When you start out as a writer, you have to write. Seems kind of obvious, doesn't it? But it ever so often happens that fresh talents write their first story and then fiddle around with it, shape it and reshape it - always hoping for this one script to become their big break. Well, 99.999(keep counting)% of the odds are against that ever happening. If you rely on the one, you're doomed.

Another thing is likely to happen if you focus on that one story to be your key to fame - you'll eventually end up hating that story. Whether you'll admit it to yourself or not, it'll happen because you'll have too much riding on that one tale. So learn to let go.
If you're confident that the script's in good shape (it'll never be perfect anyway so be passionate about it, but be smart about it, too) - send it out and start writing the next story right away. Your script will get rejected time and again, it may even get nibbles and then get rejected. If the script's any good it'll be a mix of rejection and hope, the dangling carrot that will keep on getting pulled just out of reach. If you have everything riding on just that one story - it'll drag you down and kill your passion for writing.
But if you write while someone dangles a carrot, it won't bother you half as much because you're knee-deep in the next story already. Keep on writing and it'll keep you sane. It'll keep carrots from becoming all-important and it will eventually give you the powerful writing muscle (and loads of great writing samples) that'll allow you to tackle just about anything.
Here's my way of thinking: I write because it makes me happy. Dangle all the carrots you want - if I get one, cool. If I don't, I'm still writing - either way, I'm happy.
No comments:
Post a Comment