Catching A Tiger By The Tail

This book is comprised of several long-form posts from a blog I have been writing for over 10 years called (of many names), Angelo Writes. The post were written as a form of venting after I’d worked for over four years to secure my first pilot development TV writing deals. As the deals slowly came to fruition a funny, but no so funny thing happened. Money came into the equation and my partners and colleagues went nuts. Even as I continued to think long term, as in, this was just a stepping stone towards a larger more fruitful landscape of a career, the partners I had assembled could not see beyond the immediate payday. It became a money-grab at all costs. Friendships were decimated. Opportunities were lost. Careers were derailed.

I wrote the blogs to clear my mind, vent, scream and mostly to debrief for lessons-learned. Later, I began to realize that the lessons learned were important not just for me, but for my peers working in any and all areas of the entertainment business. The need to write these blog posts and later assemble them into a book came after years of having people disappoint me. During my time of developing projects, pitches and films, I have helped hundreds of people in the entertainment biz. I have helped them pay their rent, build their reels, pad their resumes, win awards, revise their scripts, crowdsource their projects, market their endeavors, and essentially build their careers. Unfortunately I can literally count on one hand how many of their folks have returned the favor to me.

But this will not deter me. My character is to help, so I will continue to do so. Instead of stifling my desire to reach out and help I will simply choose your network of peers and teammates more wisely. Lesson learned: Have a Plan. Follow your plan. Tell others your plan so that they are cognizant when they are intruding on your plan. Know that some folks will make excuses why they cannot help you but will have endless reasons why you should help them. Most importantly, do not let bad experiences stop you. When people of questionable character knock you down or force you on a detour, adjust your sights, pick yourself up and just keep moving.