“The only way out is through”
I don’t know where I read or heard this phrase. The nearest association I can make with it is studying Roman Catholic philosopher Jacques Maritain when I was at Yale, something about his Aristotelian embrace of the material world as compared to Neoplatonism, but that’s as far as I get in the ol’ memory banks.
No matter the source, this is perhaps my all-time favorite writing mantra. Of course, it extends to life as well which makes it doubly valuable.
From the standpoint of writing a story, the saying has multiple layers of meaning [another reason why it’s helpful]:
* The only way out is through: This presumes that there is a way, a path, a course. We are not just wandering around lost in the wilderness, but rather are capable of finding the way into and through the writing process.
* The only way out is through: There are certain aspects of the story-writing process we simply cannot avoid. Doing research, developing characters, brainstorming, plotting, those are activities we must go through in order to reach the other side.
* The only way out is through: Just as there is a path into and through our story-writing process, there is also an end. At times, it may seem like the process will last forever, but there is a FADE OUT looming in the future of our story quest.
* The only way out is through: There is no other way, no cheap and easy path, just the arduous journey of writer trafficking in a story universe, shoulder to shoulder with its characters, writing and rewriting the narrative. It’s a difficult course, but we need not concern ourselves with searching for pale imitations… that is if we want to write good stories.
Then there is the meta take: The only way out is through. For me, that is the primary subtext of “go into the story.” Our fundamental task is to immerse ourselves in our stories, go into them, and in a very real sense become a part of them. That is when they reveal the narrative to us. That is when the characters come alive and speak to us.That is when the story becomes alive and real in our imaginations.
As you type FADE IN and begin your quest, hold true to this writing mantra. Indeed why not print it out and tack it up at your writer’s workstation:
The only way out is through.
“The Quest” has entered Week 15! And so did Go On Your Own Quest, an opportunity for anyone to follow the structure of “The Quest” to dig into screenwriting theory [Core — 8 weeks], figure out your story [Prep — 6 weeks], and write a first draft [Pages — 10 weeks]. It’s a 24-week immersion in the screenwriting process and you can do it here — for free!
Today and every Monday through Friday for the next 10 weeks, I’ll use this slot to post something inspirational as GOYOQ participants pound out their first drafts.
For background on “Go Into The Story: The Quest,” go here and here.
For all the previous weeks of Go On Your Own Quest posts, go here.
Join the GOYOQ Forums, a free online hub where you and other Quest participants can go to support each other and share your stories. Go here.
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