This is just a little response generated after reading a thread entitled: "What's the Deal?"

The poor soul was inquiring about his script because he was excited about receiving feedback (bad idea) and he wasn't quite thinking really about how Don might have a life where he did things like eat and sleep, maybe even go to the occasional movie and visited with his loved ones in person.

The poor Web manager deals with the innocent and unrealistic demands of young minds who don't quite get the "it" of it yet.

What I'm referring to is the It which means that you may get a few warm fuzzies from good critiques and you'll no doubt get a lot of seemingly cataclysmic remarks which may cause you to sink into indolence, but no matter what you get, you need to first get It.

Getting It means this: Don't wait around for a manuscript to come back from Acme publishers.  Don't wait around for Don or any other site manager to post your script.  Don't wait around for your creative juices to flow like wine from an eternally giving cask.

Simply, work.  Faithfully work every day.  A little at a time.  Or a lot at a time-- whatever that day brings and you bring to it.

Don't wait for a teacher to enlighten you.  Don't pay thousands of dollars on writer's conferences so that you can learn "The Secret."  Spend thousands of dollars on writer's conferences so you can enjoy the experience of being with others on a similar path as you.

The only secret is hard work and destiny.  And if you work really hard and destiny has something else in mind, then that's good too.  As long as you're not dealing with some kind of painful affliction, you're probably in pretty good shape.  Actually, I have, and I know of others also who have dealt with painful afflictions and they can often raise their hands and their hearts in testimony to the fact that the human spirit is great indeed.

So what I'm saying about this great spirit is that you should take it.  Scoop it up for yourself.  Don't wait around for someone to give it to you.  Work at it.  That's all.

Right now, on Youtube, there is a video about a young man who went blind and then became a painter.

I'm sure that when or if he had told anyone what he was deciding upon doing after loosing his sight, many would have said, "Don't be silly."  Whether or not he kept his plans to himself or not, I don't know.  What I think often holds true though--for most of us with not the strongest minds--(I said not the strongest; I didn't say anything about the degree of brilliance) is that we often succumb to negativity which is generated even at unconscious levels from others.

Oh, here's the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8P84bfFpVWE&NR=1

Think about this: The blind painter cannot enjoy "looking" at his work.  He can only enjoy creating it.

What I'm trying to say in this post is that we shouldn't wait.  Every minute of the day we need to be engaged in our work.  Even when we're not working, our subconscious needs to be involved with the work and this is an active process even if we're not aware of it.

Don't wait for "Rah Rah's" because the truth of the matter is that many people tend to be infinitely negative and "The Greats" often die before they're truly recognized as great and "The Greats" that are living are often shot down; their personal lives are dragged out into the public eye where the fickle "Rah Rah People" love to tear the individual down and display their flaws.

Quit waiting.  Seize the work and apply it forcefully with your will.  When critiques roll in,  be grateful, but know that measuring your success by them is tricky indeed.

You might write something which seems to have been a complete bomb, but it has paved the way; (love that cliche) it has paved the way for something else which comes ex nihilo, and then you really celebrate.

Maybe you need to write a lot of bombs first.  That just might be the way of it.  Of It.  That work thing.  That personal thing.  That thing which kind of connects to the God thing.  You know.  Or maybe not...

This has been a wonderful excuse to get away from my work in progress, (my secret waiting) and I know that I'm coming to a very important revelation:  We DO need that little time away... and then we come back... and everything is exciting and new and... we forgot our character's great grandfather's name.  (Got to take the good with the bad).

Isn't that another good reason not to wait?  Just do what you do and let the cards fall.  Focus on the work, not on the wait.

Sandra

Thanks Sandra, very inspiring and of course what you say is indeed correct, no doubt a post that i will be returning to on a regular basis when i need the kick up the ass!

But i can understand how the original poster was feeling in a way. I have never written anything creative since i left school and that was a few years ago now i tell you. Due to my love of films and a deep desire to do something creative with my life i decided only a few weeks ago that i was going to write a movie script within the next 6 months.  The only script writing knowledge i had was from watching Adaptation three times!!

But through finding this forum and reading just about every single post there has ever been, by reading countless scripts, by watching all my favorite movies again with a "writers mind" and by buying a book from some woman called Kate Wright I am starting to learn something.

So i wrote a short last week, polished it up, re-wrote it, killed a character, un-killed her and woke up the next morning to kill her again etc... And now it is waiting to be posted on this site. And i am waiting rather nervously to find out if i have done anything right!! Of course it should not matter what people say, i should have already started work on my next project, but of course i am human and would really like to know if i am on the right path. Do i have even a smidgen of talent for this?.

This site is a key part of my learning experience and of course i am waiting to hear feedback on my short, okay I am not as bad as the OP, i am patient and can wait for the feedback to come but when it does come i hope it will help me develop my skills as a writer.

Anyway that was a longer answer than i envisaged but while it really was an inspiring post i think I can understand totally what the OP meant with his post.

Thanks Murphy.

P.S. I have noticed however that the original poster still has not read and reviewed anyone else's scripts yet, which is a little selfish i think and does kinda ruin his whole argument!

Quoted from Murphy P.S. I have noticed however that the original poster still has not read and reviewed anyone else's scripts yet..

You can rest assured that plenty of people have noticed that, Murph.

Looking forward to S.A.R.  That first one is kind of scary, isn't it?

Sandra what you say is correct
but what I would like is helpful
suggestions  as I am an Indian
when I write it is like I am writng
dialogues for prose with natives like
people I can tweak my script and try to sell my script
but when I posted there was no response
or they are ourightly rude and ask us not to write

Did someone say that to you on Simply Scripts padnar?  You should post your script here.  If you read a few scripts in return then people will definitely respond.