Screenwriting for Self-Care
“There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.”
I’m a writer, so naturally I hate writing.
This is a common joke I make when I tell people what I do. And I usually get at least a smirk of understanding from whomever I am speaking to.
For many, the strongest association people draw with writers is our chronic “writer’s block.” If we aren’t making six-figures directly out of college, we are often seen as miserable, isolated, depressive wannabe auteurs.
There is some truth to this belief. Many writers struggle with the fear, pain and anxiety that comes with the job of being expressive in the most direct and revealing way a human can possibly be — with language.
But that’s not our fault.
Writing is the mechanism by which we synthesize the chaos of our minds and hearts into a socially recognizable form. Anyone who does creative writing professionally offers their pain, fear and prejudice up for public scrutiny. They use the basic blocks for direct communication in order to create a mirage of authenticity. It removes the illusion that an artist and their art or separate. A character in a story will only expose the writer’s secrets to the world.
