9 Comments

Glad you posted this one! Totally captures the idea of writing with wild abandonment. Love the analogy of sifting through the ore to find the gold. Born in a mining town, I can totally relate.

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Thanks Donna! Yes -- and it takes a ton of ore to find a few ounces of gold. So in that way, writing is much, much easier -- gold by the pound... lol

Glad you liked this post, and thanks for adding to the conversation!

~Graham

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This was exactly what I needed to read today! Thank you

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Thanks Sandy -- glad to hear it helped!

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The clip you provided from DPS made me cry, Graham. I loved that movie too, and like you haven't seen it in years. Decades. What a powerful scene, and you're right. The fear and loathing that stops us from writing is a toxic contagion that must be wrestled into submission. Thank you for this inspiring post.

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Thanks Christy - glad you found it inspiring!

Sounds like we were in the same boat -- haven't even thought about this movie in years, yet it had such an impact on me. I need to track it down and watch again.

One thing I really like about that scene is that it holds the key to overcoming that fear and loathing -- don't think, just write. Ethan Hawke's character spinning around and around is exactly what it should feel like. Then, just put down any words that come to you. We can figure out what it all means after the whirlwind.

Thanks for commenting, Christy! Hope it helps spark some writing for you, too!

~Graham

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It will! I promise. You changed one life today!

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Gosh, wow - thanks! That made me smile!

Very glad to hear I'm being of help!

~Graham

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The more I think about it, the more I think that this scene is one of the best representations of writing I’ve seen in a movie. It’s hard to translate the internalized act of writing to a visual medium. The reality is so much more… boring. This scene captures the spirit of that creative act well.

Are there any good “writing scenes” in movies I’m forgetting?

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