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This
week's answer:
To
the Victor Goes the Screenplay
Yes, I do, Chevy.
You might want to rethink things before you ask
for a writing job when you don’t want to write.
It’s just a thought.
Most likely, your mind is playing a
trick on you. You’re
focused on the end instead of the next thing to do
(which seems to be to start writing – unless you’ve
found a way to begin writing without starting writing).
Here’s a good way to “think
yourself back to sanity”:
Remind yourself that you don’t have to write.
And you don’t.
You could contact the producer at any time and
tell him, “I know you’re counting on me writing this
screenplay, but, because I think it will take too much
writing, I’ve decided not to.
Write it. Thank
you and, should you ever need someone to write another
of your screenplays, feel free to call on me.”
You can do that.
Or... you can choose to write the
screenplay. Now,
don’t worry right away about how that’s going to
come about, but, rather, just make the choice.
That’s the first step.
And don’t write until you do make that choice.
Even if you feel like it and even find an urge
to, don’t let yourself start writing until you’ve
made the definite choice to write that screenplay.
(Instead of unconsciously stopping
yourself from writing, now you’ll be consciously
stopping yourself from writing.
And this will bring you into a proactive instead
of a reactive state of mind.)
Or... if you need even more of a
nudge, act as though you’re another person and tell
yourself that you can’t write the screenplay.
This “other person” is telling you that you
don’t have permission to write the screenplay, no
matter how much you may want to.
Notice your reaction to that one. Notice if what surfaces within you is a renewed urge to...
write. But,
still don’t let yourself work on that screenplay until
you’ve made the choice to write it.
And don’t make that choice lightly.
Consider what you’re getting yourself into; be
fully cognizant of the time and effort that will be
involved. Only
say you fully choose to write the screenplay when you
actually fully choose that. And don’t worry if days go by and you’re not writing as
you quarrel with yourself, as you entertain conflicts
within you regarding the writing of the screenplay.
Watch them all beg for your attention.
Just observe them.
You can even write about all those
thoughts that come up about whether or not you want to
write the screenplay (but don’t put your writing in a
screenplay format; that would be cheating).
If you happen to come to a point
where you find yourself really wanting to write the
screenplay, then make the choice to do it.
And then do it. And never look back. Well,
you might have to if you need to check something you
wrote before where you are when you remember that I told
you never to look back.
Then you’d have to look back.
But then look forward again and let the momentum
build and build until you are an inexorable
screenwriting power that knocks down anything in its way
that would try to stop it from writing that screenplay.
Here the trumpets blare and fully move into the
center of your screenwriting power, which is your
inalienable right, finally victorious over all dark
forces that have daunted your every step and tried to
keep you from your glorious task!
Or you could just write the
screenplay. Whatever
works.
DcH
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