On Writing : The Unexpected Lessons by Lauren Hackney

Writing taught me to learn from the rejection, Lauren Hackney.

My characters have their own perspectives, thoughts and intentions. I may or may not make the same choices as they do, but I choose to follow through as a witness and observer on their journey.

Maurice Vaughan YES! And an outside perspective on myself. I remember my euphoria when I redrafted one script into draft 3 and thought, "bloody masterpiece!" Flow! Pace! Action! Characters! Gold!

But yeah, it sucked, feedback was crushing. That script is at draft 13 now and I can objectively say its better and has received decent feedback. But my takeaway was... moving the goal posts way the heck back for "this is good" and becoming more patient with my creations.

Wow Josh Seven - i love that you can so easily separate yourself from your characters!

Agreed Maurice. Agreed! :)

Wow Michael Dzurak - are you going to start submitting it? You've worked so hard, it could be publisher ready

Probably that the same words you write down will without fail be read differently by another person and there’s nothing you can do about it. Sometimes it’s a curse and sometimes it’s a blessing.

Writing has taught me that I can write. I only discovered my creativity in April of this year. It started with songwriting (now more than 250 songs) and four TV series written out as well as four films and a stage musical. I did not know I could write until I tried.

Couldn't agree more Banafsheh Esmailzadeh it's hard when publishers are reading with their own thoughts and agenda's. This compromises the emotions of the words you have put your heart and soul into.

Wyman Brent - you can write words and music! Just incredible! You are bursting with talent!

Thank you. I got lucky with being on the extreme spectrum of creative synesthesia. Plus, the ADHD with hyperfocus helps. Just a lucky combination of genetics, or maybe a result of being dropped on my head as a baby

The importance of registering a copyright.

Lauren Hackney That script is currently in my "I also have this" stack.

Definitely Lauren Hackney, like I genuinely wonder sometimes about what would happen if I were to publish my novels or even comics. They make perfect sense to me of course but I’m both scared and interested to see just how wildly interpretations will vary xD

It taught me the importance of owning my space and time. The importance of being able to be alone yet create a piece that would likely be a collaborative success. It also showed me my own strengths and weaknesses in terms of execution and limitations to execution.

It's taught me a lot. To look at myself from different angles, and see what my work reflects about me. My characters all bleed the way I do, so it forces me to almost come up with a solution to my own problems, even if I haven't exactly lived that scenario. It's bizarre, but it almost seems like, at least in my situation, that I have to grow with my characters, otherwise my writing comes across insincere. Creative mediums are a window into the soul.

Vuyolwethu Gwadana I like what you said about the importance of being alone. You're absolutely right!

The layers you have created Christopher Cote I like that you are evolving with them... stay on the journey - who knows where it might lead you!

The most valuable lesson is that creativity is a pastime for the rich and elite. You can't solve your financial problems by being creative; you need to become a wage earner.

Arthur Charpentier, I personally believe that creativity is exactly a pursuit for those who are not rich and not elite. Yes, people need to earn money. People need to eat.

Even so, I can no more stop being creative than I could stop breathing. Plus, being creative gives me hope that others will appreciate what I am doing. I mean both that I earn money, but also that I bring a smile to someone`s face and make their day a bit brighter. Vincent van Gogh did not get rich from his paintings, but he sure made the world a better place.

The most surprising lesson writing has taught me is that one never masters the craft. We're all students needing to continually hone and develop. The moment you think you have nothing left to learn, you'll get a surprise!

You know, the most unexpected lessons come from life itself, while writing only allows us to articulate the conclusions we’ve drawn from it.

Of course, I have never interviewed screenwriters, so I can’t say how it has influenced me. But I’ve watched many interviews, and the one I liked the most was with Quentin Tarantino. Especially when he explained how he writes dialogues — that it’s not him writing them, but rather he just writes down what the characters are saying. That really stuck with me and I liked it a lot.

Oh Arthur Charpentier I absolutely understand. I honestly do. A while back a lost my job and my husband almost died from heart failure. We were forced to sell our house and with the loss of wages and added medical expenses we barely got by. The reality for me is what shone a light for me was storytelling with my kids and 6 years later - it's bought me here. I still earn a basic wage and there's no mega yacht in my driveway but my soul is full. Escaping in story healed me at a low point - but it hasn't given me a ferrari. and I'm OK with that! Thank you for your honesty - it's a very valid point!

Phil Clarke The moment you think you’ve mastered it, writing throws you a curveball - like a character who suddenly refuses to follow the outline or a sentence that takes three days to get right. You are completely right with this one!

I love that Aleksandr Rozhnov - the most unexpected lessons come from life itself. You are so right - everyone's story and experience is different. Articulating those stories is where the magic lies!

Lauren Hackney, I absolutely love this conversation. It's so rich and insightful. Thank you for starting it.

Thank you Ashley Renée Smith You're the best!

Keep trying. You will get better. (Was actually the advice I got as a fledgling author from Clive Barker, James Herbert and Terry Pratchett - they literally all said the same thing!)

Humility. There is a line in Rudyard Kipling's poem "If" which sums up this lesson "If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, But make allowance for their doubting too". Writing challenges me to check my ego at the door. Sometimes advice on how to fix your story may be off base in the suggested solution because it stems from a genuine glitch in the story elsewhere and it takes some digging to diagnose and cure the root problem.

Whew—one of the most important things I’ve learned is patience. Another is learning to separate real life from what I’m feeling while I write. There have been days when I carried a heavy mood all day because I was stuck in a tough scene. Other times, it’s the opposite: the story floods me with so much energy I can barely come down. I’ve even gone for a run to burn it off—and running is definitely not my strong suit.

It’s also essential to learn to accept feedback. No story will ever please everyone equally—some people will connect with this, others with that. The goal is to find the sweet spot. And when negative notes come in, sit down, think them through, and fix what needs fixing. To me, these are the most important lessons.

David E. Gates I resonate with this! I save every first draft of everything I write and when I go back and read them.... I cringe!!!!! Couldn't agree with you more!

I feel this in my waters Tamara Green - humility forced me to see the other side of an argument. I was writing a story from my perspective but to really bring out the antagonist, I had to understand where they were coming from. It was quite healing.

Sanna Peth - do you find storytelling healing? I feel this is in your soul to tell stories :)

Lauren Hackney I was 11 when my father passed away. My family didn’t grieve by sitting down and talking about it – everyone kept it inside. I picked up a notebook, and since then I’ve been writing. Back then it was poems and a diary. Many years went by when I didn’t write at all, but recently I’ve started again. And yes, it truly fills and surrounds me.

Oh Sanna, I feel you have so much to tell! Keep pouring those words out - who knows where i may take you. What a journey you have. You Father would be incredibly proud x

Thank you so much, I truly believe so.

Sanna Peth, I am truly sorry to hear that you lost your father at such a young age. I imagine you have some nice memories of him, at least I certainly hope so. The thing is that when I was 11, my father in a drunken rage brought a gun into the house and threatened to kill his family. Things did not really get any better over the years, but I survived. I wish you had been able to still have your father to this day. I also wish mine had not been an extremely violent man. Anywayy, now here all of are here together being creative. What could be better?

Ohhhh, I’m so sorry :(

Sanna Peth, thank you. It is just part of my history. I am still alive and being crazy and creative. Life is good.

Wyman Brent knowing how you've come out the other side is incredible. A lot of people don't and they complete the cycle. So proud of you pouring your heart and soul into creativity. That's a beautiful thing!

Lauren Hackney, thank you so much. My father was extremely violent mentally and physically. My mother and stepmother were both extremely cruel mentally. My brother was also an *sshole and still is. I never knew my father`s father but I did learn he was also violent and cruel. I would not even say I made a decision to not be like my family. It was simply that there was nothing in my heart or soul that drew me to their darkness and hatred.

Anyway, now I have a great 11 year old son who is the love of my life. I started and continue creating for myself. However, I do hope to earn money from it that I can leave as his legacy. He has special needs and I want to provide for him before I die. I say that because I have an incurable lung diseaase. Not looking for sympathy, just a fact. The great thing is that I am having fun along the way.

So true

Be cautious which peers read your scripts. They can deliver anything from ill-informed to downright nasty feedback.

E Langley, I had a pier read my script once. It gave some unpleasant feedback suggesting that I take a long walk. It was a short pier.

So many plot twists there Wyman! You should be so proud to be where you are today - I hope you and your son create for many years to come. Creativity, as you know, is powerful. And it led you to here. So who knows where this may take you!

Wow E Langley - has this happened to you before? And did you know who it was? How horrible!

Lauren Hackney, I remember going through three hurricanes including one where we lost part of the roof while we were inside. I twice saw people shot in front of me. Nothing quite like watching someone get hit by a shotgun blast to make you wish you were somewhere else. I once saw someone die in front of me from a drug overdose. I once was in car wreck (as the passenger) where the car engine ended up pushed all the way back between me and the driver. I was robbed at gunpoint. Oh, and I received years of death threats for my work in Lithuania. My life could be a film but everybody would think it is fiction.

Lauren Hackney - That when I let myself flow freely, some pretty beautiful things come out.

Kat Spencer, keep on flowing freely. The world needs more beauty.

Kat Spencer - that's the best kind of beautiful x

Wyman Brent - I hope your live more peaceful days. You've lived enough - more than many in a life time. I still think write it. Write it all. If people think it's fake then that's their issue. You might inspire. You might heal. You might motivate. Isn't that worth the risk?!

Lauren Hackney, you are right. I wish I had the time. My main goal in whatever time I have left is to secure a financially stable life for my son. He means so much more to me than anything else. I believe my songs and my TV and film scripts are the way in which I can secure his future after I am gone.

They're far closer than you can imagine Lauren.