Keep Going. Or Just Start.

I was recently talking with a friend who said, “My husband is always telling me I should write down my stories. I don’t know what’s stopping me—it seems very intimidating.” 

Here’s the key: You just have to start. 

I started. And once I started, it poured out of me. I wrote a pilot and series treatment in less than a month … and it wasn’t hard. In fact, I couldn’t wait to get to my computer to work on it. Every day. It was exciting and terrifying. I haven’t felt this creatively fulfilled since I was working as an actor—and it’s a very different feeling of creation. 

The second key? You need to share it. 

This is the part that is truly terrifying for me: sending my work out to people I trust to get their opinion. I started over email with just a few people. Got some great feedback and kept working. 

Then I really put myself out there. I’m part of an artistic collective called The Studio that meets once a week. Artists can bring in whatever they want to work on—scenes, monologues, songs. Writers bring in pages of something they’ve written, cast it based on the actors in the room, and listen to it read aloud. 

I was so nervous to have my pages read. I chose Act Two of the pilot and found some lovely actors to read, both for the lines and the stage directions (when it comes to TV, those are often more important than the dialogue). I had a great group and they did really well. 

It was strangely emotional for me to hear it read out loud. I felt like I sometimes feel reading a role; one that I connect with on a deep level. I haven’t felt that way about anything other than acting in my entire life. I felt filled up.

While the piece isn’t where it needs to be, it’s more than a start. And it may turn out to be completely different than what I set out to write. That’s okay. I love not being locked into an idea, or knowing where it’s going to go. I love bouncing the ideas off people who are more insightful than I am to get their takes on it—they are the ones that are helping to shape it. I love this creative journey. 

So keep going, everyone. Or … just start.