Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Where do we belong?

Writing is for those who chose to live tortured lives.

I adore picking up a pen and pad of paper and going to town. The beginning of our writing journey is an amazing one. You feel empowered, enriched, and alive as you feverishly work to write all the thoughts that have crept in your mind.

There does come a point where you'll have read your piece over a million times and at times you find yourself missing the passion you felt when the idea first came to you. You know it's brilliant, you know you loved it and it worked six months ago, so what's the problem?

As writers do we truly dig ourselves into a hole?

My problem as a writer is finding out where I belong. Is there the capability of belonging in more than one place? I really enjoyed writing short stories and novels, however my recent endeavor has breathed more life into my work than I ever would have thought.

Screenwriting. I love it. But I don't want to give up the novels and short stories. Is it to much? Am I taking on too much as a writer, or should I continue to go with my writing gut. The one that tells me a writer truly can have it all. That along the way I'll eventually find what path is best for me.

Today it's screenwriting but tomorrow that could change.

Do you know where you belong?

16 comments:

Nicole Zoltack said...

Screenwriting sounds like a lot of fun! I think it's best to do what makes you happy. That's why I tend to write in a lot of different genres. :)

Theresa Milstein said...

I think writing, no matter for what purpose or what form it takes, improves our writing. I tried screenwriting once, but realized I had no idea what I was doing.

Yes, we do get sick of our own stories. They're long and we look at them so many times, it's hard to keep up the magic. But I think that happens to all of us.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

I think screenwriting would be great. No reason you can't do both.
I know what type of writer I am and I'm happy with that placement.

Michael Di Gesu said...

Oh, my sweet little Jen, you are just a whirlwind. Go with your gut.

You. my sweet, are a hummingbird. You need to take flight and buzz around from flower to flower, not really settling on one.

That is what I LOVE most about you .... your tireless energy. We all have a journey and yours is full of EXCITEMENT and CHANGE. GO with the flow and ENJOY. Life is too short and slips through our fingers like water. Don't waste it worrying about where you belong or where you're going ... JUST enjoy the ride!

This coming from your cyber big-brother. Age does have it's pluses ... appreciating youth, beauty, and vitality for one.

Anonymous said...

Writers are made to write. Screenwriting sounds like a ton of fun, and it can't hurt, right? I think knowing that you belong as a writer is good enough. :)

Unknown said...

All I know is I love to write. I try not to pigeon hole myself into one genre. Doing so limits my imagination and creative energy.

Li said...

I've settled into the short story format - and I'm half wondering if it's become too comfortable. I may need a solid kick in the backside one of these days to get me moving on a novel. (no butt-kicking volunteers please - there's a waiting list) :-)

Liesel K. Hill said...

I dabble in screenwriting myself. And in terms of fiction, I write novels across three (very different!) genres. I'm all about being eclectic and going wherever your heart takes you. Besides, in this economy, it's just good sense to have your foot in more than one door! Good luck with your screenwriting efforts! :D

Unknown said...

I don't see why you can't just do all of it. Life has stages - some are short and some are long. So maybe screenwriting is a chapter (or two) of yours?

I've been struggling with deciding if I fit with the illustrators or the writers, but I really want to do both. Again, I think it's more about knowing when to write and when to illustrate than picking just one.

roxanne s. sukhan said...

I think writing, for me, has come out of that uncertainty of where I belong.

LTM said...

I'm all over the place as far as genre goes, but I'm still sticking w/novels for now.

Screenwriting! How fun!!! Good luck with your new venture! It seems like a great fit for your personality~ :o) <3

Lindsay N. Currie said...

Great question Jen. I'm really not sure any of us figure this out fully -- maybe not even once we're published. My journey led me to YA writing and to fiction so I'm pretty sure I'll stay here for a bit, but it took me a long time to find the right path. XOXO

Talli Roland said...

Hi lovely Jen! In this day and age, with all the options available, I think writers can explore lots of different genres. I think it's important to try different things to keep our writing fresh!

Arlee Bird said...

I'm all over the place. Sometimes I feel like a one man whack-a-mole game. I think it's not a bad idea to be diverse as long as you get a few of the pursuits accomplished.


Lee
Tossing It Out

Kristin Rae said...

I can see how screenwriting would be a good fit for you (comedies, of course! ;), but I don't think you have to limit yourself at all. You might have to shift your focus occasionally to get work done, but your talent/interests most certainly can be of a wider variety.

DMS said...

I think you have to do whatever type of writing calls you and drags you in. :) Screeplay writing sounds fascinating.
~Jess