I love all the points you made! This is the first time I’ve read one of your essays on this platform, but I’m hooked now. So, thanks for that!
Regarding the list of motivations, I would replace “vengeance” with “perceived justice.” It implies the character believes themselves to be morally correct in their actions.
Thanks for this. It's so good to remember why we give this writing work our all, with no guarantees whatsoever except the intermittent joy of doing what we feel called and blessed to do. Even with frequent deep disappointments, it's enough to keep me going.
Wow. "Luck" is such a needed discussion topic for young people these days who are constantly bombarded with "if you just work hard, you can be anything you want and make ALL your dreams come true!" If only popular creative people talked more about the work, hustle, circumstance and kismet that all added up to their success rather than just the trite "you can do it because you deserve it" message they're constantly pumping out... ya know? Harumph. I dunno.
I remember reading Soderbergh's book about the making of Sex, Lies (which, along with Robert Rodriguez and Spike Lee's books formed the holy triumvirate of how-to books on indie film in the early 90s) and he gave this formula, which he may have borrowed and tweaked from another source...
Talent + hard work/drive = Luck.
Something like that. If you practice enough, have chops, and have drive and moxie, you will eventually find yourself in the right place at the right time (i.e. get "lucky"). What do you think about that? Personally, I think I often didn't have the self confidence to follow up on those little moments of luck when they popped up. It's more complicated than that (e.g., I often didn't have the right material at the right time) but that's a big part of it for me.
I'll also point out something in your story that stands out for me: the PIVOT. You believed in yourself enough to one day change your focus from performing to writing, and, yes, probably a big part of you doing that was because you grew up in a supportive atmosphere that encouraged you to take chances. What most people do is give up on the creative pursuit and get the full time job because they're scared of not having security. My college girlfriend who went to NYU for acting got out of school, went right to a full time job as a recruiter, and only went to a single audition (that I got for her). As far as I know, she never really tried to make it, and I think it was because she came from a working class family that didn't put value on the arts or being creative. She also had siblings that were jealous that their parents partially paid for her to go to an expensive private school. Also, she didn't have a mentor to show her a way to success, which I think is huge, and I wish I had when I was younger.
I also love your commitment to learning. It's so important to cultivate a curiosity about craft and human nature in this business. Huzzah!
I love all the points you made! This is the first time I’ve read one of your essays on this platform, but I’m hooked now. So, thanks for that!
Regarding the list of motivations, I would replace “vengeance” with “perceived justice.” It implies the character believes themselves to be morally correct in their actions.
Thanks for this. It's so good to remember why we give this writing work our all, with no guarantees whatsoever except the intermittent joy of doing what we feel called and blessed to do. Even with frequent deep disappointments, it's enough to keep me going.
Wow. "Luck" is such a needed discussion topic for young people these days who are constantly bombarded with "if you just work hard, you can be anything you want and make ALL your dreams come true!" If only popular creative people talked more about the work, hustle, circumstance and kismet that all added up to their success rather than just the trite "you can do it because you deserve it" message they're constantly pumping out... ya know? Harumph. I dunno.
I remember reading Soderbergh's book about the making of Sex, Lies (which, along with Robert Rodriguez and Spike Lee's books formed the holy triumvirate of how-to books on indie film in the early 90s) and he gave this formula, which he may have borrowed and tweaked from another source...
Talent + hard work/drive = Luck.
Something like that. If you practice enough, have chops, and have drive and moxie, you will eventually find yourself in the right place at the right time (i.e. get "lucky"). What do you think about that? Personally, I think I often didn't have the self confidence to follow up on those little moments of luck when they popped up. It's more complicated than that (e.g., I often didn't have the right material at the right time) but that's a big part of it for me.
I'll also point out something in your story that stands out for me: the PIVOT. You believed in yourself enough to one day change your focus from performing to writing, and, yes, probably a big part of you doing that was because you grew up in a supportive atmosphere that encouraged you to take chances. What most people do is give up on the creative pursuit and get the full time job because they're scared of not having security. My college girlfriend who went to NYU for acting got out of school, went right to a full time job as a recruiter, and only went to a single audition (that I got for her). As far as I know, she never really tried to make it, and I think it was because she came from a working class family that didn't put value on the arts or being creative. She also had siblings that were jealous that their parents partially paid for her to go to an expensive private school. Also, she didn't have a mentor to show her a way to success, which I think is huge, and I wish I had when I was younger.
I also love your commitment to learning. It's so important to cultivate a curiosity about craft and human nature in this business. Huzzah!