Frustrated that I haven't finished a significant piece of work in a while (it happens to every writer), I called a friend of mine who's a producer in New York and someone who's opinion I trust to have a bitch and moan session. Afterward, I decided to take stock of where I was with my various projects. I had a vague idea that I was juggling multiple story lines, characters, etc. in my head for some time but didn't have a clue to what extent.
After spending some time digging through piles of old notes, scanning my hard drive for computer files of character breakdowns, treatments, etc. I realized that I had no less than seven feature films, five television shows and two novels swirling around in my head and in various stages on paper. I was even seventy pages deep into one script idea. I never realized I had so much material. I actually had been very busy all along. I hadn't seen any "real" progress because my efforts were spread thin to say the least.
Now, I found the fortitude to hunker down, focus and finish something. I have tons to work with. And I'm relieved to find out I haven't been meandering, wasting time getting nowhere. I was just momentarily scattered and maybe a little dejected -- common states of emotion that all writers need to get used to. Does any of this sound familiar? Do you go through a similar process of creative monsoons followed by what seem like creative droughts?
Perhaps the most influential book on creativity and more importantly the psychosis of a creative person I've ever read is Julia Cameron's "The Artist's Way
." In more ways than I could ever express here, she has kept me sane. She really covers it all, rejection, self-doubt, writer's block, commitment, etc. Her exercises are fun and effective. She's a true lover of the creative process and understands it from the inside. I truly urge you to take a look at her work - it will influence your own for certain.Maybe being organized doesn't come naturally for you either but cultivating the habit of being organized can help when the ideas are pouring in on top of each other. Organization helps us affirm that our work is valuable and has a place in the world, namely, prominently displayed!
This week's suggested website: The Poetry Foundation. Publishers of Poetry Magazine. These guys have been around for over 90 years, well worth checking out. (www.poetrymagazine.org) Nothing informs your imagination and feeds your creativity like poetry.
This week's writing prompt: Give yourself five uninterrupted minutes of quiet time. I call this exercise adding to The Golden Notebook. I hope you'll use it for years to come. It's a simple yet powerful tool for affirmation, a yardstick to measure your writing progress over the years, and a deep well of inspiration when you feel you may have writer's block. Here's how I found it works best for me: Take your favorite notebook and create a master list of the titles of all the projects you've ever contemplated undertaking. Imagine that you've already written them all. Then list next to each title a small logline or 3 line synopsis of that work. Treat it as if you were asked to catalog the works of a great master.
Here's an example from my own Golden notebook.
Title: Blood and Grace
An up and coming Spanish matador develops a growing obsession with a touring Russian ballerina.
Title: Jasmine Hill
A frustrated novelist and professor of English at a prestigious New England university goes on sabbatical when she can't get a publisher interested in her latest novel.
Keep your Golden Notebook filled with the seeds of your future masterpieces. This is where you'll come to when you're ready to plant something in the fertile ground of your writing. The best ideas will always find a way to capture your attention and force you to plant them, fertilize them, harvest them and share the bounty.
