Thursday, April 28, 2011

Screenwriting as a Collaborative Project

Some non-writer friends have asked if I'm ever lonely as a writer. Hardly! With all those characters in my head I always have a slew of on-going conversations. The difficulty is trying to hush them, especially when I need to sleep.

Of course admitting I hear voices may be cause for concern to some--maybe even grounds to book me in the nearest facility with a white-padded room and a chef's coat that ties in a funny way. But as a writer, if you don't hear the voices of your characters, then you should really be concerned.

The really tricky part is acting as mediator. There are always going to be active power struggles going on in your head. "Pick me!" "Write about me!" the characters invariably shout. "Listen to my side of the story!" Another bellows. "Get my story right!" Still another echoes.

And once you do--get all their stories right, that is--the voices finally quiet, satisfied with your job well done. So that when you finally hit FADE OUT, the peace begins. Until the next day when you start your newest project....

Monday, April 18, 2011

Seeking Understanding

Last week I attended a reading of Townie, the fabulous new memoir by Andre Dubus III. While it was wonderful hearing him read from his work, it was also enlightening listening to him talk about writing.

One quote about writing resonated with me in particular; it was from Hemingway who said, "The writer's job is not to judge, but to seek to understand."

With that statement I felt like a window was opened in a sauna, delivering me a much-needed cool breeze. For I have been obsessively judging one of my characters in a serial drama I'm currently writing. I've even told my students, "I hate her. She's such a bitch." And because I judge her to be selfish and mean toward her fiance, I can't begin to write her properly.

Until now. 

The quote completely frees me to examine this character's life and to seek to comprehend what she lives and experiences. I don't have to like her, but I do have to understand her. And through better understanding of her, I hope to empathize with her enough so that I can honestly write her story.

I'm actually already there. That one Hemingway line has illuminated my path. And reminded me of my job: to record the lives of my characters as they grow and breathe and live both in my head and, eventually, on the page.

"Our job is not to judge, but to seek to understand." Wouldn't it be nice if more than just writers would take that mantra to heart?

{And a small note of apology to those of you who check in for the weekly scriptwriting tip: I have been battling bronchitis for more than three weeks, and it has now developed into a sinus infection. I've never had bronchitis before; I had no idea what a walloping punch it delivered. Be well. Write daily. And read twice as much. Oh, and drink plenty of fluids....}