Acting and writing
Memo to self: Remember to tell everyone about that long conversation you had yesterday with that ridiculously handsome and modest actor on the shuttle about the comparisons between acting and writing, and how we’re all responsible for our own careers, and how we both know people in our own professions who seem to think they’re too good to make efforts on their own behalf because obviously the world should beat a path to their door. It’s why people end up getting depressed when acting jobs/publishing deals don’t come through: they feel powerless, because they’re waiting to be discovered. They become bitter, because “why is everyone so stupid? Can’t they see I’m brilliant? This whole business is rigged. A beginner doesn’t have a chance.” Etc. As opposed to going out there and mixing it up in the world and making things happen.
Oh, and make sure to tell them about our discussion about agents and the business side of things. And how spending the money to fly from NY to LA a few times a year for face time with the agent and manager and other working actor friends is a vital investment in the career. The same as it is for writers to travel to NY once or twice a year to see their editors and/or agents. Because these are businesses of relationships, and face time matters more than we think. The more often people you want to work with get a taste of your friendly, ambitious but not desperately so personality, the better chance you have of more and more people wanting to work with you. There are plenty of flaky writers and actors out there, and it pays to let people see you aren’t one of them.
Plus it’s just nice to develop your relationships with other creative people. It all feeds your own work.
And it’s nice to cross professions every now and then and get into a long conversation with someone in a different creative field from your own. Because you never know what you can learn. And like I said before, being around creative people of any type feeds your own creativity. So cultivate friendships with musicians, writers, actors, directors, photographers, etc. That is your community. Nurture each other.
Okay, gotta go get ready for the morning movie. And prepare to meet more interesting, creative people all day, on the bus or at Starbucks or in line for movies or otherwise. It’s one of the bonus parts of being here–it’s not just about sitting in the dark watching movies all day and night.
It’s why I go home so jazzed to write my next novel or screenplay. Because it’s in the air here, baby, and it makes you want to be a part of it. Every time I see the long list of credits after a film, I think about how wonderful it would be to write a story that ends up employing so many actors and technical people. That’s how I, personally, intend to stimulate the economy. But don’t get me started on that whole ridiculous scheme. Other than to ask, “Why do we even have Democrats?”
Uh-oh, starting to get political. Better go get ready for my first flick of the morning.
More to come . . .
Technorati Tags: Writing, Publishing, Writing and Acting, The Business of Writing and Acting