Are we there yet?
Are we there yet?
Are we there yet?
Don’t make me change this career and go home.
I’ve only just started on this journey and it already feels like I’m ten years old on a trip down the California coast. Waiting for fate.
What is the destination?
Every writer has the same destiny in mind: fame. can. Validation. Security. Importance.
An additional trip to Hollywood/Nobel Peace Prize/New York agents’ office would also be welcome.
In a freelance career, you do a lot of side trips.
Sometimes I feel as if the films nominated for this year’s Academy Awards (which depress me because I’m not nominated or even as a writer on a film I could happily say was rejected) express the journey of the freelancer.
There’s “Million Dollar Baby,” which echoes what we’d expect a producer/publisher to say: “How about a million dollars, baby?” But in the story of a gutsy boxer (with Morgan Freeman and Clint Eastwood in her corner, wow) who doesn’t give up and gets no respect (sort of like being featured on PublishAmerica or iUniverse), we find a spark of determination. . .
There’s “Kinsey,” which wasn’t the best name for a movie, but it perfectly expresses the obsessive drive of the writer, as well as the tendency to drive everyone we love crazy.
“The Aviator”…ahhh. What freelance writer hasn’t locked themselves in a room with a big screen TV and hasn’t shaved for days? And we all say, “Don’t tell me we can’t do it. Don’t tell me it can’t be done.”
“Ray”…we should all kneel down and pray for a story like the life of Ray Charles. The music is terrific too, which means you can listen to the soundtrack over and over again as you type. Don’t be afraid to set your own independent standards, your own style, and your own assignments.
“Sideways”… is the story of a writer who goes to the land of wine and has a great romance with a beautiful person. That’s why we’re in this business.
“Finding Neverland.” Don’t forget to play and celebrate the power of imagination.
While we’re at it, learning from these powerful emotional stories, let’s not forget to celebrate the success of our fellow scribes. After all, we will get there one day.
We may even be there right now.
It will continue… the journey that it is. Not the series of articles. Too many freelance leads!