Thread by @BrendonUdy

Write your FUCK IT script: a thread (1/14)

Screenwriting, at least for me, is equal parts soul-fulfilling and terrifying. You bleed on the page, never quite knowing if it will connect with anyone.

Here's a story about the script where I found my voice, hope, and momentum.

2/14 Back in 2017 I was stuck creatively. Hadn't written anything for ages and was struggling to find any traction as a screenwriter.

Then, there was a bomb threat in my usual train station. When I finally got onto a train, I was surprised by the resilience of those around me.

3/14 No fear. Not even a hint that there had been a threat. Typical of Londoners I guess, but everyone was just going about their business - because life goes on in London, bomb threats be damned!

This strange experience sparked an idea in me. One I couldn't shake.

4/14 What if, instead of a bomb, there was something more abstract? Something terrifying. Something that even a train couldn't contain?

A month later I began the first pages of what would become a script that would give me life, and grab attention like none I've ever written...

5/14 You ever have an idea that grabs you by the throat, shakes you, keeps you awake at night and won't let you focus on anything else? That's what UNDERGROUND was for me.

I wrote a draft in 2 weeks. Forced myself to finish it as fast as possible, not wanting to lose that spark.

6/14 Now, here's the important part of this thread (sorry for making you read 5 tweets to get here!)

I threw everything at this story, and gave ZERO FUCKS about convention. I killed a major protagonist early. I mashed romance, comedy, and horror. I ended with a sequel setup.

7/14 I wrote the film I wanted to see. In the voice that was purely me. One moment, I was dropping a witty, funny line. The next, I was literally tearing a character in half. Point is, I had fun on the page.

That is vital. I had fun writing, and it shows in the script.

8/14 Was it perfect? No.

Did it need a major rewrite or two? Absolutely.

But was it a script that stands out from the crowd? Apparently so.

In October of that same year, something wild happened. Something I never expected.

UNDERGROUND made @TheBloodList Fresh Blood Selects.

9/14 To say this was a game changer is an understatement, but perhaps not how you'd expect.

The script got me some interest from producers and reps here and there, but ultimately, it did more for me creatively than anything ever has.

In writing UNDERGROUND, I found my voice.

10/14 And in finding my voice, I found a way forward. I found an approach to writing that has flowed into every script since.

The Bloodlist success also told me I belonged. And that horror is a genre I could be great at.

This is the beauty of the FUCK IT script.

11/14 It's also why every script you write should have an element of FUCK IT about it.

Life is short.

Screenwriting is hard, especially if you want a career in it.

So swing for the fences.

Write what only you can, and what you want to see on screen.

12/14 Your passion, your quirks, your weirdness, your unique POV and obscure sense of humor. All of it.

Infuse your scripts with YOU.

That's the best way to make an impact, and the best way to feel satisfied no matter what happens after you type FADE OUT.

13/14 When you say FUCK IT, you give yourself freedom to fail. And to succeed.

Has UNDERGROUND sold? No.

Has it gotten me a rep? Not yet.

But it has gotten me reads, and it has opened doors and helped me form connections with wildly talented people.

14/14 I've written several scripts since. Stronger scripts.

But UNDERGROUND is the one that continues to deliver.

This is all my own experience, and as with anything, YMMV.

But I'm now prepping for a pitch about UNDERGROUND, 3 years after I wrote it.

FUCK IT for the win.