The Importance of Showing Up: Persistence When the Industry Feels Impossible
Advice from a TV writer/showrunner
If you’ve been in this game for more than five minutes, you know it's a marathon, not a sprint. Actually, it's more like a marathon where half the runners drop out, the finish line keeps moving, and sometimes a giant wall appears out of nowhere. The entertainment industry can feel utterly impossible, especially these days with all the uncertainty, the strikes, the economic shifts, and the constant buzz about AI.
It's easy to get discouraged. Easy to feel like throwing in the towel. But I'll tell you the secret that separates the people who make it from the people who don't, and it has less to do with talent, and more to do with persistence. It's about simply, stubbornly, relentlessly showing up.
I’m often surprised how greatly the level of talent varies inside a writers room. Some are incredibly talented. But others are mediocre at best.
So how did these people win a place at the table?
They just didn’t give up.
They outlasted the others who grew frustrated and quit. They showed up, and good for them!
Success in Hollywood isn't just about being the most brilliant writer in the room. It's often about being the last one standing. It's about being the person who, even after a hundred rejections, a thousand "no's," and countless moments of self-doubt, still sits down at the keyboard and writes.
Think about it. When an opportunity finally arises, who gets it? The person who gave up three months ago because it felt too hard? Or the person who did whatever it takes.
It's not glamorous. It's not the stuff of Hollywood movies. There’s no montage of you struggling beautifully while inspirational music plays. It's just you, day after day, week after week, putting in the work. Even when you don't feel like it. Especially when you don't feel like it.
I've had plenty of moments where I wanted to quit. Times when the well felt dry, when the rejections piled up, when the industry seemed to be actively conspiring against me. But I didn't. I just kept showing up. I kept writing. I kept learning. And often, it was simply being present, having something ready, and being known as someone who sticks around, that led to the next opportunity.
The industry is constantly in flux. Trends come and go. Platforms rise and fall. But what remains constant is the need for good stories, and the people who can write them. Your job, especially in uncertain times, is to make sure you're still one of those people.
So, if you're feeling beaten down, if you're wondering why you're even bothering, remember this: the ones who eventually break through are rarely the ones who had it easy. They're the ones who were too stubborn to quit. They just kept showing up. They kept doing the work. They kept believing in their own ability to tell stories.
Your biggest challenge isn't the competition, or the market, or the latest industry shake-up. It's yourself. It's the voice in your head telling you to give up. Silence that voice. Show up. Write. Repeat. The industry will eventually notice the ones who refuse to disappear.
Excellent timing. Thanks.