Get out of yourself

Here we are on the lip of another year, hard to believe. Anticipation, excitement, exhilaration, dread, fear; our emotional palette is endless. The confines of screenwriting sometimes feel limiting, straight narrative comes easier, but as Leonard Cohen said, “Just like composing music, you have 12 notes and 12 keys—it comes down to your arrangement.” With that in mind, think of all the amazing music that has been written.

To wish you all a year of good work, exploration and success I have one small suggestion…get out of yourself. Before I got into writing I was an actor and the one thing I tried to do when preparing a role, was to get out of myself. Not easy, because ‘the self’ insists, but essential, then, as in writing, you invariably and necessarily dig deep into yourself and blend it all into the work. It sounds abstract but when you isolate characteristics of the characters and develop an understanding of their reality...yes even by making lists… the fullness of a character or a scene will emerge.

Getting out of yourself also means, go to museums, to concerts, go fishing, go sky diving, hey if your character is a carpenter, take a class in carpentry; expand your experience of the world. Don’t just walk on the beach get in the water. Feed your imagination. Ulitimately your curiosity, your imagination and taking risks will give your work it’s uniqueness.

Love life…go for it!

Wishing you all a wonderful New Year!