So far and few in between blogging. Been busy lately. Work, looking for a place to live, writing, being a dad...it can be exhausting, but i wouldn't trade places with anyone. Today's blog title is by one of my favorite artists, Natasha Bedingfield.
So today's blog is a little out of my norm. I was asked the other day:
Random Friend: "Why do you write?"
And without thinking, I was able to totally come up with reasons as to why I write. So with that, I'll explain why I write, and how I choose topics, and my overall process.
Why do I write?
But after a few seconds, I was able to recompose myself and give my answer:
Have you ever had an idea that you just couldn't shake, and it totally invades your dreams, your life, and every encompassing thought? That's how a story, a movie script, a TV script, or a short story is born. At least for me. I find myself thinking about it all the time and before long I have an outline and then I'm fully immersed in it. Then after buckets of deleted material (see right), yelling, random dance parties, a few naps, and sometimes tears of frustration...I have a story that needs to be rewritten, edited, critqued. I can't stop writing until a story or script is complete.
I get ideas from everything. My mind is constantly moving. Seriously. The truth is, I can't turn my mind off. Like ever. Some nights I literally have to pray to God to stop my brain from thinking so I can sleep. Some would call that "schizophrenia" but those voices don't argue with each other....not out loud at least.
I find myself writing notes (the picture to the left is actually a picture of my desk), and before then, those notes start to form a story or a quote, or a paragraph and anyone that tries to read them would say "what is this gibberish," but it makes sense to me.
Oddly enough, depending on what I am writing, I have two different processes. TV Scripts and Movie scripts get written in notebooks and then typed (which coincidentally is also part of the rewrite process), then I send it out to my screenwriting partner, and we laugh and cut stuff out like crazy people. A few more rewrites later we have a polished script ready for the small stable of actors I am fortunate enough to trust me, read and react to it...and then we decide to shoot it.
Book writing I find, I have to glue my hands to a computer from the start. I sketch out an outline (the picture to the right is the outline of my recently completed novel) from chapter to chapter and of course, it totally changes based on the way the words flow out of my brain. Then the same as before, I have people I trust read it, and rewrite it until I am happy with it completely. (Sidenote: I fully am aware that I have a sticky note obsession)
So what am I working on:
A lot. Seriously. Writing is like a second job when you are not an established writer. Currently I am working on finishing my TV pilot, 5 short films, a few spec tv scripts for studio consideration for internships, and two manuscripts...one fiction and one non-fiction.
In short, a little advice:
I always say the same thing: if you want something...go for it. Life is short. If you have an idea for a book, a tv show, a movie, a short, a sketch...what's stopping YOU from writing it. The best writers in the world write, they continue to do so even when things are at their worst, even when you feel as if you are standing on the corner of "writers block." You can achieve anything you put your mind to. I'm a firm believer in that, and will continue to do so until I take my last breath. Just keeping typing and before you know it..."THE END" will be in sight.
One word at a time, one day at a time....writer's unite!
To all my fellow writers out there, WORD.
