What's the point of this blog you may ask? I haven't quite figured it out yet. But I feel compelled to build some sort of writing portfolio to see if my lifelong yet frequently ignored hobby of writing could ever turn into something more.
I've gone back over some of my personal writing and realized I've complained about not doing this for years now, so it's time to stop complaining and start doing. If it ends up being a fruitless endeavor, then at least I can say I tried. I don't want end life thinking that it's okay to just muddle through without ever really taking a chance on something one loves.
So here it is. I'm open to criticism (as long as it's genuinely useful--if you want to heckle, I must warn you I can sling it with the best of them). I'll probably cover a wide variety of topics and it may seem like I'm all over the map, but I have a feeling I'll start converging on a theme or two most important to me as I continue to write.
I need to commit to this before I wake up one morning not recognizing the potential I once had. I've been joking about writing that NY Times best selling novel for over ten years. I've jotted down at least 15 story ideas. I'll be throwing down during Nano Wrimo this year and really making an attempt to finish a complete draft. I've started a few, but never finished one.
I want to write. Despite all the articles and blogs telling the masses to never become a writer. All the articles and blogs that speak of the boundless rejection, the impossible odds to overcome, blah, blah, blah. I take them in and genuinely consider whether or not I should quit this silly idea and something always pulls me back. If it's meant to remain a hobby, I can live with that. If it's meant for more then I can't allow myself to never take the chance.
I'll probably heckle. Just sayin'
ReplyDeleteI'm interested to see where this goes as I'll probably relate to it (which is what good writing is all about). I followed my passion into filmmaking, from there it went to docs, and then for some narcissistic reason I decided to make documentaries about myself. So I don't have a bright line dividing my work from my personal life. My personal life is my work (I hope). What you said about the dangers of the writing industry applies to all of the creative industries. Ironically, the best creative work comes from a deeply personal place, but at the same time, when personal work gets rejected it is so much more painful. I've cried my eyes out over a few rejections and simple raged over others. "How dare the world no recognize my genius!?!" (okay, I don't think my work is genius, but it's still pretty good.) I have been warned many times about how hard it is to make it, how the odds are stacked against you, how it is virtually impossible. Looking back on the road I've traveled these past ten years, it's actually much worse than I was led to believe. And I have, on more than one occasion, said "If this film isn't successful I'm going to quit making films because what's the point." But every time something bad happens and I want to quit, I realize that I can't. There is a famous Russian filmmaker with an list of rules, one of which is "don't make films if you can do anything else." And that's where I am. And I congratulate you for taking the plunge into writing and putting yourself out there. No regrets. Ever.
ReplyDeleteScott TL;DR?
ReplyDeleteIt's not your damn blog
I know Scott--he can write as much as he wants in response to my posts.
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