The Creative Urge Thing
So yesterday on Facebook I made the joke that my creative urge had seen its shadow, and retreated into its cave for six more weeks.
I hope it's a joke.
But my writing has stalled. I put aside the rewrite of my violent thriller in late December to focus on brainstorming my take pitch. The pitch was three weeks ago, and since then I haven't really written a word.
Oh, I've thought about stuff. I've jotted down a few notes, many on a new comedy idea that my brain has been wrestling with, trying to figure out the best characters to make the story work (mainly, the question of whether the lead should be male or female, and why).
I printed out a rough draft of my violent thing, so that I could curl up with it and make the changes I've been pondering to focus it more and make it more of a story.
And I was going to do the curl up thing yesterday... and then I didn't.
Because I had paying work to do, and the wife was home sick from work, and my day was short because of my screenwriting group and a meeting beforehand.
And so there was no time to indulge the creative urge. And it felt ignored, and went back to its cave.
I guess I was the shadow.
But I'm feeling like this is the year I have to write something sellable, and be a lot more productive than I ultimately was last year, when my productivity was maybe a C-.
There's the violent thing to polish up, and as much as I hate the dark reputation it has given me in script group, it might be commercial.
Then I have two comedy ideas I have been wrestling with, one of which I did 40 pages of last year but which needs a minor main character reboot, the other the new thing.
I need to get the stuff I've written out there more. I need to network. I need to write.
I need.
I need to get my creative urge out of its cave.
Depressive rant over.
*****
TAKEN make $24.7 million over the weekend. Pretty impressive, considering.
THE UNINVITED did $10.3 million. NEW IN TOWN stumbled in with only $6.7 million.
THE PINK PANTHER 2 looks like it is going to be an atrocity.
posted by Scott the Reader @ 8:06 AM
8 Comments:
Ooh, I just found your blog. awesome title. My 2cents: DOn't wait for the urge, just get out that script and start wrestling. It's the year of The Wrestler. :)
I've always found freewriting a useful tool for rebooting the creative urge. Don't write your violent piece, don't write your comedies - don't write anything that already has expectations attached; just write something, anything, to remind yourself why you love to write. No point picking your destination before you've even got the engine roaring... Good luck, Scott.
Scott,
The "creative thing" comes in waves. Ride the highs, work through the lows.
My big motivator to write is the Nicholl's deadline. 1st drafts are ALWAYS the hardest. Later drats are more about endurance and being a professional trying to make things as perfect as possible.
TRY to have fun with it. You were on the right track involving your wife in the process.
Still waiting for you to hook me up with your female writing partner's sister. She does have a sister, does't she. If you could find out if she like Sweedish guy, that'd be swell!
- (smiley face) from Bonney Lake, WA
If this year's the year, do something drastic. Shake up your writing routine. (I've just started writing mornings instead of nights and I've always been a night person.)
Or change where you write.
Small things can sometimes provide the burst of energy you need to get you through when it's not all naturally flowing.
Well, you know that you're in trouble when I'M producing more work than you. Frankly, you've got no excuse. You're far too talented to not be writing all the time. No excuses, and good luck with the one hour a day plan!
Scott,
Don't know if this will help but I write the most when I can get away to a motel, lock myself away with bourbon, cigarettes and the laptop and just self-indulge by writing.....lots. Normally get 20-40 pages in 48 hours.
Plus I normally break a few major story/character points that have been bugging me.
The quiet away from kids, lawnmowers and whatever else is bliss.
Plus they normally have cable where I don't. So it's a bonus!
Whichever way, best of luck.
cheers
Dave.
Sometimes when I'm having trouble thinking through a feature idea I write a short film. That usually gets me warmed up.
Good luck. We're all counting on you.
This.
This is what I've been trying to explain to the well-meaning people around me.
I will also try to do those things you outlined, b/c, well, that IS what we're supposed to be doing. Thanks for the reminder.
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