Comments on: Friday Vlog #5: Writing is Hard

By: Teach_J

Teach_J — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 02:00:40 +0000

I agree with Uncle Al. I also like Uncle Stephen (as in King). Read his non-fiction book On Writing. It is full of great nuggets about how to write. But by far, his best advice is set aside time DAILY and just do it.

By: Uncle Al

Uncle Al — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 01:09:11 +0000

Writing isn’t the hardest thing you can do… it just feels like it.
If you “wait for the muse to inspire you”, you could be waiting a *long* time… What others have said in part is correct. Firmly affix seat of pants to seat of chair, and WRITE.
Doesn’t have to be deathless prose, doesn’t have to be Shakespeare or Joe Esterhazs… you can (and probably will) rewrite it later.
If possible, set aside a block of time each day (weekends included) to write. Some get up an hour early, some go to bed an hour later, some write from after dinner to bedtime… doesn’t matter.
Write, write some more, revise what you wrote previously, and shape your material into something like a sculptor works on a block of stone… remove all the stone that doesn’t look like your desired object.
Cheers!

By: writing

writing — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 09:13:57 +0000

you’re stressing too hard about writing… Just write something. Get it on paper and then scribble out what you don’t want. You’re starting to get into the “honest artist trap”… Just keep working… And don’t let your ideals tie you up… keep them but keep working.

By: Peter

Peter — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 23:01:32 +0000

I think you just need to get in touch with your inner Sean. Concern yourself with what you want to tell, not with what others tell you to tell. Writing is about as being as selfish as possible: knowing what you *want* and grabbing it. Otherwise you’re left with spare parts that don’t fit together; or that do indeed fit together, but can be made to resemble anything. That’s when you’re screwed with writer’s block.

By: scott

scott — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 20:03:24 +0000

Pretty emo stuff. That said, this video still had it’s emplotment. Film maker struggles with identity, finds himself lost and a little confused. Thus a quest begins to reground himself, to get in touch with the heart of film making. Sounds like you have it in you. I don’t think it’s about trying to create a clever twisted ending, it’s about knowing the core of the story, the quest, the romance, the tragedy, etc. You seem very in touch with that.

By: scott

scott — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 19:52:33 +0000

make the music louder :p

By: Teach_J

Teach_J — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 13:45:50 +0000

I think it is good to know your own strengths and weaknesses. That’s one of the problems I see with journalism right now, this movement to make every reporter be able to write, shoot video, take photos, create graphics, etc. At least in film, they still understand that some people excel as camera shooters, others as writers, and still others as editors or directors. I’m not saying don’t stretch yourself, but don’t beat yourself up either if you find writing is not for you.