instead of working on my screenplay.
Now go write yours.
Just sit in front of that blinking cursor and make it move.
It’s that easy and that hard. 🙂