I Write, Therefore I Am

“When talented people write badly, it’s generally for one of two reasons: Either they’re blinded by an idea they feel compelled to prove or they’re driven by an emotion they must express. When talented people write well, it is generally for this reason: They’re moved by a desire to touch the audience.” — Robert McKee

I think I’m a talented writer who writes well, and in everything I write, I like to think that I do it out of a desire to touch the audience. I like to write stories that pull a reader in and engage them to either cheer for the hero/heroine or root for the villain!

I’m a blogger, writer, and screenwriter! I may not work at a newspaper or for a magazine, or write for TV or movies, but that doesn’t mean I’m NOT a writer. I write because I need to and because I want to. It’s not how I earn my living nowadays, but if I could write for a living, I would. I’m more than just a blogger. I really am a writer, through and through.

I used to write for a living (newspaper journalist and public relations), but life happened. Now, outside of this blog, I make a living as a Registered Medical Assistant for a general surgeon. But I’m more than that… I’m a wife, a daughter, a granddaughter, a sister, an aunt, a cousin, and a friend to many. All of this just adds to the story that is my life. It’s not what I write about, but it’s who I am.

The majority of writing I do nowadays is for this blog. I occasionally revisit my screenplays and short stories, but my blogging consumes my thoughts day and night. But for me, writing (whatever form it takes) is my true passion.

As for my screenwriting, I have put it on the back burner for a while.  But my excitement for screenwriting started a few years ago when I had this “movie” pop into my head. I could see scenes playing out as if I was watching it on the big screen, but it’s a movie that has not been written because it is my movie and I haven’t written the screenplay just yet.

I know that sounds both a bit arrogant and territorial – “it is my movie and I haven’t written it yet” – blah blah blah… But when I wear my screenwriter hat, I am constantly thinking about what – as an audience member – I want to see be made into a movie.

David Mamet said, “A good film script should be able to do completely without dialogue.”

So true! Sometimes words get in the way of what could have been a really good movie! The Artist, nominated for “Best Picture” by the Academy Awards (a.k.a., The Oscars), is the first silent film in almost 90 years! And Sofia Coppola wrote Somewhere, a 48-page long movie, with no dialogue in the first 15 minutes of the movie!

A couple of years ago, I entered a screenplay to the Sundance Screenwriter’s Lab. Needless to say, I didn’t get accepted, but just submitting it was a huge deal for me. And I plan to do it again in the future because I can’t let fear dictate my not entering my writing to screenwriting labs or writing contests. Some screenwriters, or people in general, might read this and think, “Who does this woman think she is? Doesn’t she know how elite the Sundance Screenwriter’s Lab is?”

Yes, I do! Out of hundreds, or possibly thousands, of applicants, only a dozen or so are selected to participate in the Sundance Screenwriter’s Lab. But if anyone could benefit from such an intense one-on-one lab, it would be me. And maybe one of these days, I will be selected to attend the Screenwriter’s Lab and one day something I write will be made into a movie.

Robert McKee said, “Write every day, line by line, page by page, hour by hour. Do this despite fear. For above all else, beyond imagination and skill, what the world asks of you is courage, courage to risk rejection, ridicule and failure. As you follow the quest for stories told with meaning and beauty, study thoughtfully, but write boldly. Then, like the hero of the fable, your dance will dazzle the world.”

I haven’t attended Robert McKee’s “Story Seminar”, but it’s a goal of mine to attend a seminar one day!

A few years ago I went to a Screenwriter’s Conference in Nashville and met several screenwriters – Derek Haas, Craig Mazin, Jeff Lowell, Malcolm Spellman, John Lee Hancock, and Ray McKinnon – just to name a few. I walked away from that conference a bit discouraged, but also encouraged by what I heard.

The discouraging part was that “it’s hard to break intoHollywood.” Attendees kept asking, “How can someone like myself, living in rural Tennessee, break into Hollywood or get my script read by someone in Hollywood?” The answer was: “Move to Hollywood and work for someone who knows someone who knows someone. Then after you’ve established yourself as a screenwriter, you can live anywhere and write.”

Another discouraging part was that your original screenplay will most likely never be made into a movie; however, (here comes the encouraging part) someone may ask you to write a screenplay simply because they like your writing style.

Hopefully, one of these days, someone will like my writing style and offer me a job doing what I love and enjoy – writing! Heck, I’d even love to work for/with a writer, screenwriter, director, or producer or magazine editor. Maybe they’ll share some of their knowledge with me and mentor me, which could lead to connections elsewhere!

Until then, I’ll be here – blogging, musing, and rambling on, all while I continue writing my screenplays and short stories!

Yours Truly,
Vanessa