You can't handle the truth

Does anyone really want the truth?

I know there are times I do and times I don't.

When it comes to any kind of creative venture - the truth is hard to pin down. The truth - more often than not - usually is just opinion. But when the opinion gets echoed by lots of people - its probably getting closer to the truth.

I remember the very first short film I wrote and directed in College with a high school buddy. We turned our dorm floor lobby into a set - moving our rooms in there so that we had the space to film. We did all the editing in camera - reshooting over the top of the previously bad take. We both starred in the film - along with two girls who we thought were cute.

I remember taking it home to show my family - and they couldn't sit through the first five minutes without talking about other things. They never made it through the whole 30.

Later - I made another short. A spoof. Very well recieved. Everyone loves to laugh.

I was so encouraged - I made a film that seems to be one thing - but then turns at the end into something very different. And very depressing. And I remember that no one liked it. And the whole school witnessed this one. I was told later the movie was very popular with the " Oingo Bongo" crowd.

Now - after years of failure and some success - I feel as if I have a bit of a built in gauge against failure. But I also have a team of people I send my stuff to before I sent it out. They are my trusted friends who actually write. We all read each others stuff and try to help a brother out.

When I taught a class on writing - big mistake - I told people to take criticism with a grain of salt. Everyone feels as if they need to say something... and if more than one person says the same thing - you ought to think about it... but in the end - you want to listen to yourself and do what you think is the right thing. No one has spent more time with something than you.

But what if you are blinded by the simple fact that your stuff sucks?

Then you are sliding down a slippery slope.

There aren't a lot of people in this business that fail their way to being writers. There are plenty of producers and directors and executives who took that path - but not a hell of a lot of writers. Its hard work. Disciplined work. Creative work. And in the end - its hard to dish blame on someone else when your name is on the paper.

When I see something that sucks - I really have a hard time saying it. Cause I know how it feels to put myself out there and fail. Even now - when I've made my living doing this for close to 20 years - I hate to have someone start in by saying - there are a few problems....

But what can you do?

Get better.
Try to listen to every criticism without ego or emotion or excuse.
Keep writing.
Read about writing. Watch movies. Read great authors. Spend time coming up with good ideas.

Write. Write. Write.

Rewrite. Rewrite. Rewrite.

Find good friends and help them as they help you.

And each day that you work - you'll find you suck a little less. Or you'll quit.

And that... for better or worse...as much as I don't want to hear it myself... is the truth.

And even I can't handle it.