Ideas Are Easy

That is until you need one and you have a deadline.

I had a project in class last semester of creating a 25 page screenplay. I knew this in September but it didn't hit me until November when the first five pages were due, that I had no idea what I was going to write about.

I talked about it with friends. They had ideas. They also didn't have to turn anything in that counted as fifty percent of their grade, but anyway. I've been calling myself a writer for the past two years.

In the beginning, I loved to write. But lately, I can't write. I'm not inspired. I'm not motivated, simply put, I'm not writing. A writer that doesn't write is well, not much of writer, no matter what I call myself.

Fast forward to November and a friend of mine called me excited to share his idea for my screenplay. I listened and liked the idea, but with modifications. I kicked the idea around in my head, and thought about how I could make it work. His version was more R-rated than the version that I wanted and eventually settled on.

The genesis of the idea was his, but the eventual story was mine. When I was done, it bared no resemblance to his idea at all, yet he wanted to take the credit.

Credit for having an idea yes, but credit for the writing of it, no. I even went so far as to challenge my friend to write his version. No, he didn't want to do the work, just reap the benefits.

The interesting thing is that once you have any idea, everyone wants to add their take on it. By the time I was done, I wasn't sure whose idea it was. People wanted to know, why couldn't my character do this or that? They wanted to tell the story. I guess it's flattering that they took such an interest in my project, but I had to work hard at telling my story, my way.

I was encouraged to let other people read my work, but I was hesitant, because I wasn't sure if it was any good. It was a first draft after all. I literally wrote it in about three days (the first five pages).

Once I was done writing and editing in the same session, I printed it and turned it in. I didn't look at it again until the last twenty pages were due. Once I completed it, I turned it in and got an "A" in the class.

 I haven't decided whether I will finish it or not.  One thing is for sure, I will never, ever, say that I can do that, when watching a movie or television show.  Ideas are easy, but writing is hard, really hard.