I sat, rapt, and just absorbed. I made an eye contact/smile connection with one of them- thank you, 2nd row seats. I almost talked to him afterward, but I couldn't think of anything to say. They made me giddy, they inspired me, they made me forget about everything but what I love - writing.
I just got home from a panel of this year's Oscar nominated writers. Two hours of moderator-lead discussion about their inspiration, their challenges, their triumphs, and their art. Basically two hours of heaven for me.
Writing has moved from being a dream of mine to determining my life. If I write, it's a good day. If I don't write, I feel broken and wrong. It's actually not a comfortable space to inhabit; honestly its a pain in the ass- like a nagging itch I can't reach or that tapeworm feeling of being hungry all the time. The urge is impossible to satisfy unless I'm physically typing words. The feeling is so volatile I'm afraid it's just a crush. I remember how devoted I was to Kirk Cameron and the color lavender when I was in fifth grade, and now I wouldn't touch either with gloves on. The passion I felt for Kirk and pastels is similar to the way I feel about writing, except times a billion.
That's why it was especially magical to sit and listen to some of my present heros talk about their craft. Aaron Sorkin on how Mark Zuckerburg's original blog post propelled him. David Seidler on writing The King's Speech as a play because he was having trouble with his second act. I just rewatched Toy Story 3 last weekend and sobbed- Michael Arndt sat directly in front of me. I wanted to thank him for moving me to tears, but it seemed so trite and yet as I lingered after the panel I heard other audience members speak the words I was thinking. Why don't I speak up?, I thought. It's already been said, Igor informs me.
The best part of the evening was the proximity. Not just that we scored VIP seats (foreshadowing), but the feeling that the working writers in front of me weren't any different than I am. It's like that feeling you have when you're a high school freshman. You see the seniors with their letter jackets and their cars and their college applications and you know someday you'll be right where they are.
I just got home from a panel of this year's Oscar nominated writers. Two hours of moderator-lead discussion about their inspiration, their challenges, their triumphs, and their art. Basically two hours of heaven for me.
Writing has moved from being a dream of mine to determining my life. If I write, it's a good day. If I don't write, I feel broken and wrong. It's actually not a comfortable space to inhabit; honestly its a pain in the ass- like a nagging itch I can't reach or that tapeworm feeling of being hungry all the time. The urge is impossible to satisfy unless I'm physically typing words. The feeling is so volatile I'm afraid it's just a crush. I remember how devoted I was to Kirk Cameron and the color lavender when I was in fifth grade, and now I wouldn't touch either with gloves on. The passion I felt for Kirk and pastels is similar to the way I feel about writing, except times a billion.
That's why it was especially magical to sit and listen to some of my present heros talk about their craft. Aaron Sorkin on how Mark Zuckerburg's original blog post propelled him. David Seidler on writing The King's Speech as a play because he was having trouble with his second act. I just rewatched Toy Story 3 last weekend and sobbed- Michael Arndt sat directly in front of me. I wanted to thank him for moving me to tears, but it seemed so trite and yet as I lingered after the panel I heard other audience members speak the words I was thinking. Why don't I speak up?, I thought. It's already been said, Igor informs me.
The best part of the evening was the proximity. Not just that we scored VIP seats (foreshadowing), but the feeling that the working writers in front of me weren't any different than I am. It's like that feeling you have when you're a high school freshman. You see the seniors with their letter jackets and their cars and their college applications and you know someday you'll be right where they are.
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