The Muse and The Question

My muse has posed the age old question – are you good enough?

I have a good friend who is a very talented playwright. He is funny, articulate, moody sometimes and at an impasse. I’ve received several e-mails from him asking my opinion about whether or not he should pull up stakes and head to L.A. and the movie business.
I sympathize with him. I think he should. I think he can make it. I think if he doesn’t at least give it a try, he will always regret it. It doesn’t matter one iota what I think. What matters is what HE thinks.

There is always a little voice in my head asking me “Who do you think you are, a real writer?” “What are you doing wasting your time on this drivel? Don’t you have some housework to do, or something more worthwhile?” Much to my surprise I’ve discovered that sometimes I succumb to that voice and wind up in an “artistic snit.” I never thought I would be one of those artists. Why, even a member of my writer’s group told me that they expected it of some of the others, maybe, but never me. Why not?

When that voice pops up, it’s difficult not to listen. And, when others pick apart something I’ve written, or ignore it, (as has happened lately) then that voice gets louder and louder.

I’ve discovered that every artist I know has that same voice in their head. The trick, I’ve found, is to have a support group to help drown it out. So, I would ask my friend, “Who is your support group? Who can you turn to when you hear that voice asking if you’re good enough?” If he has someone, and he believes in himself strongly enough, then he can make it.

Everyone who knows me very well at all knows I’m a perfectionist. And, that carries over into my writing. There are so many rules. Make your manuscript this way, or that way. Use this font, or that one. Space it just so. Use the right amount of words, not too many, not too few. What? Look, I know there have to be rules, but shouldn’t the content matter as well? And shouldn’t that be the main thing?

We writers struggle with every word, we agonize over what we’ve written. I don’t see any way to get away from that. I don’t have a way to block out that inner voice telling me I’m wasting my time. I can only turn to my support group, my fellow writers who hear that same voice and understand.

Until next time.

T.C.