Screenwriting

You’re Not A Screenwriter Until You Get A Movie Made – Jay Fingers

Filmcourage

Published

December 24, 2021

Film Courage: Are you a worst-case scenario type of person?

Jay Fingers, Novelist, Journalist, Editor, and Screenwriter: I definitely am.

Film Courage: It’s a good way to be. What’s the worst-case scenario for your screenwriting career here in Los Angeles, Jay?

Jay: The worst case scenario would be that I’ve done all of this for nothing. That I never write anything that gets made or that gets sold or that turns into something that people see my goal is to become a professional screenwriter, that’s what I would like to do. As long as I can write and I’m able to make that my living, I can make a living as a screenwriter, that’s fine. If it just never happens for me that’s worst-case scenario. I can’t think of anything worse than that. I’ve read stories and seen interviews with people who say that they’ve written and they’ve made money and nothing’s ever been made from what they’ve written. It’s like I’ve been commissioned to write this and rewrite this and nothing was ever made, made a lot of money but nothing was ever made. In a situation like that I feel that there’s always a way to get something made. If I’m able to make a living as a screenwriter but say none of the projects that I’ve been working on, the studio or the producer, they decide they don’t want to make it I think then I would just try to make something on my own. I’m still making a living as a screenwriter but at least then I would have I think the ability to then perhaps do something on my own even if it’s a short film…(Watch the video interview on Youtube here).

BIO:

Jay Fingers is a novelist, journalist, editor, and emerging screenwriter. He grew up in Memphis, Tennessee, before attending film school at the University of Miami. After college and working in Miami Beach’s nightlife scene for several years, Jay moved to New York City — Brooklyn, specifically — where he wrote four books: Guestlist, Kisses for Tati, Orange Mound and Manhattan Sweetheart. Deciding to fully pursue his lifelong screenwriting ambitions, Jay relocated to Los Angeles, where he currently lives and has been tirelessly working on spec scripts.

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