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edward
at 17:15, 7 Jul 2005
Posts: 3
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Writing Process
Sally, I would be interested to know what the process was for writing "yes?" What I am most interested in is the mechanics of what you did; rather, than the inspiration? Did you use a pen and paper or a computer? When did you write, and for how long? What is your normal day like when you were creating "Yes?" How long did it take you to write it? What is your philosophy regarding how you use your time - for work and for enjoyment? You get the idea. The other thing that I'm interested in was how "Yes" differed from your other stories in the way you created it, or was it the same process? I am also interested in how other writers and artists that you know, (or those who may read this), create their work. Thanks.
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webmaster
at 04:35, 14 Jul 2005
Posts: 1
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How do you write a screenplay?
I get up everyday, sharpen my pencil, sit down on my table, and I write for five hours. I know this is maybe too literal a response, but it took me 20 years to understand that this is truly the most important aspect of writing.
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at 12:29, 14 Jul 2005
Posts: 0
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Why the literal "Writing Process" is importantant:
I know it is unusual to ask about the literal "writing process," as opposed to the artist's "inspiration." However, the two must be connected in some way, and to primarily just discuss the inspirational aspect of the creative process seems to ignore half of the story. So, Webmaster, you wrote exactly what I was interested in - a literal response as to what is your "Writing Process." Thank you. As you stated, there can be no doubt that it's important.
I have met maybe only a handful of people in my life who didn't have an idea for a story - even if it's just a story about their life. Similarly, more than half of all people that I have met would like to be artists of some kind, whether it be a writer or whatever, even if it's amatuer and not professional. Creativity is essential to the human spirit, and most people will somehow bring it into their lives whether it be decorating their office space, weeding a garden, or even just being the audience for a film or play. However, very few people will ever actually broach the blank page. Fewer still, will continue beyond an unsuccessful first effort. Yet, others will slave their whole lives creating art without any outward "success." I see no tangible difference between the general talents of artists and of others in intelligence, courage, morality, or diligence.
Obviously, some people were meant to be artist while most were meant to do other things (just as important in the Grand Scheme of Things in my opinion). Still, given the fame that "artists," can receive in our society, (as absurd as that label is for some people), and that we're all blessed with a creative spirit and even occassional calls of inspiration, if it wasn't so darn hard, most everyone would do it. (Oh, that the world should ever know how I've agonized over this simple post; nevermind, a large scale work of art).
Generally the most common explanation for not starting something is that one just "doesn't have the time." I have never met anyone that didn't feel they could be more organized and efficient. Most people feel that they are just moving from one essential task to the next, and that while cumulatively they have enough "free" time to do more, they don't have it in large enough chunks of time to do difficult or important things. So, we flip on the TV, surf the Net, and talk on the phone. While such things are important, something is still lost by not investing time and effort into an outlet for self-development.
Many artists work so hard hoping among other things to inspire their audience to get beyond the next task, and to find meaning in their lives. Yet, it can be so destructive and frustrating to have this knowledge that life is more than a sequence of urgencies, as well as the needed inspiration to pursue and discover one's own identity and purpose, but to never do it because one simply does not know how. It's no given that just because one has the inspiration, fortitude, and intelligence to achieve more awareness that s/he will do so.
How one creates art is every bit as varied as what one is inspired to do. Webmaster writes 5 hours every morning. John Milius writes from 4-5pm every day, Michael Crichton goes away to a cabin and does nothing but write for 30-40 days, and Shakespeare probably wrote at night in a bar after a long day of doing the business of putting on a play. Perhaps, how one creates one's life, and finds meaning, is every bit as varied as the individual inspiration of what one's life should be. Perhaps, lessons one can learn from the literal process of how an artist creates can be helpful in learning how one can organize one's life, just as the artwork itself can be helpful to inspiring one to find a calling and to develop a personal philosophy.
Individual callings, philosophies, and inspirations are as varied as there are individuals. Why would we expect that the literal process for acquiring these things in our lives to be less varied? One does not need to adopt the same calling, the same philosophy, or the same inspiration of an artist to be inspired to find such things as they exist in their own unique lives from the artwork. Nor would one have to adopt the artist's (literal) process; rather, one could use what is personally beneficial to develop and hone their own process.
So, Webmaster, I'm interested to know even more about your writing process. How do you educate yourself - when and what do you study? What's your personal philosophy for finding balance? Where is the point of diminishing returns? Is it five hours every single day, or do you take time off? I'm interested in how all people "find and make time," but particularly artist because it so darn hard and variable. I would like to write a book on it if I could only find the time. (By the way, is Webmaster and Sally Potter the same person - I see postings under both usernames). Thanks again.
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sally potter
at 09:42, 15 Jul 2005
Posts: 193
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GOOD QUESTION!
This is an interesting question about an often underestimated issue. It took me years and years to discover the importance of an extremely disciplined writing routine. I used to write late at night or whenever the drive overtook me….hour upon hour until exhausted and then a not very productive day the next day. Then I decided to find out how my favourite writers worked. It seemed that most of them wrote in the mornings only…but every morning (perhaps not Sundays). And they set a time limit at which point they would stop…some even in mid-sentence…so that the desire to return to work the next day was kept alive, even burning.
Of course what such a routine does – very usefully - is to take ‘inspiration’ out of the equation. You just work every day, whatever you feel like. In reality the subjective feeling about the day’s work is often unreliable, in any case. Hours of apparently dull or difficult work can prove to be the most important.
I write by hand, either pen or pencil, and then an assistant types the day’s output and prints it out so that I have fresh copy in the morning to edit, almost as if someone else had written it. (Emails, letters such as this and all material for the website I type directly into my laptop; the process I am describing only applies to screenplays and longer pieces of writing.)
I also have a huge collection of small notebooks full of ideas, scribbles, poems, dreams etc, and there is one on the go at all times. There is also a random assortment of things written on the back of envelopes, menus, and other scraps of paper. I sometimes write in cafes when travelling. But for the long haul of a screenplay (never less than a year in my experience) there is no substitute for the monk-like existence, with nothing else attempted before the days output is achieved , not even the washing-up, and certainly no phone-calls or emails.
With YES I differed with my working method to a degree, in that the monologues came first, and also the dialogues, before the narrative structure, so I had to do a lot of structural work afterwards (usually it is the other way round).
As for your question about the philosophy of time allocated to work and enjoyment, I am blessed enough to be able to say that for me to work is a joy, even when it is hard. But I do take holidays. Right now I am writing from a small tent on a small island.
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sally potter
at 14:15, 26 Jul 2005
Posts: 193
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writing process ps
ps i am not the webmaster.
i wrote my reply before i read your longer second response. As you can imagine, writing from a tent by the ocean is not without its complications.
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at 16:13, 26 Jul 2005
Posts: 0
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More Questions?
Thanks for responding to my question so in depth, and for clearing up the username issue, Sally. I have some more precise questions if you, (or other artists who'd like to), have the time to respond:
1. How long specifically do you write in the morning?
2. Do you only write one screenplay at a time in these morning sessions, or do you work on more than one project?
3. Do you write even when filming and producing a film?
4. How and when do you go about "educating" yourself? Do you just expose yourself to other good art, or is it more of a (formal)process than that. For example, there's a lot about poetry that one could study other than just reading it. Also, do you have specific times when you do such "studying," or is it more whenever you feel inspired to do it?
5. How do you come up with written drafts? Do you just write without editing, and then go back and revise, or do you edit as you write, or some combination of the two.
6. Do you compose the music for your scripts? (It seems that you have done this with other movies; although, from your response under the Music Topic of this blog it didn't seem like you did so for "Yes.") If so, when do you do that, in the morning as you are writing the screenplay, in the morning but after you finish the screenplay, or at a different time of the day/year altogether? Do you do composing at the piano? Do you use a pen and paper? Alternatively, if you don't do the actual scoring, when and how do you decide what music to put it in the film?
7. Any question that you can think of which I forgot to ask?
I really appreciate that you have taken the time to so thoughtfully answer my question, (and those of everyone else). I have a theory about the creative process that I'd like to run by you that might further explain why I'm so interested in these "Process" type of questions. I feel that most artists spend the majority of their time not doing the actual creative-type of work. That is perhaps why it is so difficult to get one to talk about his/her process. Yet, an artist is always creating - virtually everything that an artist experiences will inform what s/he is working on. Furthermore, there is almost no such thing as ever being done working on a project. More than other things, I'm wondering if there is a Point of Diminishing Returns for trying to do Creative Works. One hears about the long hours of Filmmakers and Television Show Writers, and they do spend a lot of "time" at the job, but how much time actually sitting down and writing? This is somewhat of an important issue for the world because much of the creative work, done in engineering, computers, architecture, et cetera, is done by people expected to be at a job for long periods of time like they were just doing data entry. When people are over-working creativity, do they lose it, and just redo what's already been done?
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sally potter
at 16:47, 26 Jul 2005
Posts: 193
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okay.....
1.usually 3-5 hours depending on how early i start.
2.at the beginning usually several in parallel until one takes over.
3.often re-writes (then the morning rule evaporates. i do it as and when necessary.)
4.the learning process is forever. i left school at 16 which is when my education began. i follow my curiosity wherever it leads. i tend to to read in the afternoon and evening.
5.i separate generating material from editing it. they are different processes. i edit and revise a lot.
6.i do compose, in a manner of speaking, including some of the tracks for YES. i work in the recording studio, though i have a piano at home. i often work with my voice. but my principle way of working is with material generated together with improvising collaborators which i then shape.
7.creativity is an overused word and a confusing one when much of an artist's work (just like any other kind of work) is humdrum struggle.
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