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Category: Writing and Poetry
I get a lot of questions from people who are overwhelmed with Ideas and yet can't figure out why they're unable to finish a novel or screenplay. Figuring that there's more people out there with the same questions...here's my answer:
Ideas are a penny a dozen - or less when you catch them on sale.
Most people have Ideas in abundance - Hollywood and NY are no
different. I'm sure other published authors will agree that once
people know you're a writer...woooh baby...out come the litany of ideas
flowing from others. Its extremely rare to run into people who DON'T
have head-fulls or notebooks or reams full of them. "I could be a
writer because I have so many ideas!" "OMG, my life has been SO
dramatic a movie could be made off of it! I should do that! I'd make
millions!"
What published writers / produced screen writers know that these people
(and unfortunately some fledgling writers) don't is that the idea(s) is
only 1% of the writing process.
What takes the Idea and makes it into a story is 80% Desire and
Determination and 19% a contorted mix of talent, knowledge, ability,
confidence, stubbornness, creativity, blood, sweat, tears, heart ache
and the willingness to weather arguments, negative criticism and
rejection. And again, Idea is about 1%.
Why is that?
To be successful at anything you need Desire and
Determination. If you're lacking those then find an alternative career what does light a fire within you and follow that instead. Because opting for a career of any sort
when you're lacking those two basics is an exercise in futility. But
when you have them - watch out! You could be lacking in everything else and those two D's will help you gain what you're missing.
So before starting anything - be it a novel or the police academy - ask
yourself if you've got the Desire and Determination to see it through.
If you do, let it run and keep it stoked and you'll eventually succeed.
If you don't have them, there's nothing wrong with being a Hobby Writer
instead of aiming for Pro - writing what you want, when you want and how
you want. Just like there's nothing wrong with a crime enthusiast
realizing that, although they like a good crime show or the romance of
being a Detective, inside they're really not cut out for the grit of
working a real crime scene. Therefore they remain Arm Chair Detectives rather than going out there getting bloody on crime scenes at their local police department.
So basically if you're stoked about a story that's more than half of your
battle. If you're not - try twiddling with it to see if you can get
that flame roaring. If you still can't...write it if you want, I'm not
for anyone telling anyone else that they have to or cannot do something
- but realize it'll be a heck of a tough road without those two D's.
~Raven
1:20 PM
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