Dispatch from The Quest: Brandon Cohen | Go Into The Story

Last week as we did here on GITS, the Quest writers focused on the second week of Prep. Today?s dispatch: Brandon Cohen with some thoughts writing as work:

Writing is work. We do it because we love and enjoy the work, but that doesn?t make it any less of an arduous and oftentimes frustrating process (especially if you want to make the leap from someone who writes for fun to someone who writes for a living). In the beginning of my foray into screenwriting, whenever I would get hung up on something I would just wait for a grand moment of inspiration, which more often than not never came. I thought that the big problem I was having with Act 2 would all of a sudden fix itself through some moment of divine inspiration. Speaking of which, God, what the hell? Are we in this together or not because I feel like I?ve been doing all the work here while you just laze around and probably spend all day working on your fantasy football team or whatever you?re up to.

This isn?t to say that random things don?t hit me when I?m not physically sitting at my computer trying to do work, but for the most part even when I stumble upon a great idea at the gym or riding the subway, it?s because I?ve made a conscious decision to turn my brain on and start thinking about my story. This probably isn?t the same for everyone. Obviously, everyone works differently and some people claim to be able to work out a lot of the kinks in their script just by waiting for the problem to solve itself while they?re grocery shopping, but I kinda think it?s bullshit. Your story isn?t going to figure itself out unless you?re a paranoid schizophrenic and one of your other personalities happens to be an amazing screenwriter. I believe that you can work through your story while grocery shopping, but I think you need to say ?okay, while I?m grocery shopping I?m going to think through my story.?

On past projects, when my writing partner and I were having trouble with something, we?d usually decide to take some time away from the script and each other to ?mull it over? before our next meeting. Mulling it over usually entailed both of us hoping the other person would think about it, resulting in neither of us actually thinking about it. More often than not we?d just come back to the script with fresh eyes and see if we could resolve it together. The problem with us ?mulling it over? is the same problem that I think comes from hoping you?ll just all of a sudden be inspired ? there?s an assumption that someone (or something) else will do the hard work for you.

The Quest has proven to be a more than worthwhile endeavor for many reasons, but one of the aspects that has been especially helpful to me is the fact that we?re on deadlines. We have readings and assignments that are due at the end of the week, so it keeps us on a regimented schedule of where we should be in the process. When I?m writing on my own, it?s really easy to let a busy week give me an excuse not to focus on my story and I end up falling way behind on my self-imposed schedule. Before you know it I?ve let weeks slip into months. It?s definitely stressful when you have a lot going on and still have to make time for your story, but when you have other people to hold you accountable for a week of slacking, you really ratchet up your output.

I?m sure there are annoying artsy people out there who claim they can?t be forced into their creativity when they?re not in the mood; they most likely say this while rolling their eyes, dusting off their beret and smoking a hand rolled cigarette. But, a) shut up b) I don?t think being on a deadline makes you any less creative, it just forces you to be way more efficient about it. Claiming that you?re ?not feeling it? is a total crutch. If you were at a desk job and you had a deadline for the big Michaelson account or whatever office people do, you would never be able to tell your boss that you?re not in the mood to do your work. Well, you could, but unless you?re Ron Livingston in Office Space I?m pretty sure you?ll be fired. Or, to take it a step further, if you want to do this for a living, which I?m assuming we all do, if the studio expects you to crank out a first draft by October 1^st and you email them on September 25^th saying ?Hey, I wasn?t really feeling it these past couple of weeks, so yeah, gonna need about another month. Hopefully I?ll have felt it by then. Also, any good escort service recommendations? (for a friend). Thx.? You?ll sign your emails ?Thx? by then because you?ll be too important to bother with the rest of the letters in ?thanks.? Anyway, I?m getting sidetracked, but what I?m trying to say is that I think that if you want to write, seriously write, you can?t just do it whenever the mood strikes you. In order to get over those big hurdles that are keeping you from finishing, you need to force yourself to put in the work, and that means making a schedule and actually sticking to it. Thx.

There?s that line from music great Duke Ellington: ?I don?t need time. What I need is a deadline.? Frankly that?s a big reason the writing workshops I oversee are successful because they provide a structure within in which a writer has to engage their story. Deadlines force you to do the work you need to do. The story is not going to write itself. You have to immerse yourself in it, get to know your characters, learn about that story universe, and you can only do it? well? by doing it.

As I say, ?The only way out is through.?

And deadlines? Even though you may hate them, they are your best friends because they keep steering you back to your story.

Tomorrow: Another dispatch from The Quest.

About Brandon: NYC native, fan of all things comedy. I cry every time I watch Big Fish, Forrest Gump and Marley & Me. Don?t judge me. Twitter: @brandandco.

Source: http://gointothestory.blcklst.com/2012/09/dispatch-from-the-quest-brandon-cohen-7.html

mega ball winning numbers baltimore county current tv megamillions