The Task of Writing

Whether you've decided to write a television show, a film, a book, or anything for that matter, now begins the toughest part.  Here is a little secret that every successful writer will tell you; all writers hate to actually write.  We will do anything to procrastinate. We will do laundry, cook, clean, run errands, any trivial chore that prevents us from actually sitting down in the chair in front of your computer.  So don't fret, you are not alone if you are feeling that way.

Writing is like no other job in the world.  You can't just write because you've set a time to do it.  I mean, I guess you can, but I've always found my worst writing comes when I force myself to do so.  If you want to be disciplined about writing, the best thing you can do is to write when you feel the urge.  I know that advice is hard, but trust me.  You will be the most fruitful and prolific when you feel it.  It's like going to the bathroom.  Bad analogy I know, but you don't go sit on a toilet and hope something comes if you are not feeling it.  That would be an immense waste of time.  Well, forcing yourself to write will be the same.

What do you do?  You have your idea, your characters, you're ready to write your script, but you can't seem to find the inspiration during the time you've assigned yourself.  My recommendation is to pay attention to the time of day YOU DO find yourself inspired.  Pay attention to the temperature, the lighting, the mood.  Did it happen after you did yoga?  Or did inspiration oddly strike when you are most stressful and need a break from that stress.  Some people love to write in crowded, noisy coffee shops.  Just go to any Starbucks in Los Angeles and you will see what I mean.  Then again, some people need absolute silence.  So, the next step as a writer is to identify the habits and conditions that inspire you to write and try to make that a ritual.

Lastly, never get frustrated with the amount or quality of your work.  I have written twenty pages in a day and none of them were good or usable.  Then again, I've written one page in a day and it was the most imaginative work I had ever done.  There is a famous saying, "Writing is rewriting."  So, if you think your work is going to be flawless after one draft, think again.  Before I even show anyone a script I go through 10-15 drafts of it.  Writing a script can take days, weeks, months or years.  There is never any rhyme or reason, which is why it is so important to write what you know and what you are interested in.  Otherwise, it will become a chore, just like the other chores you do before you actually write.

- Sal Stabile