This is one of those questions that very few people can answer honestly the first time through without skipping a portion, and without hiding some objectives in the process of the explanation. Kudos to those who know their purpose, the direction they want to go in, and the meaning of life. (Well, two out of three isn’t bad.)
This is a tough question, no matter who you are or where you’re currently standing. Once you think you have the answer figured out, your opinions change with your views and everything seems to be turned up-side down once more. Even so, it’s worth asking the question. The answer that you give yourself, so long as it’s honest, is worth even more.
I have cooped myself up away from any portion of social gatherings for years because of ideas, thoughts, and my own way of thinking. I have purposely done so for numerous reasons, but I realize that I am only hurting myself by not being social and following all of the goals that I have setup to achieve. There have been many hurdles, some more tough than others, but I am here to make that step back into the world of the unknown.
So, I have decided, as my first step in the right direction, that I would like to continue my learning in a way that I may also be able to discuss interesting topics with others who share my opinions. I love to write. Whether it’s in pen, pencil, on paper, a napkin, some piece of wood, or on a computer, I’m usually writing, or debating on whether or not I want to write something. When I get a good idea, even if I have no intention of using it right away, I’ll jot it down and store it away for later.
Short stories are a good form of expressing oneself to the world. They provide an outlet for getting those pesky ideas off of ones chest, without blowing up at loved ones. Short stories also tempt the writer to use their imagination to figure out what comes next; if the characters don’t start walking the page(s).
Novellas are a little more than a short story and carry more weight with it. Right? Not so much. The steps taken for writing one is the same for writing anything else in life, no matter the finished product size.
Writing comes in many forms with many interesting ways of doing such a task. There are hundreds of thousands of articles, blogs, e-mails, instant messages, newsletters, websites, and so much more that requires a writer to write. It’s crazy. Insane. Nutty. How can anyone really spend so much time looking at words on a page or screen and not go absolutely bonkers?! — Simple. They love what it is that they do.
I’ve spent much of my personal writing life updating journals, notes, thoughts about what I would like to do with my time, and where I would like to see myself in five to ten years from that point. I’ve written poems, short stories, and started a few books with some very interesting ideas. None of them have I finished up and submitted, though. They never feel complete. It’s a complaint I have against myself for being such a critical perfectionist. It’s bad, and I know it.
Of all of the writing that I have done, I can’t say that I have one specific favorite format. I love writing. I love watching the words appear on the paper or monitor, knowing that I am the person who put them there. With so much time dedicated to short stories of erotic quality, I’m surprised I haven’t submitted some of the finished works to magazines and the like. Others, I’m surprised I haven’t sent off to be judged and possibly selected for some other author’s work in film or television.
I don’t have the funds available for some fancy college degrees, so I have spent quite a bit of my time studying on my own, reading the latest books about writing, and trying my best to put what I have learned into the next short story or novel that I begin. I’ve got notebooks and several computer files filled with such things. None of it is doing me any good just sitting, though. I’m not sure what to do, or how to go about turning them into something more than an idea on paper.
Screenplays and Teleplays are my latest discovery. Sure, I can sit down and watch a good movie or a television series just as well as the next guy. I can laugh, get all teary-eyed, and repeat ‘Did you see that?’ just the same as anyone else. There was a time that I did just that, and shortly thereafter, I saw that one title, made up of two words that caught my attention and held it: Written By.
Of course! It had to be written by someone! Duh! Hmmm. That got me thinking. That got me thinking in a manner of shorter sections, in scenes and dialogue, for the characters that I had been watching, living with on the television during the time slot they were given.
Each time I sat down to jot down ideas for an episode, something new would hit me and I would have to jot down two or three ideas at the same time. I was loving the creativity that was flowing through me. I was writing everything from their actions to the quirky remarks they would spout off when someone would give them attitude about the way something happened. Then, the three shows that I had been writing for were cancelled. Nothing new was going to happen because nothing would be accepted for those shows from that point on. The characters just stopped.
Alright. It’s their choice, I thought. Of course, that doesn’t mean that I have to stop writing and give up everything that I have learned. No way! So, while I have some time on my hands, I figured I would get back into some research mode, do some more learning on the way things are done and go about my way of finding out what other people think about the same topic: Screenplays and Teleplays; writing for the big screen.
I know already that it takes dedication and hard work to do. Writing and the joy of coming up with new ideas have always been a thrill of mine that I completely enjoy. Of course, I get negative feedback from friends and family who don’t enjoy reading a book-length blog post or journal entry. That’s not my problem, though. I know that it’s theirs. They can keep it. I like to write and will continue to do so well after I figure out what it is that I need to do to get all (or, at least some of) my ideas on the big screen so others will be able to enjoy them as much as I have.
So, if you have any ideas of how to go about stepping into the big business, then please do share. I’ll listen as intently as I possibly can and even share some of my ideas with you, if you’d like. In advance, many thank yous.
C. A. Husted 