Dispatch from The Quest: Emma Millions
Last week as we did here on GITS, the Quest writers focused on the second week of Prep. Today’s dispatch: Emma Millions on what it feels like to live in a story world:
This week I am really struggling to write this script journal. Because my head is no longer in the real world, it is firmly in my story world, that mysterious inner universe that I’m either just making up in my head or that exists somewhere in the ether that I’m merely tapping into. That’s where I am. And it’s hard to remember that other people, real life people, aren’t there with me too. That nobody is really interested in talking to me about non-existent characters living in a non-existent world. Nobody apart from my fellow Questers, that is. And my kittens. But they don’t count because they can’t tell me to shut up or that I need to think about what’s going to happen in Act 2. Honestly, I am so grateful that I have the Questers to talk about my story with or I think I would go slightly mad. We had a mammoth session this week as we discussed our protagonists and things we’d brainstormed and ideas we’re just generally kicking about at the moment. And when we talk about these things, the other Questers know what we’re on about. And have things to say about them, clever things, interesting things, poignant things, useful things.
One of the films I’ve watched this week for a bit of inspiration is Being John Malkovich. Such a great movie. And like John Cusack working at Lestercorp and discovering that portal into Malkovich’s head, The Quest has given all of us Questers a chance to open up the portals into our own heads and allow other writers to get in there and have a peek inside our brains. And hopefully it’s not quite as mad and scary as this…
I know some of the other Questers have written about this before but the value of having people to talk to about your ideas, people on the same level and wavelength as you, but people with different life experiences and perspectives to bring to your work, is huge and shouldn’t be underestimated. I know there are things I wouldn’t have come up with on my own, things that I know are going to prove significant to making my idea work, and things that I probably would have missed that the Questers have suggested. And I am so grateful for this. And for them keeping me sane and not going all Malkovich Malkovich Malkovich. So, for all those going on their own Quest, I would highly recommend trying to find a few writing friends / colleagues / even like-minded strangers that you feel you can trust and talk to, that are doing the same thing you are, and who want to improve their chances of writing the best script possible, and get together once a week, or whenever possible, to go inside your brain portals and comment on what they see there. Writing in isolation is possible, of course, but that way madness lies. You can lose perspective, lose your grip on reality, lose friends and lovers, and ultimately lose your mind. Believe me, I’ve been there. And even if you’re worried that the people in your brain might only see stuff like this…
…you never know what ideas they may have to make it a bit more interesting.
Thank you fellow Questers!
That’s the challenge. Go into the story… and be able to bounce back and forth between it and our ‘real’ world in order to communicate an actual story. That’s why Being John Malkovich is such a great reference. As writers, we do have to travel to some awfully weird places. Check that. Weird but REAL places!
Tomorrow: Another Dispatch from The Quest.
About Emma: British based writer of ‘the funny’. Lover of cats and bad TV. Often found in pyjamas a bit drunk or a bit hungover. Occasionally does burlesque. Twitter: @emmamillions.
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