It's been said Hollywood is the only town where you can die of encouragement. I've known a number of people (including myself) who have had film projects with

It's been said Hollywood is the only town where you can die of encouragement. I've known a number of people (including myself) who have had film projects with interest from some of the biggest names in town. But what counts isn't interest, or someone thinking it's great, but someone signing some checks. And that can be incredibly elusive. Even then, the results aren't always satisfying. There are some screenwriters who have sold scripts for some of the largest amount on record who refuse to watch the movies that eventually resulted. I've read the average time from start to a produced film for a screenwriter is 7 years. And during those 7 years, you don't know if you're going to be a success or if you're just delusional. Having been around the edges of the business for a good while now, I believe people who say the existence of each and every film is a miracle. It's a crazy business.