And how!
I wrote a story in 4th grade about the what would happen if the world turned inside out. I drew little pictures of my imaginings of buildings being crushed, people running around on fire, volcanoes erupting and so on. At a normal school, I would’ve been sent to see a therapist. But this was a creative arts, pseudo-Montessori school, so instead I won a prize for best short story for the 4th grade. At a different school in 6th grade, each student in my G&T class was required to write a story every week and present it on Friday mornings before our lunch period. At the same school in 8th grade, my class separated into groups and we wrote “radio plays” to be presented over the PA system for the rest of the school over the year. The so-called normal kids thought we were all weirdos.
Yet for years after 8th grade, I refused to write outside of school projects. Somehow, I thought I wasn’t talented, that I had nothing to say, that no one would want to hear what I had to say anyway, because… I didn’t know why exactly, but it “felt” selfish and indulgent to write or perform. So I stopped. Only when I sat in an office cube 25+ years later, scheduling yet another CEO shoot for a Fortune 500 company (and feeling utterly miserable that this was my life) that I allowed myself to question the validity of the “doing what you want is selfish” belief. So I started taking acting and improv classes, and I began writing again.
I just started a blog late last month devoted to super-short stories, dialogues and free writing based on photos I’ve taken. I also am finishing my first drama pilot script and am doing research for another. I have loglines for some feature film ideas that I have. I wrote a 10-minute short late last month that I’m looking to shoot soon. I’ve written a ton of comedic sketches, some to be filmed, some that are better for the stage.
I wrote two feature screenplays which were probably very bad and a pilot that’s most likely really good, but I neglected to save them onto DVD. The hard drive that they’re on went kablooey a couple of years ago. One of my goals when I’m working again is to have the data pulled out of that drive. I want those scripts.
Of course I’d like to sell my work and have people see it/read it. I didn’t move away from the Midwest to be an administrative assistant on the coast. Hell, could’ve stayed put if I wanted that.