start writing again

I have started writing a short film with two of my best friends. I have known Stuart Ramsay for 20 years and I was recently best man at his wedding. He is a producer-director for Yorkshire Television. I met Christian Contreras at university (he came to England for a year from the United States) and we formed a lasting friendship. After uni, I lived with him in the States for a total of about a year, spread over 4 years. Christian is now an actor, about to graduate from the Guildhall in London.

I have no doubt three of us are capable of creating some excellent work, and I’m very excited about the project. I have met with both of them seperately to talk about our ideas, and we will meet as a team for the first time in a couple of weeks, when Stuart and I go down to London to watch Christian in his next play (A Streetcar Named Desire – go check it out!).

One word after another. It’s typing, stupid!

There’s this con your mind plays on you when it comes to being creative – that unless you are the best in the world you shouldn’t bother because you’ll only embarass yourself. Don’t do keepy-ups in Sunday league football because someone will kick you very hard. Don’t dance at a club because people will laugh at you… actually I would do well to listen to this one.

Writing is the same.

The other mistake is waiting for inspiration. The idea is probably 10% of the project, and then 89% real work. If you can squeeze 1% of magic in there, too, then great. That probably comes in the 2nd or 3rd draft, but most of it comes out of your head as you write. The mechanics of typing and thinking what might come next are more inspirational than sitting around playing Pro Evolution Soccer, that’s for sure.

I wrote a full screenplay five years ago, just to see if I could do it. I could. It took 3 months, writing 3 pages a day on a Greek island. It was a curious and exhilarating experience, and I’d love to do it again.

In order to start writing again, I have quit my steady job to go freelance and this has given me more time. All I need to do now is everything else.