Weighing the Value of Advanced Degrees
Screen-writing. A relatively new pursuit for me, and yet an obvious one given my tendency to think visually. The idea (nothing more than that till six months ago) has penetrated my soul and tangled deep roots around my Muse’s heart.
Writing tends to be a solitary activity, at least until revisions and marketing appear. Even then, most choices remain at the discretion of the writer. Screen-writing provides more opportunity–nay, more necessity for collaboration and teamwork. Visual writers must consider at all times how something will look on the screen, whether scenes are physically/financially possible to create. Scripts rely on actors, direction, music, costumes, and special effects to culminate with writing to deliver a product to audiences.
A cooperative-dependent burden, larger than providing words to encourage a reader’s individual imagination.
I’ve spent a lot of time pondering possible graduate school options, but appealing as most subjects are, writing is my main career objective. One thought often crossed my mind as I sat through my English classes: why study something that can be learnt alone? dedicate time and finances on a subject that ripens through practice and subtle improvements? Why sit in a classroom writing and analysing when the same can be done on a comfortable couch? Sure, attaching “creative writing” to an educational degree is a golden opportunity for undergraduate circumstances. Higher education + time to work on craft = understandable. But graduation formally presents students to the adult world, where labour occurs, bills must be paid, and for most of us, independent life essentially begins. The sensible step next step is an active role in your field, continuing your craft through experience and relentless pursuits of payable gigs.
So how do you justify graduate school for writers? Jael McHenry advises that the question isn’t “Do you need one [an MFA]?” but “Can you benefit from one?”
If you’d asked me last summer, my answer would probably be no. I’ve been a writer my entire life and I’ve grown accustomed to doing things myself, learning through experience and branching out my networks.
But like I said, screen-writing only became a concrete option six months ago. Since then, I’ve already learnt a lot through solo screen studies. I have a rough draft script that feels further along in the process than most of my novels from the past several years. The best part is that working with screen-writing has solidified a connexion to the rest of my creative processes.
The heightened collaboration for screen-writing over novel-writing argues for the benefit graduate school offers. My innate desires for travel, meeting new people and erudition suggest I follow this idea for graduate studies. Any advice on what schools to consider?
For the Love of Art
Let’s face it: when you answer the “What do you want to do with your life?” question with something arts-y, people roll their eyes. They tell you to get your head out of the clouds. Only “really lucky” people manage to get anywhere in such fields. They ask what your back-up plan is.
o.O Back-up plan? What’s that?
I am what I am, and that won’t change to fit anyone else’s standards. I hold no unrealistic expectations about life as a writer. It’s a tough path that takes a lot of time and energy to pave into a gentle road. Most of us encounter road-blocks, but those who appreciate such challenges tread onward. Not because we enjoy rejections and failures, but because the expressive freedom art presents is too appealing to ignore. Those “failures” are stepping stones whence to learn and grow.
My exasperations arise when people ridicule my art, albeit unintentionally. Try to convince me it’s “not enough,” and I therefore must have something else in mind for a career.
Hello? I’m 23!
Sixteen years in academia doesn’t automatically mean I know exactly where I’m going and how I’ll get there. It means I’m equipped and ready to handle the journey as I seek my place in it. I don’t know what I want to do, except write. Something. Anything. Doesn’t matter what because it’s the creative process that excites me. Yet I know too many people who argue writing isn’t “useful” enough.
Useful? Writing is one of the most useful things in our society! Few do it well, which makes it a rare treasure.
I’m a dreamer. I have goals. Ambitions. A bucket list that stretches kilometres. Granted, they’ve evolved since I was eight-years-old, as they’re wont to do. That doesn’t justify I stop the chase. “Own Your Ambition” highlights this point with elegance. We all hold different values. Definitions for success and ambitions are as diverse as people. And some of us are determined enough to do whatever it takes for the love of art. It’s just another way to collect ideas/experiences along the way.
Bruce Lee says: “A goal is not always meant to be reached, it often simply serves as something to aim at.” Goals give us purpose. Guides, steering us through the journey of life in an educational and [hopefully] enjoyable way. Large or small matters not. It’s about balance. Serenity. Owning who we are.
What do I want to do with my life? Enjoy it!
Never Say ‘Never’
All it takes to achieve the impossible is determination and a positive attitude.
Here ends this week’s dose of expert advice, brought to you by the proud survivor of Script Frenzy 2010. That’s right, with four short hours to spare, I crossed the finish line and got to sleep early. 
There are still several scenes that need to be added before revisions start, but I’m taking a [short] vacation from PRODIGY to get back to a few projects that were placed on hold for April. The end result is a proud one, though, because this story has found its rightful place in Script after several failed attempts to write it as both Novel and Short Story. It really is more of a visual story anyway, and the musical elements make it a better match where aural elements can be expressed.
Confession: Screnzy was a stressful and difficult pursuit. The beautiful weather made me choose my Bantam bicycle loop over sitting inside in front of a computer. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, of course. Sunny skies just always trump rotting inside. The problem is when said decisions hinder the progress of a writer.
It did cross my mind to give up on the venture, fail to achieve a goal set as a way to keep myself out of Lazy-ville and make sure I write every day, as a writer should. Anyhoot, only crazy people attempt to write a 100-page script in 30 days! …though that makes stronger the argument to quit; a way to prove my sanity? 
Nah. I enjoy the crazy life too much! Bettina‘s influence and nagging reminded me of my desire to delve further into screenwriting. She also reminded me several times that failing Screnzy after two consecutive NaNo wins was absolutely unacceptable. Once you raise the stakes and succeed, it’s very difficult to take a step back, even temporarily.
But that’s what gives me the motivational push to continue and exceed what I’ve already achieved. Each step is a lesson. A reminder that it is possible to balance life with my source of oxygen (i.e. writing). It’s a reminder we all need when faced with the stress life delivers while attempting a career as a writer.
Next challenge: surviving Screnzy withdrawal. It’s as strong and demanding as NaNo withdrawal, but I’m sure I can channel it into Weekend Funeral and these poem tweaks.
Crash/Burn…And All That Jazz
Avoid cliches like the plague.
Those who construct language (aka writers such as myself) heed this warning well. After all, cliches are unoriginal. Overused. Exaggerated at times. There are occasions, however, when I agree with Mrs. Who that quoting the wisdom of others is the best way to express something otherwise “too difficult to verbalise” myself.
The weekend presented me with many rejections. Opportunities that I’ve patiently waited weeks to hear back from, only to crash-and-burn when follow-up conversations brought sour news. Why do I continuously set myself up for such disappointment? I’ve grown used to the concept over my life (it’s been my middle name for so long). Why not accept failure now while hope has been kicked to the ground? Take the “easy street” and accept as my home the pathetic pit whence there’s no escape.
Perseverence. Indomitability. Big words to describe a simple state of stubbornness. The inability to give up because allowing failure to define the self contradicts the personality lingering inside. I like to see it as martial arts invading my life, enriching it by dissuading defeat.
Regardless of the determination that’s developed in me over the years, I can’t help but cave to momentary bouts of discouragement from this Dense Fog. Many people offer kind words. Few actually add fuel to the fire (unintentional cliche usage). Neither aids my emotions during these times, which often reflects poorly on my attitude, pulling me deeper into the shadows.
Thankfully the years have also taught me how to rise up from the flames. Several methods cause that brief loss of hope to drain from my blood: quotes from people I admire, sparring/exercise, forcing productivity.
The best way to drag myself out of a slump is to work through that slump. Okay, so I’ve been rejected. I give myself a moment to cry, then tackle the fifteen other applications on my list. I’m still frustrated by the lack of visible progress, but look! the frustration made the pile of others disappear.
I’m behind the rest, but I’m still in the game. Still fighting for survival and waiting for that fight to pay off.
While all manner of quotes continue to lift my spirits, I rely on one specifically these days: “People told me, when I was coming through the ranks, that a mark of a great [actor] is one who deals with the period of unemployment as well as they deal with the period of employment.” (Claudia Black) Wisdomous words! Though they speak of actors, I see it as a reflective statement for all artists, including writers.
Why waste time being negative? There’s always that lapse, that bout of pity that rushes through the veins, but it’s in the act of returning to my feet with my head held high that proves I’m the worthy victor.
Rather than moping around, I choose to take advantage of not having a career (for the moment). Lots of free time and plenty to do. Staying busy keeps me focused on my goals.
Writing is a time-consuming process. If I wish to succeed, I must wake up every day with the intention of getting something accomplished. One word, one sentence, one paragraph. Doesn’t matter as long as it’s something. Writing cover letters for jobs, e-mails to friends, forum messages, status updates. Doesn’t matter, as long as my fingers type and words appear. Brain spins, mind turns.
Exercise. As a martial artist, getting in shape and staying in shape is crucial to performance. It’s also one of my 2010 goals to maintain a healthier lifestyle. I’ve done well so far, especially since ditching my biggest vice.
Occupation. Volunteer-work, internships, part-time jobs. Experience and pocket cash trump pessimism in my opinion. I have goals, I’m just taking baby steps to get to those goals. Until then, I’m learning what I can and saving what I can while doing what I can to speed the process.
Don’t Be Afraid To Get Your Hands Dirty
The other day, a thought came to me as I cleaned Jay’s cage: to get any job done, you must be willing to get your hands dirty. It’s unavoidable. Things don’t happen unless action takes place. You can’t find employment by sitting around doing nothing all day.
You have to get out there, fill in applications, call to check up on said applications. You have to work to get work. It’s more than just that, though. You need knowledge, experience. How do you get that? By being active. Doing something. Anything. Take action, jump at any opportunity to gain skills.
For this reason, I’m glad I’ve always had a thirst for learning. I love to keep my mind occupied with fresh ideas and new challenges. It’s through this aspect of my personality that I find myself constantly motivated to trudge on, even when things look dim.
Novels don’t get read unless their author writes down words. Any words. All words. Their quality shouldn’t matter in the rough draft (it’s called ‘draft’ for a reason, after all). It’s a process. We take ideas and we etch them out. Transfer them from mind to screen (or paper) to uncage them. From there, anything’s possible. A foundation is set and the next step is making sense of it.
Truthfully, there is no “easy street” for dreamers. Things don’t happen unless you make them happen. The world’s a confusing place unless you make the effort to survive one day at a time. Often, that means baby-steps in the mud. What’s wrong with that, though? It may be galling, it may not be what you want from life. But if you work through the challenges, you’ll come out better and stronger than the person who sailed over the mud. You’ll know what you’re capable of doing under the worst conditions, with the worst stress.
There’s a level of risk in everything, but unless we take that risk, we’ll gain nothing. The only risk we shouldn’t take is that of not taking a risk. O.o
Rewind, Hold Up! Start Again?
Learning never ends. A concept I’ve grown fond of over the years. Regardless, my career in an academic setting is finally at an end (unless I pursue graduate school). So much time and money invested in a collegiate education, yet it’s only now as graduation looms that I catch a glimpse of where I want to go.
Is that right?
Idealistically, the “Big Revelation” should’ve happened when I was a freshman. In need of a clear head and eager to pursue classes suited to my needs.
Too late, time’s up, trod on.
As freshmen, my peers and I had a “welcome to college” class requirement. One assignment asked for a self-description of our lives in X-years. Even though I didn’t have specifics, there were vague ideas that had developed over the years. College was my ticket to the world, the step between branch and sky. A home, a job, and hopefully a family. Realistic enough, I suppose. Except four years later, I sit in a fog denser than I ever imagined.
What happened to my childhood certainty of being a veterinarian? Doing something I loved by working with animals. (okay: that dream left when I realised I’m too emotionally sensitive for such a field)
In Disney’s The Kid, Bruce Willis’s character holds a conversation with Jean Smart’s about childhood dreams. They talk about how people grow up and dreams evolve into a more realistic sense of what must get done in order to make a living. The astronaut, the prima ballerina–they get stuffed in a closet to collect dust and be forgotten. But why should dreams suffer for the sake of an income?
Chase it! Make it work!
That’s how you evaluate success. Fight for what matters, and enjoy the journey. It’ll be rough–depressing at times. But it beats falling into a routine and rotting with dissatisfaction.
Before college, I was full of certainty. Now I don’t even know where I’ll be in a couple of weeks. I don’t know what’s in store for my future, but I’m open to whatever comes my way. Ideas stampede toward me, and I continue writing.
Always writing.
Positive Compulsion
Last night was the ‘Thank God It’s Over’ (TGIO) party for my NaNoWriMo region.
2009 has been the most inspirational year out of the three I’ve participated in thus far. There’s a liveliness and camaraderie I missed before. For the first time probably in my life, I’m with a group of like-minded individuals and I genuinely feel accepted, embraced for all my quirkiness (in this case, the norm).
Our regional leader gave a brief speech that reassures my goals as a writer. She reminded us that the events of November are a fun activity for anyone, but added that those who want to pursue the art of writing need to make a full commitment. Be compulsive! Write every day, regardless of the quality. Make sure thoughts get put on paper (or screen).
Typical pep-talk heard within most writing communities (at least the ones I’ve been around). A mantra that drives me as I grow in my skills and realise it’s the only way to achieve success.
Quality has hindered my progress in the past. For sure, it’s the reason I don’t already have a lot of finished projects. I have NaNo to thank for pulling me out of the quality quicksand. Three years later, I have the confidence to pull ahead and get the words out, leaving the tweaks and revision for later. It’s refreshing to be conscious of progress, though I know there’s still miles of work ahead for me. Despite all that, I look forward to off-season revision meet-ups with my regional mates.
Next year starts my journey into novel publication. It’s something I should’ve started years ago, but life always insists I stay on the opposite shore.
(funny how life enjoys doing that)
No more! say I. It’s time to get my foot in the door and attempt to survive in the world the only way I know how: through my imagination.
Goodbye November, Hello Stress
2009 has been a fantastic year, especially for NaNoWriMo: I passed last year’s count by 10k! With all the pressure of a 30-day deadline, juggling school and writing, losing sleep for the extra time needed to handle everything, I’m not sad to see November hand over its baton.
Alas, with December comes even more stress.
(Is that even possible?)
Homework. Bills. Job hunt. All put on hold for the sake of writing only to return with frightening speeds. Two weeks left of school! That’s it. Then I’m done. Finished forever. Tossed out on the street to see if my skills are strong enough to help me make it on my own.
…okay, so I won’t be on the streets quite yet.
I actually realised on the drive home today that my life resembles that of the MC in my latest novel draft. Dani’s story begins and ends in an airport. In my case, my current story ends with living in this house again. Not my top option (really the only option), but when you’re broke and out of work, you take what you can get.
My goal for December is to survive finals keep up with my writing. This comes up every year, resulting in epic failure. But the rough drafts keep piling on my flash-drive, awaiting revision. It needs to get done so I can get myself out there.
(watch Twitter for updates about that, by the way)
If I dig up something fun, I’ll post an excerpt here. Till then, I’m off to hibernate beneath the collected layers of homework–my only shelter from the impending cold.
Next week should be better. Less work, more sleep.
Cage That Editor!
National Novel Writing Month. A nation-wide global event that encourages writers (novice, expert, published or not) to complete a novel draft within thirty days.
Alas, I discovered it at the end of November, 2006 
but that didn’t deter my enthusiasm. I spent the next year reading up on it. Two years later, I’ve written about 65,000 words for NaNoWriMo, but Bettina still interferes across the other 335 days of the year.
The energy of November is contagious. Everyone taps away at their keyboards, excited to cross the victory line. Each immersed in worlds away from reality. Bills, jobs, non-writely friends disappear (despite their thinking we’ve gone AWOL). Nothing exists but the words on the page, and even those are trivial in meaning. The point is to stash your editor in a dungeon (that’s right–why think small when it’s your imagination?) for a month and focus on quantity rather than quality.
That’s how rough drafts are formed.
Most true writing evolves from re-writing, yet many writers find themselves bogged down by the stress of making everything perfect on the first go.
Bad approach.
Creative freedom only lends itself when the mastermind allows. Let nonsense flow from your fingertips. Let an unrelated scene pour onto your pages. Chances are it won’t make the final cut, but it’s an exploration. That’s how we learn about ourselves. Your novel is the same, learning about itself by testing different possibilities until it finds the one that glues it together.
But how to evade the presence of typical writing problems? Chapter-chronology hasn’t worked, and outlines eat your only free time. So what can you do to ward off the voices until you’re ready for their help?
A different approach birthed for me before midnight struck. A new tactic: The Last Chapter, first.
My golden ticket!
Defeat over writer’s block lies within your method of writing.
I changed it up and now my fingers run on jet fuel. Can I maintain this pace another 27 days? What will happen at December’s sunrise? I want to continue working on my novels because it’s not enough to have ideas floating inside. They must be released to the world–or at least the inside of my filing cabinet–so I can move on and discover new stories.
So how can you fuel this magnitude of progress once November passes its baton?
By keeping NaNoWriMo’s energy in mind. Forget about the quality of initial drafts until you’ve worked through an entire novel. Reward yourself for small victories (every few hundred words, every five pages, every chapter end, etc.) and allow yourself a huuuge prize for the larger victories (laundry and a good night sleep, perhaps?) At the end of a draft, take a week’s holiday–you’ve earned it! Find a peer group–huge help! A buddy-system to keep your discipline in check and assure everyone’s accountable for lack of writing.
Remember: writing is work, like any other job. But it always helps to have a little fun.
Evolution Of A Niche
Being somewhat new to the concept of blogs, I’ve spent time researching the benefits they bring to writers. Results concur that successful blog management is difficult and time-consuming, but the potential it donates to a writer’s career may be worth the effort.
So hi!
My biggest concern is choosing a focus–a niche with enough influence to fuel motivation. True to the writing process, the most important thing is to get start. Let things flow; the niche will evolve with time.
Still, I struggle with how best to start, bogged down by the stress of everything going on right now.
That’s when it hit me: I’m a 20+ want-to-be-published writer who is graduating university in approximately two months. Years of loan debts await repayment. I join the ranks of homeless graduates seeking any and every way to save money. My focus is writing, but my responsibility is winning a job. In this economy, that spells stress-overdose.
The unknown fills me with anxiety. The world holds many opportunities, however, and I’m going to do what I can to handle the stress in a positive way. After all, freedom from the classroom = freedom to fill the days with writing. Résumés, cover letters, general fiction. At least writing removes some stress from my life.
