Catch 22

OK, so this post will be a personal one attempting to, perhaps in vain, try and understand the world of screenwriting, or at least call some attention to my self, or the problems I see in the industry. As someone who is aspiring to be a screenwriter I have found that entering the business is by far the hardest thing to do. Clearly with the amount of crap spewed out by Hollywood these days, talent doesn't always seem like a prerequisite. The people you know and what you can do for them have always played an important role in any facet of human life, and this is no different. If you have an in, you're set. So, forgive me if this sounds contrived or bitter, since I don't have an in, but this line of selection certainly hasn't lead to success at every turn. However, the biggest catch 22 I see is the agent. You see, agents don't want to take on just anybody as they are, apparently, very busy people who don't want to waste other busy people's time with some piece of garbage that some kid off the street just handed to them smiling politely and expecting to be an instant star. I am not naive enough to just expect to be snapped up right away by an agent, or make mega bucks right from the start, (...one can dream) but the problem is, if you want to get yourself out there, you need an agent. But if you can't get published without an agent, and agents only want published writers, just how in the hell are you to go about doing this. Well, your guess is as good as mine. The only wisdom I have heard is go where the industry is, knock on doors, pester people till they would be willing to throw you onto the freeway, but you have to keep at it. I fully intended to do this at some point, being in Canada it's a little more difficult but the point is, this system keeps creative people who are small timers out of an industry that desperately needs a shake up. Not that there are no talented people in Hollywood, but this seems to limit the number of people who have access to money, which is needed to make a decent film. It is a business, I can't deny that, and as such money and what you can make form the company is the bottom line. So if you have any advice or are looking for writing talent, please don't be shy. I'm not.