Hey, everyone! Here's the link to the article: https://open.substack.com/pub/drnatesmithjones/p/bitchslap-from-the-universe-one-way?r=5zozpf&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

Hey, everyone. I had to share this. One of my favorite screenwriters and playwrights, David Mamet (Kevin Costner’s ‘The Untouchables’; Paul Newman’s ‘The Verdict’; Al Pacino et al.’s ‘Glengarry Glen Ross’ among others) says that scholars infer themes, but writers should focus simply on telling a great story (He went from driving a cab and working nights and weekends on his writing to being a paid writer). Personally, I love dealing with themes, because (a) there’s no one way to tell a great story, (b) themes matter in the story you’re telling, because many people will infer them so why not be aware of them? and (c) I happen to be college-educated. Even so, this splash of cold water reality on our often over-thinking with our writing I hope will serve as a great reminder (to myself if no one else) that we SHOULD focus on telling the story we know will work. And, something else Mamet brought up in his Masterclass that bears reminding myself and perhaps others, is that often the stuff in our stories we LOVE THE MOST may blind us to what might ultimately be keeping our stories from being great. Food for thought! Hope it helps. See you Wednesday!

Keep at it. Ursula K. LeGuin said that writing is a craft to be practiced. It is not a talent that just appears. "you sit down and you do it." And she's absolutely correct. Nothing can replace the act of writing: the starts, the stops, the things we learn especially when our writing isn't making it; the times when true inspiration strikes is when we are doing it.

Is monumentally important. First, when writing, I have long noticed that including our ego when composing ANY type of writing is DEATH to that writing’s ability to be out there, be seen, and be remembered. Recently, in several of the conversations I’ve had with the producer in L.A., he suggested several changes to certain parts of the first 40 pages: both in terms of specific character’s actions, as well as the structure or order of certain scenes. In each instance, I was defensive at first, but the more I weighed what the screen story needed and considered the many ways a story can work, I saw how it could work. AND since I’ve always seen the WAY we re-write a story as concrete that sets—I realized that breaking up the cement to repour it so it’s better overall IS PART OF THE PROCESS, whether or not we are rewriting on our own or with help from a writing partner. NOW—-on the flip side of this, it is IMPORTANT to stand your ground when you KNOW a suggestion doesn’t work. There are many ways to both screw up AND help a story. The more honest we are about our own work and the more we practice seeing our work through the eyes of others, the more we can be confident with our talent and ability to build stories. Though writing the first draft is a DIFFERENT PROCESS, look at rewriting your work as being like a lawyer. The theory and storytelling knowledge and practice you build up? that’s your law school. Then, each story you re-write is a “case” you are proving (esp. since every story gives some kind of argument as its theme. e.g. ‘Forrest Gump’ : even the least of us matter)——and as long as you or your writing partner can clearly argue why a new addition or a subtraction or other change helps the entire story even as it changes one part of it, then as long as you’re being honest and without ego, you can be confident in the change. Hope this helps!

Let me know how it helps you! Thanks!