Dispatch from The Quest: Ben Odgren
Last week as we did here on GITS, the Quest writers focused on the first week of Prep. Today’s dispatch: Ben Odgren talks about balancing work and writing:
I’m headed to work in a little bit. That will take up roughly eight hours of the day. Sure, I’ll be thinking about the script for most of that time, and will be writing down ideas in my notebook when they hit me, but I won’t be able to work on the script until well into the afternoon. Which will leave me about five or six hours to get a chunk of something done, whether it’s reading lectures or writing. And on top of that, there is trying to have some semblance of a social life.
And it’s been a challenge, for sure. Especially the social life part. For me it’s been helpful to just boil it down to simple math, which is good because it’s the only kind of math I can do. For every night after work I spend doing things besides focusing on script-related things, I have to spend two nights doing nothing but writing or reading. It’s made saying “Sorry, no.” real easy. Or easier, anyway.
Now that I’ve made the time to read and write in a much more purposeful way the last month and a half, I’ve learned a lot about writing in general, and I’ve made some good progress on the script. Not only has it kept my focus on just this script, but it’s kept it fresh and forced me to look at the idea in ways I wouldn’t have before.
A big part of that has been feedback. Giving feedback. Getting feedback. It’s awesome, and I can already tell it’s going to be one of the most beneficial aspects of being one of the Questonauts. I’ve received more honest feedback in the last eight weeks than I have in the last four years. It’s an eye-opener, it’s challenging, and it’s absolutely necessary. The kind of thing that makes you want to raise your game.
I’ve slid my notebook in my pocket and I’m heading to work. I’ll probably read one or two of Scott’s lectures during lunch. When I get home I’ll see the corkboard above my desk and hopefully have a few more ideas to pin to it.
Writing is hard. Working a regular job and writing is even harder. For the last 10 weeks, I have been putting The Quest participants through the paces and it has not been easy. For those of you who have opted to Go On Your Own Quest, you have already committed time to cracking your story. Again, not easy.
Piece of advice: Find a writer’s group. They can help you stick to your commitment. They can give you feedback. They can support you in your efforts [and likewise you them].
Where can you find a group? For starters, there’s right here. Coming soon, the GOYOQ Forums where any of you who are Going On Your Own Quest can visit any time, day or night to connect with fellow Questers. Like GOYOQ, it’s completely free. More news on that very soon as we are in beta phase working out the kinks.
Stay tuned!
Tomorrow: Another Dispatch from The Quest.
About Ben: Maine writer with a love for pulpy genre movies, keeping library books out for a little too long, and strong coffee. Twitter: @benodgren.
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