Posted by Ecstatica at 24.236.152.60.gha.mi.chartermi.net on October 17, 2003 at 11:19:07:
So you want to be a writer? Doesn’t everybody?
I thought I’d share a few thoughts I have on the matter and a few experiences that really helped my perspective. I always find a student or a fan on this board asking Kevin questions and I’m inspired to give a little.
First, I am a writer. Second, I am not a published writer.
Why take the time to read this? I think the beauty of this board is that we have a forum to learn from each other, learn from the VA people and maybe pick up a thing or two (since we all have a common interest). Besides, it’s another opportunity for me to write!
I struggled for years with the business of writing. I’m confident in my abilities and always thought that if I had a gig, I could be a writer. If I had an agent, I could be a writer. If someone told me how to do it, I could be a writer. Well guess what kids? You only have to do one thing to be a writer.
Write.
If you only want to express yourself, then write when you’re inspired. If you want to write for a career, treat it like a job. For the past 14 months, I’ve written 5 to 6 days a week, starting out with a goal of a thousand words a day. I now write two thousand. Some days, it’s great and the words flow like butter. On other days, I’d rather pump gas than spell out a conjunction. What I’ve learned though, is that it gets easier. Not only easier to accomplish the word count, but easier to express the ideas that made me want to write in the first place. And as the time passed, I just couldn’t believe how much WORK I accomplished! I’ve written over a dozen short stories and am finishing up the first draft on my second novel.
People ask Kevin how he gets his ideas and how they can be witty and entertaining just like him. This I don’t get. If you don’t have a story of your own, why are you writing in the first place? Prestige? Money? Because it’s cool? And why would you even want to write like someone else? I am a huge fan of Kevin Smith, both as a writer and a person. He understood the concept straight away. He wanted to be a film maker. What did he do? He made films. Simple as that. No gig. No agent. Just a burning desire to make movies. Damn, I love that story.
But, I don’t want to BE Kevin Smith. I like my work. I think it’s good and stands on its own merit. The questions I have pertain to the business. After all, now that I have all of this product, I’d like to get it out there and maybe even make a buck or two doing it. But that’s not what makes me a writer. It took me a long time to learn that. Maybe this will help someone find the nugget inside themselves to embrace their dream.
With or without a paycheck. See you guys at SB2.