LIAR LIAR PANTS ON FIRE

When starting out in the industry it's tempting to exaggerate your skills and experience to help get you ahead, especially if you've been turned down for a job because you lack the experience they are looking for. I was once turned down for a sci-fi feature because although the production company loved my writing they were worried I didn't have any experience in writing sci-fi. They were right. It's incredibly frustrating when this happens, but by lying about your previous work you risk stalling your career before it's barely got off the ground. And what did I do? I accepted their decision and moved on, concentrating on what I do best and quickly landed myself another feature.

Over the past few years I've seen various examples of new writers, first time directors and producers beefing up their CV in the false belief industry people won't work with them because they lack experience. This is a bad idea for two very good reasons...

Don't lie, you'll be found out!

1 - You will be caught out. Have you ever watched The Apprentice? Ever seen the grilling candidates get over their CVs, where one of Lord Sugar's trusted people rips holes in the candidate's exaggerations? Your claims will be checked and lies exposed. Don't be foolish to think no one will ever know. They will!

2 - When you are found out your lie will do more damage to your career than if you had been honest about your lack of experience from the start. It will take far more hard work, effort and time to erase your dishonesty than it would have taken to get a career going if you had been honest from the start.

There's no shame in admitting you lack experience. Everyone has to start from somewhere. It's better to admit you lack in experience and show an enthusiasm to learn and progress, as others will not only admire your honesty but also your commitment to improve. Who do you think is more likely to be offered work; the inexperienced writer open about wanting to learn and grow, or the inexperienced writer who hides behind false claims they will never be able to back up?

About ten years ago when I was a member of Trigger Street there was a man who claimed to be a producer who kept popping up on all the forums, dishing out dodgy advice to writers and forcing his view of the industry on them. He kept using the fact he had won an Oscar as a club to beat his ideas into them and to knock down anyone who dared question what he was saying. So one of those writers decided to do a little research. Five minutes later he discovered the producer hadn't won an Oscar at all and had only been mentioned as a thank you in the speech alongside dozens of others. Once confronted with this fact the man disappeared from Trigger Street and was never heard from again. How foolish do you think he felt after being exposed? To all those writers who witnessed it he would forever be known as a liar. And how would the real winners feel about him claiming their Oscar as his, especially after they thanked him in their speech? If I was them I would never have worked with that guy again.

A producer I once worked with lied about my experience on an investors pack and I had to get my agent to respectfully ask him to correct it and stick to the facts. If the investors pack had gone out with a false claim about my experience it could have potentially damaged my career and would have put the film in jeopardy if investors had found out.

If you're tempted to make false claims about your skills and experience just to boost your standing in the industry, my advice is not to do it. It's only going to make you look like an idiot when you're found out and people won't want to work with someone they can't trust. It's better to be honest about your lack of experience and show a genuine enthusiasm to learn and grow as a writer.

Happy Writing!