What About Hollywood?

Oh yeah, that... Yes, I spent several years honing my talent as a screenwriter, first in San Francisco, then in Santa Monica. I did quite well in writing contests, and I even had a literary agent for a while (a worthless bottom-feeder). Nothing sold. Hollywood, need it be said, is not a meritocracy; if it were, we'd be seeing much better movies, wouldn't we?

Ironically I made more money in front of the camera as an actor & extra; for ex., you can spot me in "The Last Samurai" and "The Pursuit of Happyness". I met a lot of wannabes. A few big celebrities. I had a few really good paydays. Ultimately, none of it matters.

What now? Well, I have no interest whatsoever in leading other poor sods down that primrose path (by teaching, I mean). Independent film is still a possibility; in the future, if I get passionate about a story, it'll have to be a cheap one. Had I figured this out in the beginning, I might not have wasted so much time & effort.