“It’s natural to seek reassurance. Most of us want to believe that the choices we make will work out, that everything will be okay.
Artists and those that launch the untested, the new and the emotional…wrestle with this need all the time. How can we proceed knowing that there’s a good chance that our actions will fail, that things might get worse, that everything won’t end up okay? In search of solace, we seek reassurance.
So people lie to us. So we lie to ourselves.
No, everything is not going to be okay. It never is. It isn’t okay now. Change, by definition, changes things. It makes some things better and some things worse. But everything is never okay.
Finding the bravery to shun faux reassurance is a critical step in producing important change. Once you free yourself from the need for perfect acceptance, it’s a lot easier to launch work that matters”
- Seth Godin
Yesterday, another idea for a story popped in my head. A very random premise. I couldn’t stop laughing at the thought of it because it just seemed so ridiculous! So then I started to get this feeling of Oh, I really wanna write this!. It’s just too weird of an idea to just let go of and not explore further. And I couldn’t keep a straight face as these scenes played in my head and who knows if it’s something that will end up being filmed in the future… but I really wanted to write all that commotion running around my mind. I wanted to make sure it gets on paper before I forgot about it, before I lost all the excitement and enthusiasm I had over it.
So last night, instead of writing scenes for the original idea I had for (25) Days of Scriptwriting, I wrote some for this new story. And to my surprise … what I had in my head didn’t exactly translate as accurately as I wanted it to on paper. But it never does though, right? Isn’t that the challenge of writing? Struggling to convey exactly what you envisioned onto paper and hoping something magical easily comes out of it?
So now, I have a decision to make. Do I continue with my original idea from now until Feb 1st? Or do I take this new idea that I’m a bit more excited about and work on that? (Sigh)
“Never give up on something that you can’t go a day without thinking about.”
- Unknown
Thought I’d write an update: I’ve written four scenes so far.
I definitely experienced some sort of writer’s block during the first two days. I absolutely couldn’t write a thing (or so I thought). Anything I thought of didn’t make it on paper because I thought it was crap (thanks, self-doubt).
Oh, and I couldn’t see my characters at all. I knew who they were and yet they weren’t as clear to me as before. It’s as if they didn’t feel like showing up, or that they were lazy and they decided to take the day off.
But for some reason, once I started watching some tv shows … my mind started buzzing and I all of a sudden found myself writing again! Maybe I needed some tv to wake me up? It’s a little amusing because throughout my entire life, I always used the phrase “I need to watch tv” with my friends and it was our joke. Who would’ve thought there was more to it than that?
I am loving Mary’s blog! When I’m slacking off with my writing, reading one of her posts can give me a quick reminder to wake myself up and get back to writing.
To begin the new year, she created a little project for herself called Writing a Movie in 25 Days, which she took from a book she’s reading by Viki King. Mary is generously sharing her plan online and will be writing about her progress on her blog. The first 4 days is spent on prep work and is then followed by 21 days of writing.
I’m truly inspired with this project so I think I’ll have to give this a go, too! I’m calling mine 25 Days of Scriptwriting and I’ve made a slight alteration for myself. I’ll still keep the first 4 days open for prep work, but since I’ve kind of already have something to work with, I’m going to try and get some writing done on those first 4 days as well. So starting tomorrow… this project will begin! Here’s my plan:
- January 8-11: Prep + Write
- January 12-February 1: Write, write write!
If I can stick with this (which I better!), I should have a decent script to work with by next month. Which sounds just lovely. But I know it’s gonna take some blood, sweat and tears from my part (considering the writer’s mess I’ve been in the past few months). I’ll be sure to make notes in future blog posts of all the frustrations, conundrums, eureka moments and whatever else I’ll encounter during this process.
Anyone else interested in this? If you decide to take this little writing project for yourself, let me know – I’d love to hear from you!
“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back– Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth that ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now.”
- Goethe (somewhat)
photo credit: Elle *
During the last month of 2009, my mind has been in overdrive. I’ve actually started to think about the upcoming year and what I wanted and needed to do for the next 12 months and here’s what I’ve come up with:
- Create at least one film
- To be constantly writing something – even if it’s not a script (it can be poetry, blogging, etc.)
- Practice yoga regularly
- Learn web design
- Take more photos
- Become location independent
And after reading these inspiring posts from Jonathan Fields and Chris Brogan, I’ve decided to list my own 3 Words for 2010:
Courage. I know that fear will always be there. But instead of trying to make it disappear, I want to practice acknowledging it and going for my goals anyways, moving past it. This will definitely be a challenge, but I think it will be a rewarding one.
Create. To write/tell/show more stories and collaborate with like-minded, passionate people.
Play. I have this tiring habit of stressing myself out, not taking breaks for myself, etc. As someone that’s been “more work than play”, I’m excited to try new things this coming year whether it’s travelling, photography, yoga, taking up a new hobby, etc.
So what are your 3 Words for 2010?
