On Failure

You fail so many times you become fearless.

Jun 02, 2024

1- ON FAILURE | “If I’ve learned anything in life it’s that we learn fuck all from success. Success doesn’t teach us anything. The only thing, experience, we learn from, is failure. I’m not saying everybody should fail, but nobody should be afraid of failure. If you’re afraid of failure, if you aspire to succeed, the best you’ll do in your life is be very, very good. If you’re unafraid of failure, if you can look failure in the eye and say, “Come on then, bring it on. Let’s see what happens,” you might be extraordinary,” said extraordinary British playwright Simon Stephens. Do not fear failure, let’s fail and learn and fail again and again and find ourselves through all the times we try. The more we fail, the closer we are to getting it right.

2- JULIA GETS WISE WITH ANNE LAMOTT | Julia Louis-Dreyfus talks writing and life with “Bird by Bird” author Anne Lamott. This is one of the best podcast episodes you’ll listen to this month.

For those who prefer to read, here is the transcript.

3- RIP ALICE MUNRO | The Canadian author Alice Munro, a 2013 Nobel Prize winner for literature, has died at the age of 92. Munro wrote short stories for more than 60 years and she is often compared to Russian writer Anton Chekhov.

During her The Paris Review interview, she talks about Chekhov, craft, family, her fears and joys.

Here is her incredible Paris Review interview.

Did you know that Chekhov always wanted to write a novel? He was going to call it “Stories from the Lives of My Friends.” That Katherine Mansfield said something in one of her letters like, Oh, I hope I write a novel, I hope I don’t die just leaving these bits and pieces. And did Munro outline her short stories?

4- OUR FREE LESSONS ARE AVAILABLE NOW!

Click here to have access to a class from six of RFI's most beloved courses...

Film Format

Introduction to Story

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World Building Workshop

Time Travel 101

Film Structure

We hope you enjoy these lessons and come back for more! Happy learning!

Need any help? Please email us at support@rfi-online.com

5- PROUD OF OUR STUDENTS | Ruben Sevivas got Best Documentary at Leiria Film Fest for “Flor de Laranjeira” (“Orange Blossom”)!

!!! HIP HIP HOORAY !!!

(Photo: Pedro Bernardes, from Ruben Sevivas’ Instagram post)

In the words of the jury: “In an autobiographical and intimate record, "Flor de Laranjeira" manages to portray both the fragility and strength of human existence, offering us a delicate treatise on when mourning ceases to be just about pain and becomes a tribute; on the urgency of bearing witness to the family's roots, traditions, and how eventually it will fall to us to plant the tree for the generations that follow. At times delicate in its melancholy; at others bold just like the woman whose life Rúben wanted to bear witness to, the film stands out for transcending the sphere of its family circle to offer us a touching story that resonates with the anguish of the fleeting nature of time and our longing to preserve the memory of those we love.”

Check out Ruben Sevivas’ works: https://mubi.com/en/cast/ruben-sevivas

Follow Ruben! @rubensevivas

6- PROUD OF OUR STUDENTS! | David Amado collaborated on a book that will be released in Lisbon, Portugal, on June 21. If you’re around, drop by!

Written by: Danilo Gouveia, David J. Amado, Joana Branco e Laura Falésia.
Illustrated by: Ana Casimiro, Bruno de Almeida, Fatumata e Nicole Ostrovan.

Follow David! @davidjamado

7- THE BRAND NEW SERIES EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT

3 Body Problem

NETFLIX | 2024 | Maturity Rating:16+ | 1 Season | Sci-Fi

Here is the official trailer.

Across continents and decades, five brilliant friends make earth-shattering discoveries as the laws of science unravel and an existential threat emerges.

Starring:Jess Hong, Liam Cunningham, Eiza González

Creators:David Benioff, D.B. Weiss, Alexander Woo

“The eight-episode series, based on writer Cixin Liu's internationally celebrated “Remembrance of Earth's Past” trilogy, repeatedly defies human science standards and forces the characters to head back to the drawing board to figure out how to face humanity's greatest threat.”

8- AFTER LEARNING THE RULES, IT’S TIME TO BREAK THEM | Nine authors who broke storytelling rules.

9- UPCOMING SCREENWRITING CONTESTS

JUNE

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