Finding inspiration

The first time I dove into a "diving pool", which is considerably deeper than the average backyard pool, I had the simple goal of touching the bottom. Easier said than done. I'm asthmatic, so my lungs aren't as strong as they should be. Beyond about six feet, my lungs were prodding me to ascend, to return to the surface. This is the natural response of a land-based creature, but especially so for someone who isn't conditioned to be under that kind of pressure.

It feels, at least to me, that writing is a similar push. On the surface, it is easy to write. Granted, there is the challenge of creating all the elements of a satisfying story, but a writer can get there without a deep personal challenge. But, to create something emotionally challenging, the writer needs to do the same thing a diver needs to do:

Descend.

You need to push past your personal pain, the places that remind you of what has hurt you, the places that embarrass you, and find the truth within yourself before you can create anything that anyone else will care about. If you don't cry as the tragedy of your hero unfolds, then nobody else will care about your hero. You need to feel it first.

You need to find the points of resistance, the points that you tell yourself are too much, and stretch past them. If you are afraid of someone judging because you feel as you write, you are back at square one as far as being a writer is concerned. Emotional freedom is what makes us capable to write in the first place.

So, you write your script, and are very proud of it. And you should be...it is a precious few who actually finish a script. But, your next responsibility to yourself is to ask of those you trust "Did I reach you emotionally? Did you feel a connection to the story?" If the answer is no, you need to break through your own emotional barriers, look again at your story and characters, and find the emotional truth behind what motivates them.