Why You Shouldn’t Force Your Next Big Movie Idea (And What to Do Instead)

You know what I hate doing? Knowing it's time to write another spec and having to brainstorm new screenplay ideas. It's so much stress. You're trying to figure out what's commercial and will sell, and something you'd love to work on for as long as it takes to make a movie.

There's a lot of stress trying to force a high-concept movie idea out of thin air!

So...maybe don't?

In a great interview with Film Courage, writer-director Jason Eric Perlman broke down why "forcing" a concept never works.

Let's dive in.

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

Stop Trying to Force "Magic"

I liked this video. It kind of hit me right where I was feeling lately. And I thought the advice was good. We put so much pressure on ourselves. But what if we just surrendered to the creativity?

What if we let the ideas come to us and didn't try to sprint to them?

I like this quote from Perlman:

"I think it's a form of surrender... where you're not pushing, you're not groping for 'I need an idea, I need a great idea.' The more I find personally that I'm reaching for an idea... it doesn't work. It comes unbidden at odd hours."

Perlman argues that you should lean into your personal authenticity as a storyteller rather than just force whatever comes to you first. This is where I remind you that writing is a marathon. It's not about how many ideas you have; it's about capitalizing on the great ones.

Patience is hard, but you have to be brave enough and believe in yourself enough to know they will come.

Tapping into Big Metaphysical Questions

What if those ideas never come? Okay, this is where my mind went too, but so much of this is about trust. I find the best way to trust myself is to do chores, take long walks, go to the movies to see things, and just live my life.

My best ideas come when I'm reading my kid a bedtime story or baking a smash cake or just doing anything mindless. When I put pressure on myself, I don't perform.

But when I let my mind relax, the winners find me.

So if you're stuck and need something to do, why not explore some metaphysical questions that let you use your brain in a different way?

As explored in the video, if you ask foundational, slightly uncomfortable questions about existence, time, consciousness, and human nature, you may actually come out the other side with a movie that lets you channel your beliefs about one of those things.

Summing It All Up

If you’re currently stuck on your next script, stop trying to kick down the door. Step away from the desk, quiet the chatter in your head, and pay attention to something else entirely.

Ask weird questions. Explore a museum. Or just take a break, and you may be very surprised when the next idea just hits you.

Let me know what you think in the comments.