Time to Write

If It Hasn't Happened for You Yet

It can be frustrating to keep on writing while waiting for your break. Sometimes we wonder whether we're just wasting our time. All those days, weeks, months, years with nothing happening.

Of course, it's not really that nothing is happening. You're constantly learning, improving, and bringing new stories to life. The part that hasn't happened yet is the recognition from others, like editors or producers, of the value of what you're creating. And that hurts.

I have experienced this myself, and at times it has put me off even submitting material. I love the process of creating. The process of marketing? Not so much. But, of course, we have to do both. Both call for patience. Here's what the poet Rilke wrote about that:

"Being an artist means, not reckoning and counting, but ripening like the tree which does not force its sap and stands confident in the storms of spring without the fear that after them may come no summer. It does come. But it comes only to the patient, who are there as though eternity lay before them, so unconcernedly still and wide. I learn it daily, learn it with pain to which I am grateful: patience is everything!"

That's the lesson I have to learn and re-learn. Maybe it'll help you, too.

 

Why you will hate your writing at some point (and what to do about it)

It's a fact of the writing life that at some point you will hate your project and will feel like giving up on it.

It's important to know that this is natural--and not a reason to give up.

This can happen at any point in the project but usually, it happens when we're about halfway through the first draft. At the mid-point, it sinks in that what we've written doesn't match the pristine, perfect version of it we had in mind. Also, there's still such a long way to go. 

This is when we may be tempted by another pristine, perfect vision. "Write me instead!" it cries. "I'll be better!" Spoiler alert: it won't. It will have the same or similar issues and you'll hit the same point again.

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU FEEL LIKE GIVING UP ON YOUR PROJECT

Here's the process I recommend for when you feel like giving up on a project:

1: Step away from it for a week or two. During that time, don't work on it or even think about it. If you've been working hard, take a break. Read some books, see some movies, go to an art gallery or museum, spend some time in a park. See some friends you haven't seen for a while. Eat some ice cream. 

2: Return to the project, go somewhere other than your writing desk, and look at it as though somebody else wrote it. Make a list of its good points and weaknesses. You may be surprised to find that during your break from it your subconscious mind was still working on it and now presents you with some new ideas that will improve it.

3: Decide: If a good friend was working on this, would you advise them to give up?

If not, return to it, refreshed and with a better idea of what it requires. Ideally, finish the draft before going back to make changes in the first half. However, if you now have a  new approach that changes the first half in a major way, go back and do a quick new draft of the first half, too.

If yes, get a trusted outside opinion. Someone who approaches it with a fresh eye may well be able to suggest the fix that eludes you. 

If you still feel like quitting it, go ahead---but not before you think about what you have learned. What was wrong with it? How can you avoid making the same mistake in your next project? When I say dump it, I don't mean throw it away. Put it in a folder and when you've finished your next project go back to it. You may have gained a new perspective and want to take it up again, or you may discover you can use part of it in a new project. Or you may never want to see it again. Either way, you'll know that you gave it a fair shot.

How NOT to respond to rejection

Publisher Lee Goldberg recently related how an aspiring novelist responded when Goldberg sent him a polite rejection of his manuscript. The author wrote:

"Keep printing the same redundant s**t, arrogant ass, just remember the title of this book, u will see it on the best seller list, ***hole."

When Goldberg pointed out this is not the way to win friends in the publishing world, the aspiring novelist apologized for lashing out, but still maintained that his work is brilliant and there's no way that Goldberg could have rejected it so quickly if he'd really read it.

Goldberg added, "It was terrible."

Not only terrible work gets rejected, of course. There are dozens of examples of books and screenplays rejected multiple times before finally achieving publication or production and massive success.

But no matter how convinced you are that the people rejecting your work are clueless and will someday regret their decision, keep it to yourself. The film and publishing worlds both are small and making enemies can catch up with you quickly.

Usually there's no need to reply to a rejection unless the person sending it has given you some constructive feedback. In that case, the proper response is a brief thank-you--even if you don't think it was right. You don't have to pretend you agree, something like 'Thank you for taking the time to give me feedback" is fine.

And don't call them an ***hole.

The Best Response to a Troll

A reader who published an article that attracted comments from a few trolls says he made the mistake of trying to argue with them and asked whether I have any advice on the best response--or whether it's better not to respond at all.

Essayist and newspaper columnist Alexander Woollcott used to respond, "Dear Sir/ Madam, You may be right."

Maybe I'm not as generous as he was, so I suggest something even simpler:

"Thanks for sharing your opinion."

That works well for constructive as well as destructive comments. 

Trolls will be disappointed that you didn't rise to their bait; if they add more, ignore them. They'll soon move on to people willing to engage with them.

ALEXANDER WHO?

Would you care to join me on a little digression about the gentleman I quoted above?

Alexander Woollcott is largely forgotten now but had immense success in his day. Here's an excerpt from the Wikipedia entry about him:

"Alexander Humphreys Woollcott (January 19, 1887 – January 23, 1943) was an American critic and commentator for The New Yorker magazine, a member of the Algonquin Round Table, an occasional actor and playwright, and a prominent radio personality.

He was the inspiration for Sheridan Whiteside, the main character in the play The Man Who Came to Dinner (1939) by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart,^[1] and for the far less likable character Waldo Lydecker in the film Laura (1944). Woollcott was convinced he was the inspiration for his friend Rex Stout's brilliant, eccentric detective Nero Wolfe, an idea that Stout denied. 

Woollcott was one of the most quoted men of his generation. Among Woollcott's classics is his description of the Los Angeles area as "Seven suburbs in search of a city"—a quip often attributed to his friend Dorothy Parker. Describing The New Yorker editor Harold Ross, he said: "He looks like a dishonest Abe Lincoln." He claimed the Brandy Alexander cocktail was named for him.

Woollcott was renowned for his savage tongue. He dismissed Oscar Levant, the notable wit and pianist, by observing, "There is absolutely nothing wrong with Oscar Levant that a miracle can't fix." 

Woollcott was primarily a storyteller, a retailer of anecdotes and superior gossip, as many of his personal letters reveal. His letters also reveal a warm and generous heart and a self-effacing manner distinct from his waspish public persona, and his many lasting and close friendships with the theatrical and literary elite of his day.

He was buried in Clinton, New York, at his alma mater, Hamilton College, but not without some confusion. By mistake, his ashes were sent to Colgate University in Hamilton, New York. When the error was corrected and the ashes were forwarded to Hamilton College, they arrived with 67¢ postage due."

I think he would have loved that last bit.

The trap of "I'll feel happy when..."

I ran across an older interview with J. K. Rowling the other day in which she recalled how she felt a week after she got her American deal for the first Harry Potter book. She told The Guardian:

"...One of my very best girlfriends called me and said 'I thought you'd sound so elated.'

"From the outside, I'm sure everything sounded amazing.

"But in my flat, where I was still a single mum and I didn't know who to call to do my hair, everything felt phenomenally overwhelming.

"For the first time in my life I could buy a house, which meant security for my daughter and me, but now I felt: 'The next book can't possibly live up to this one.'

"So I managed to turn this amazing triumph into tragedy, in the space of about five days..."

I take two things away from that:

1. Whatever neuroses are screwing up your life at the moment won't go away when you attain your goal.
   
   
2. That's a good reason to address them now.

When I find myself thinking I'll be happy when (some future event happens), I try to remember to stop and think about what I can do to be happy now. It works a fairly high percentage of the time, so you may want to try it.

Is anybody ever THIS happy?

To make more progress, make it visible

The problem with a lot of goals is that their rewards are off in the future. Sometimes it's hard to stay motivated when the prize is far off. To stay motivated, come up with a way to make your progress visible.

Charts, calendars, and other forms are very useful for this. For instance:

Do you want to get or stay fit? Keep track of when you exercise and for how long--this might be how many minutes you walk or run, how many reps you do of different weight-training exercises, and so on. For instance, when my gym closed due to the pandemic I bought a rowing machine. My goal is to use it at least five days a week, and to increase the amount of time by one minute every day until I hit 30 minutes and then up the resistance every week.

Do you want to write a novel or screenplay?  Record the number of sessions and the number of words or pages you wrote in each session and your running total.

Do you want to learn a new skill? Keep track of how many lessons you complete.

Do you want to improve a relationship? Keep track of the number of positive statements you make to the other person (compliments, thanks, etc.)--the experts say your ratio of positive to negative statements should be at least five to one.

Do you want to feel good about yourself (and maybe be more popular)? Commit to doing one act of kindness per day and keep track of them.

Make it easy to keep track

I keep my rowing chart right next to the rowing machine so it's easy to jot down the times. Whatever format you use, keep it visible and easy to access.

Review and adjust as necessary

Another benefit of recording progress is that it becomes apparent when you're not making any. Put it on your to-do list to review your progress once a week.

If your calendar or chart shows too many blanks, stop and think about what you can change in order to get better results.

For example, maybe you set out to go for a walk first thing in the morning, but that's not working. Decide on an alternative and try that. Keep looking at the results and trying new approaches until you find one that works.

Be prepared to adjust as your circumstances change. During the summer, a walk in the evening may be enjoyable; in winter you may prefer to move it from the dark evenings to early mornings.

When necessary, instead of abandoning your efforts, adjust them. If you have relatives visiting for a week, it may make sense to cut down on your writing sessions temporarily. If you have a cold, it may be a good idea to suspend your exercise sessions.  

Add some rewards

You can increase the power of measurement even more by adding small rewards to achieving short-term goals. For instance, every time you exercise 5 days out of 7, watch something you've been meaning to catch on Netflix, or have a bubble bath, or buy yourself an ebook. If you like, you can attach somewhat larger rewards to meeting your monthly targets.

Your turn. What are you going to start measuring--and achieving?

 

 

 

 

Should you make decisions while drunk, sober, or just after your morning coffee?

Decisions, decisions! They can be difficult any time, but is there a best time to make them?

I just read a long article in the newsletter of the Urban Monk, and the research-supported bottom line is:

1. The morning, when your energy level is highest, is the best time to make a decision.
   
   
2. Your energy depletes over the course of the day.
   
   
3. If you need to renew energy, take in some glucose--ideally in the form of fresh fruit rather than candy.

He points out that the makers of infomercials can attribute a lot of their success to the fact that people's decision-making tends to be worse at the end of the day, and probably terrible at 2am (bartenders can attest to this, too...).

THE ZOMBIE EXCEPTION

That all sounds logical, but for me, the most appealing decision first thing in the morning is to go back to sleep. I think some of us need adequate time (and in some cases, caffeine) before we're in prime decision-making mode.

THE DRUNK / SOBER EQUATION

According to Herodotus, the ancient Persians came up with a decision while drunk, then considered it again while sober. If the decision was the same both times, they implemented it; if not, they put the matter aside.

Obviously, even though it seemed to work for the ancient Persians, if handling alcohol is an issue for you, don't try this method!

My version of this is to hold off on acting on decisions I make late at night (not usually drunk!) and reconsider them in the morning.

If the two are the same, then full speed ahead.

If they're different, I'll check again in the early afternoon--that one's often a good balance of the totally rational and the emotional. Although the coldly rational decision may seem ideal, some aspects of life aren't just about logic.

Recently I used that method to decide whether or not to quit a project that I felt was heading in the wrong direction. Both my late night and early morning selves thought it was a good idea, and I sent the notice the next afternoon. So far, no regrets!

 

Lies salespeople tell (screenwriting software department)

I just saw an ad for new screenwriting software that says, “Did you know that a typo or an incorrectly formatted montage can make a script reader put your script down?”

Uh, no.

I was a script reader for a production company and I’ve known others, including one who read for Disney and another who read for 20th Century Fox. None of us put a script down because it had a typo or a minor variation in formatting a montage.

Sure, a script riddled with typos or one written by someone who clearly has never figured out how a script is formatted would be rejected. But a minor error or two in a good script wouldn’t cause it to be rejected.

A while back I read a blog post in which a writing instructor said that if your script is even one page over or under the normal range, it won’t be considered. That’s wrong, too. Again, if it’s way off—like 60 or 200 pages long—that would do it, but if it’s 94 or 121 pages long that will not be the reason for rejection.

I guess it’s in the interests of people selling software or classes to make you think that without their product or service you are doomed, but I wouldn’t spend my money on products hyped with such misinformation and scare tactics.

How to use writing to get through this tough time

Various types of writing can help us get through these tough times. Here are some things you can do:

1. Write a short story or some flash fiction to turn your frustration into a creative act. The process of doing it is more important than whether or not you share it, but you can also do the latter. For instance, if you're on social media, why share some of your flash fiction (very short stories) via your site?
   
   
2. While you're taking your daily walks or doing your exercises, use that time to brainstorm story ideas or think about the characters in your novel, short story, or screenplay. 
   
   
3. Write notes of support to your friends and family. Even just a brief "thinking of you" postcard or email can help us stay connected. You might be surprised at how much this brightens somebody's day.
   
   
4. Write a list of things you're grateful for. It's easy to focus on all the things we're missing at the moment, so take the time to balance that with the things you do have.
   
   
5. Write a list of the things that are bugging you. Divide them into two categories: the things you can't do anything about and the ones you can address with some kind of action. For instance, the national death rate isn't in your control (although of course doing the mask and social distancing thing does help); feeling stir-crazy is something you can act on by exercising, sharing your ideas via Zoom, meditating, etc.

If there's somebody in your life who might benefit from these ideas, why not share them (along with that note of support)?

 

 

Do You Have a Panic List? (You should)

Do you have a panic list?  (If not, don't panic.)

As mentioned in an old issue of The Writer magazine I was perusing while procrastinating the other day, author Janet Groene says she has a panic list: a list of phone numbers and supplies she keeps handy in case of emergencies.

On the phone list are the numbers of her computer consultant, the support lines for the software she uses, her office supply store, an office machine repair shop, and a temp agency that can send over an assistant at short notice.

Her emergency supplies include packaging and paperwork for overnight mail and FedEx. If something goes wrong when a deadline is looming, she's prepared to handle it.

Every person will have his or her choice of items for a panic list, but it's a great idea to have one with at least two options for each type of person you may need to call upon, and several of each of the key items.

I'd include an extra set of inkjet or toner cartridges, an extra hard drive you can boot up from if your main hard drive crashes, and extra batteries of various kinds.

Optional but helpful: the numbers of at least one friend you can call who respects your writing and can talk you back up when you've had one too many rejections or feel yourself falling prety to the imposter syndrome.

Writing: it's a job!

Screenwriter Michael McDowell said this to his potential screenwriting partner:

"If you’re going to work with me, look at it like we’re working in a bank.

We get in at nine, we have a cup of coffee, we say good morning, then we go to work.

And we write until lunch.

We go have our lunch.

We come back. We write again until three o’clock in the afternoon.

We fold up the writing. We return whatever phone calls and whatever business of writing we have to do.

And we do this five, six days a week.

And it’s a job.

It’s not you sitting with a metaphorical beret in a metaphorical loft waiting for inspiration to strike.

It’s a job.'”

I have to admit I have never worked that way. Part of my motivation in becoming a writer was to get away from the 9 to 5 routine. I've always felt more creative in the evenings, so frequently I write until the early hours of the morning and then hit the sack and sleep late.

However, the part of it that is true for all professionals is that you have to have discipline. You have to put in the time, consistently.

Even if you sleep until noon, you have to devote a certain number of hours to writing and to the business aspect of writing. 

FOR PART-TIME WRITERS

Even if you're writing as a sideline, if you want to be productive, setting aside a specific time to write and to do the important writing-related tasks (e.g., finding an agent, learning more about the craft, etc.) is the key to moving forward.

Treat it as a part-time job, even if you're not getting paid at this point. 

GO BIG OR GO SMALL, BUT GO

Which works better for you: finding 30 minutes a day several days a week to write, maybe getting up early or staying up late, or working during your lunch hour; or setting aside a big chunk of time on the weekend?

Use trial and error to discover the way you find easiest to be consistent.

NO BLOCKS ALLOWED

In a regular job you're not allowed to say, "You know, I'm just not feeling it today, so I'm going home. I'll be back in the office when I feel inspired again."

It should be the same with writing.

If you are blocked, you have lots of options. They include:

• working on something else for a bit, then returning to the project
  
  
• trying to work in a different environment (the park, a cafe, etc.)
  
  
• devoting the time for brainstorming sessions on how to move forward
  
  
• pretending your best writing friend has this problem--what would you advise them to do? (Then do it.)
  
  
• if it's a story problem, getting help from a writing group or another writer you respect
  
  
• if it's a problem in the middle of your script or novel, looking for the source of the problem in the earlier sections

IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE GOOD--YET

There's at least one point in every project when I convince myself that it's no good and I should just stop and move on to something else. Fortunately, most of the time that's not true, it's just the normal "dip" that happens in the middle. 

The solution is to keep going. Even if it really isn't good you can make it better in the next draft and the one after that.

The work comes first, the payoff comes later--if you're lucky and, even more important, if you're dedicated.

How to be successful in the TV and film industry

I saw two very wise quotes about the film business by director Gina Prince-Bythewood ("The Old Guard"):

"This industry is about overcoming 'no'."

That's true of the publishing industry as well, and probably all of the arts. 

"You need just one yes."

Actually, sometimes you need more than one, but one gets the ball rolling. 

Yes, it's a bit like looking for a needle in a haystack, and that's how the people on the other side see it, too.

Producers are looking for something they consider special and often they don't know it until they see it. They see a lot of scripts that aren't it, and finally one that IS it. 

Sometimes--no, MOST times--your script isn't it. But they're going to keep looking so if you keep writing good scripts and submitting them, it may well be that one of those times it is a match.

If you remember that 'no' is the rule rather than the exception, the process gets a little easier to bear. But Prince-Bythewood says, "But it's hard. There were many days where I was on the floor."

I got to know the floor, too, and sometimes I still find myself on it. If you can deal with that, you're on your way.

What does the new reality mean for screenwriters?

As I write this, there is a great deal of uncertainty about the near-term future of film and TV production. What is certain is that for at least the next year, productions will have to adjust. What does this mean for screenwriters? 

• Strong scripts with limited sets and cast will be more in demand than ever before. Often these have been the province of lower-budget productions, but now the studios will be looking for these more than ever before;
  
  
• The writers (and directors) who can find innovative ways to make those kinds of scripts look and feel bigger than they are will have the advantage. For instance, I'm working on a script that can integrate stock footage to broaden its visual appeal.
  
  
• With streaming services like Netflix, Disney +, Hulu, etc. all trying to attract as many subscribers as possible, the writer with projects that have some kind of novel element will have the advantage. A merely competent traditional script won't stand out.
  
  
• The writer who is most flexible will prevail. New formats will emerge. The biggest prizes will go to those who create them, but there will also be a market for skilled writers who are able to adapt to formats innovated by others.
  
  
• As always, you're selling yourself as well as your material. If you're easy to work with, willing to listen, and deliver on time, you'll be in the top 25% on that basis alone.

We are all experiencing that ancient Chinese curse, "May you live in interesting times." It's not easy, but it's up to us to make the most of the challenges.

Where's the money in screenwriting?

A former student emailed me the other day with a big question:

"Where's the money in screenwriting?

He added, "I don't mean just hitting it lucky and selling one script, but in screenwriting as a career."

Let's look at the categories of screenwriters who are coining it.

THE GONZO ACTION WRITERS

The biggest paychecks go to the writers of the big-budget Hollywood productions, which are mostly action and superhero movies.

There is a small group of experienced writers who excel in these genres and get called on again and again. While you can aspire to join that group, it's too much of a long shot to be a career strategy when you're starting out.

THE ADAPTORS

These are screenwriters who are asked to adapt a novel, play, short story, or article. They may also be asked to develop a story idea from producers or directors who don't write their own material.

To get into this group, it helps to have some credits of your own first, to focus on one genre, and to have a feel for the source material. I was once interviewed about adapting the memoirs of a woman who had undergone a harrowing abduction and rape and once I heard what the subject matter was, I knew I was totally wrong for it, both because I'm not a woman and because I didn't like the thought of spending months in the horrible depths of that story. 

To do well at this kind of writing you need to be able to put your ego aside to some degree and find the balance between serving the source material and adding your own skill as a dramatist to make it work in the medium of film.

THE SCRIPT DOCTORS

Another group that makes good money are the screenwriters who get called in to do script doctoring. Usually, they have one specialty, such as punching up dialogue or fixing story structure.

Unless what they do changes the story significantly, they are not owed a credit. That's useful because if you may be rewriting the work of, say, a well-known writer/director who may not be eager to have it known that their script needed outside help. I did some of this when I was in Hollywood, on movies starring Eddie Murphy, Walter Matthau, and Michael Caine, among others, and it paid well. 

WRITERS WITH AN OUTSTANDING SPEC SCRIPT--BUT NOT FOR THE REASON YOU THINK

Yes, you can get lucky with a spec script that a studio snaps up or, even better, that gets a couple of studios into a bidding war.

As somebody once said about writing plays you hope to get on Broadway, "you can make a killing, but you can't make a living." It happens, but not very often.

It's more likely that an outstanding spec script will lead to work as an adaptor or script doctor, and that's where the more steady money is.

Those two categories constitute a market that is kind of hidden from view and it doesn't give you the same creative satisfaction as writing totally original screenplays, but it's your best bet for paying your bills while still having time to write original spec scripts.

Your spec script has to demonstrate that you have the skill they need. In my case, it was mostly punching up dialogue and fleshing out characters.

You'll need an agent who has good connections to submit you for these assignments. However, once you've done a couple, the word gets around and eventually you'll have people coming to you. How do you get that agent? By writing that outstanding spec script and looking for every opportunity to get someone to read it.

HOW TO GET SOME OF THAT MONEY

I think my former student wasn't just asking where the money is in screenwriting, but also how he could get some of it.

As I said above, you need to write an outstanding script, but what does that really mean? It means your script has to stand out. It's not enough for it to be well-written. That's a start but there are enough well-written scripts around that it also has to have a twist of some kind, some element that is immediately intriguing. 

I'll give you an example. Here are two log lines for possible features:

When the students of a beloved long-retired teacher find out she is in the early stages of Alzheimer's, they band together to let her know how she changed their lives for the better.

When an elderly former criminal in the early stages of Alzheimer's blurts out memories of a stash of gold he buried forty years ago, it sends his formerly close family members into a mad scramble to be the first to find it.

Let's assume both are well-written. Which one do you think would get you more attention?

I believe it's the second one. The first could be a beautiful, heart-warming script; I'm just saying of the two, it wouldn't be the best choice for a writer struggling to break in. And even though the second one has elements of comedy that broaden the appeal of the story, I think it could be written in a way that is respectful to people suffering from that horrible condition.

FIND THE OVERLAP

My final bit of advice to my former student was: find the overlap between what you want to write and what will stand out. 

That's where the money is.

If you're a writer, there are no opportunities

In his book, Creative Mischief, advertising genius Dave Trott writes:

"I hear people complaining that there are no opportunities.

That no one will give them a chance.

There's nothing they can do and it's not their fault.

Here's a thing. 

There have never been any opportunities.

No one was ever feeling sorry for themselves, when someone knocked on the door and said, "How would you like me to show you a way out of this?"

It doesn't happen like that.

Never has, never will.

That's like sitting around hoping to win the lottery.

It's about hope. 

And hope is putting your problem in somebody else's hands,

Hope isn't very creative."

THE ALTERNATIVE TO HOPE IS ACTION

Trott goes on to give some examples of people in the advertising world who took action when there were no opportunities. I've done it a few times myself:

When I moved to Hollywood and had no contacts, I started a newsletter about screenwriting and interviewed agents, producers, and experienced writers. Through those contacts, I was able to get an agent.

When I noticed that there was a new person appointed to be the head of a publishing division for business personal development books, I called to find out her email address. I congratulated her and mentioned that I happened to have an idea for that kind of book and described it in a couple of lines. She asked for more information, then to meet, and eventually published three of my books. 

And one non-business example: When I was a teenager I read in the paper that Rod Serling, the producer, writer, and frontman of my favorite TV series, The Twilight Zone, was ill and in the hospital. I wrote him a letter care of the hospital and got a handwritten thank-you note from him. I cherished that note until it burned up in my house fire, and I still cherish the memory of it.

WHAT IF YOU DON'T FIND THIS EASY?

In case you're thinking, "Sure, you're the kind of person who finds that sort of thing easy." 

Not true.

I've always suffered from what these days is called social anxiety.

One time, I had the chance to go to a basketball game with Walter Matthau and some of his friends--a great networking opportunity. I was too shy to go.

Another time, I signed up for a residential writers' conference sponsored by the Writers Guild. It was a two-hour drive from Los Angeles. I drove all the way there, panicked, and drove all the way back.

However, the times I managed it have accounted for some real breakthroughs, so it's worth the push. If you are frustrated because there don't seem to be any opportunities, try thinking of how you can make some--even if it's a challenge.

How a writer can live with uncertainty

In the time of the Caronavirus, it has never been more obvious that we crave certainty. 

The uncertainties of the creative life aren't at the level of life and death (except in some totalitarian societies, and we're not there...yet). But anybody who wants to make a living from their writing or other art constantly faces uncertainty, including:

Is this thing I've created any good?

Will anybody want to buy it?

If it's put out there, will people like it?

How long will it be before I have a breakthrough--if ever?

Am I wasting my time?

Even when a writer has a success, the doubts remain:

Will my next work be as good as this one?

Was this a fluke?

LIVING WITH UNCERTAINTY

I don't think we can overcome uncertainty, and maybe it's not even a good goal to have. We've all encountered people who are convinced that everything they produce is great and that they are god's gift to humankind. That kind of overconfidence can succeed for a while but usually leads to a downfall eventually.

Perhaps the most appropriate goal is to learn to live with uncertainty. Here are a few things I've found useful:

• Remember that you are not defined by the success or failure of any given project--or even of your entire career. As a writer, you are more than any given project, and as a human you are more than a writer.
  
  
• The value of things is not always clear in the moment. Years ago, my house in the Hollywood hills burned down to the ground. At the time, it seemed like a tragedy. While I still don't think it was a great thing, it did make me consider whether I just wanted to rebuild the house--and my life--in the same form, or use this as an opportunity to make changes. I moved to London, where I met my life partner and have enjoyed my life more than I had in Los Angeles.
  
  
• If you enjoy the process, the outcome has less control over you. I know there are writers who claim they don't enjoy writing. I do, and I think if I didn't, I'd stop doing it. Of course, sometimes it's frustrating and the finished work never totally lives up to my fantasy of it, but the enjoyment outweighs the frustrations by a long way. If you're not enjoying writing, ask yourself why. Is there a different type of writing you could be doing? 
  
  
• If you enjoy writing but worry that you may be wasting your time, what would you be doing with that time if you weren't writing? If you'd be curing cancer by all means switch. But if you'd be watching more TV or doing more crossword puzzles, why not keep writing?
  
  
• It can help to hang out--in person or virtually--with people who are in the same boat. Look for people who are constructive and supportive and avoid the bitter ones who just want someone to listen to their complaints. 

If you have other strategies, let me hear about them in the comments or at [email protected]. When a few have accumulated I'll share them in another post.