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| A work of art? You bet! |
But for a screenwriter thinking of your writing as art only hampers you - it puts too much pressure on you. You'll be thinking Michelangelo, Picasso, Rothko - and you'll be so worried about failing, about not measuring up, you'll end up blocking yourself. Screenwriting is "just" writing stories, putting words on paper. Think of it as a craft like carpentry because that's down to earth, it's doable. Not that making chairs is easy. If you've ever tried to build a chair, you know what I mean. But if you set your mind to it, if you're willing to put in the time, if you're passionate about wood, you'll learn how to craft your chairs. And people will buy them from you, too.
I truly think there are screenwriting artists out there. But the Charlie Kaufmans are like Mozart - pretty damn rare! I prefer living my life as a carpenter, rather than a genius. I mean, just look at what happened to Mozart. Thinking of screenwriting as a craft makes everything less daunting for fresh writers. Maybe you'll build chairs eventually, chairs that'll be sturdy and beautiful. And when they're bought, they'll be worked on by other people (hopefully together with you) and your chairs will be luxuriously upholstered - or changed into a couches!
So be a craftsman/woman ... and maybe, just maybe, sometime down the line people will call that beautiful piece of furniture you've worked on - art.
2 comments:
I fully agree with you here. I think it's a craft and one that needs development and time. Talent and art in writing evolve out an understanding of the rules and material you're working with. Just like wood, or stone or a blank canvas, it's what you do with it, inside the frame work you have been given, that leads to art. but you have to know the rules first.
Great article and so true. Screenwriting is a craft and sometimes art comes from it. I too like being a carpenter, a craftsman and growing up I just wanted to make movies, not have the pressure of being a star.
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