I posted this article by Jeanne Veillette Bowerman on my screenwriting blog, LA Screenwriter, but I think Jeanne’s message applies to any profession. And to life in general.

People underestimate the importance of self-confidence — knowing what you’re capable of and what you can achieve. This knowledge is what feeds the faith that Jeanne is talking about, and without it, you’re lost.

As we all know, a writer needs an abundance of hope as well as faith in order to survive this industry. As similar as those two terms may seem, they are vastly different.

Let’s check Webster’s for clarification:

Hope: To cherish a desire with anticipation. To expect with confidence.

Faith: Something that is believed especially with strong conviction, without question.

Simply put, hope involves expectations, but faith is a constant, unwavering belief that something exists or will happen.

The problem with hope is it’s ever-changing and often depends on other people’s actions – actions you can’t control, but hope will happen.

Take pitching for example. The actual pitch is under your control, but you have no idea if the development executive you’re pitching to has a hangover, just fell in love, or just got dumped. How your script fits into the executive’s life experiences could affect whether you get a request for a read or not.

But let’s say the exec did ask to read your screenplay. Then, your writing skills are your best shot at getting to the next level. Do you have faith you executed the script to its fullest potential? You’d better. You have one shot at a first impression. That is under your control. Continue reading →