Outlet Writing

As I've discussed^[1] before, if you're a writer you should be writing all kinds of writing. This blog is a perfect example of that. I’m a screenwriter but I use this as an additional outlet for several reasons, one of them being engaging on a different type of writing.

I’ve talked about this before but sparked back in my mind very recently. I’ve been reading the book Essentialism by Greg McKeown and there are two sections that got me thinking about this idea of multi-practice exploration.

The first, was a passage about finding the lead from a collection of answers and information. He references Nora Ephron’s journalist to screenwriter background, with a key skill being able to find the Lead- the unspoken connective thread of a story that is not actually being said.

This has influenced how she saw the stories she was telling. While the theory of the Lead is interesting, I’m more focused on the impact of her journalistic skill factored into her creative storytelling skill. This influence gave her a unique perspective.

The second intriguing section was about making time to play. McKeown talks about the importance of play in relation to your ability to perform. The idea goes the more you play the more you excel. This is because play allows you to explore without the burden of accomplishing anything at the end.

I have to say I find that a wonderful vital idea for creativity. One of the crucial aspects you need as a writer is curiosity. The need to try things out, to not only understand how something works but how it feels to do it.

What I’m getting at with both of the above ideas is that it is vital to write in different formats and mediums. My primary focus is screenwriting but I have expanded my perspective and ability as a screenwriter by writing these essays and blog posts.

It's a different forms of writing that flexes a different creative muscle and skill set. You learn little insights that you take with you that become a part of your toolbox to use in any type of writing you practice. Similar to how Norah Ephron brought the perspective of the Lead to her screenwriting.

You also get to try out different techniques in a less necessary environment. This is the play aspect of multi-medium writing. Writing essays about my thoughts and opinions on topics is different style of writing than screenwriting but writing all the same.

But the while skillset and construction of the writing is different, I can apply traits of one to the other. For example my essay writing is more direct and on the nose to what I am thinking, while screenwriting is about imbuing my intention through subtext. With essay writing, I am developing the skill to gather and distill my ideas and thoughts more concisely. Now

I take that practice to my screenplays, working on articulating my intention as much as the beats in the plot, then figuring out the best way to layer those intentions throughout the story. It helps me be more focused, intentional, and deliberate in my screenwriting.

Additionally, my essay writing allows me to work on different styles of writing. More specifically, find a style and tone around the voice I want to project. From this I am more aware of the blogs and articles I read and the voice and style they use. This is strengthening my muscle to not just understand what is being written but how. The style has as much influence on how someone interprets what they read as the content of the writing.

This all ties back into the ‘play’ idea. The trying out different forms of writing gives you perspective on your main type of scribing while also learning little tools to bring back to your writing.

And lastly, which isn't a point covered in the book, it allows you an outlet to continue writing when you are hitting a wall with a project or need a change of pace. I subscribe to the practice of ‘Don’t Break the Chain’, pushing myself to write everyday. If I didn’t have multiple modes of writing, this would be extremely difficult for me to do. But having other outlets, helps nurture that muscle each day. It’s the only way I am able to not break the chain.

So if you want to expand your current writing, give another form a try.