Winter… the Season to Write


Just coming home, after going to a basketball game (Blazers won), I flip on the TV to see what I DVR’d that day. I am happy to see that I recorded the newest episode of “Big Bang Theory”. Knowing that I love that show, I am quick to change into my most comfortable sweatpants, press the play button, and prepare to enjoy the TV show, knowing that I could, with a smile on my face, turn the TV off when it was over, and go to bed. Soon I realize that I also recorded the last episode of “24“ and “House“. Maybe I can squeeze them in as well.

I promised myself to commit to as much writing as I could after the last TV season ended, but I find myself going back to the TV to watch another quality show (damn them networks and the 100+ channels I have). I think I 'm doing “research” but I soon realize I 'm not doing what I should be doing, working on my current screenplay, the many short stories I started, or the spec TV show I first thought about last year.

I ignore the many characters that were talking to me when I woke up, at lunch, and when I was doing laundry, for the instant gratification of TV. We as “wanna-be" writers need to put the remote down, go back to those damn people in your head, and work, but we don’t (at least I don‘t).

Today, as I waited for the last spin cycle at the local laundry mat, I read an interesting article in the January/February 2009 Creative Screenwriting magazine about the movie “Grand Torino” (written by Nick Schenk). It is a good movie and one of the few spec (if it wasn't a true "spec" I'm sorry, don't sue me) scripts that was sold and made into a movie last year, staring Clint Eastwood. Upon reading the article, I found an interesting quote that made me think that I could turn off the TV and do what I should be doing… writing.

This is what I read, “I’ve seen four episodes of Friends,” Shenk says. “I’ve never seen an episode of 24 either, and it’s because I have something else to do and something else to think about. Writing is such a great thing because it’s creative and you always have something to think about.” As for the lessons Schenk learned in the long period before his two sales, that answer is easy: “Don’t quite”. (quote directly from Creative Screenwriting)

As I laugh at the current joke in the most recent “Big Bang Theory” I realize I should be doing what Nick Schenk was quoted in the magazine - turn the darn TV off, realize I made a mistake of watching TV, and WRITE.

(Oh! That was funny)

Tomorrow could be different, but it is my Monday at “work”. I will be presented with real problems with real people. Maybe, after work, and between the Tuesday line up of TV, I can actually do what I should be doing (what I‘m passionate about) - writing.

Oh, did I forget to mention that the first African American will be sworn into office as the President of the United States tomorrow? I’m sure I can turn that off. (Tuesday, January 20th = another day of not writing). If only that darn President Elect spent his formative years watching TV instead of doing what he had passion for, I could actually write.