Presented below is a thought from me on writing, a quote from someone else on writing, an excerpt from that writer, and a discipline/habit to implement…
We will be focusing on the abundance mentality today.
A Thought
There is an abundance of songs, scripts, poems, and book ideas available for every writer. The extent of our search and our determination to find them, rather than settling for less, is what truly matters.
– Austin Alford
A Quote
“I don’t actually tend to do a lot of research when I’m writing. I do know because I think a lot of what I find you want to do with research is just confirming things you want to do. If the research contradicts what you want to do, you tend to go ahead and do it anyway.”
– Christopher Nolan (Writer & Director of Interstellar, The Dark Night Trilogy, Inception, Dunkirk…)
An Excerpt
Christopher & Jonathan Nolan (excerpt from the movie script Interstellar)
EXT. MILLER’S PLANET – MOMENTS LATER (DAY)
Case climbs quickly from the craft, knee deep in the water. Brand and Doyle follow. Case TRACKS the beacon.
CASE: This way, about two hundred meters.
Brand and Doyle peer into the distance. Smooth, ankle-deep water to the horizon, where a distant MOUNTAIN RANGE LOOMS. They start splashing towards it in their heavy spacesuits …
DOYLE: (panting) The gravity’s punishing …
BRAND: Floating through space too long?
CASE: One hundred and thirty percent Earth gravity.
INT. COCKPIT, RANGER – CONTINUOUS
Cooper listens to their chatter, IMPATIENT.
COOPER: (under his breath) Come on …
EXT. MILLER’S PLANET – CONTINUOUS
Doyle falls behind. Brand pushes on. Ahead, Case stops.
CASE: Should be here.
Brand joins him, searching the shallows for some sign of Miller’s mission. She looks up, confused.
BRAND: If the signal’s coming from here –
Case DROPS to his knees THRASHING under the water, like a bear fishing. Doyle arrives –
DOYLE: What’s he doing?
INT. COCKPIT, LANDER – CONTINUOUS
Cooper notices something. In the distance. The mountains –
EXT. MILLER’S PLANET – CONTINUOUS
Case WRENCHES a piece of DAMAGED EQUIPMENT from the sea bed.
BRAND: Her beacon …
Case starts lugging the beacon to the Ranger.
DOYLE: Wreckage. Where’s the rest …?
BRAND: Towards the mountains!
She starts moving fast towards some FLOATING OBJECTS.
INT. COCKPIT, RANGER – CONTINUOUS
Cooper is staring out at the horizon –
COOPER: Those aren’t mountains …
EXT. MILLER’S PLANET – CONTINUOUS
Brand pauses –
COOPER: (over radio) They’re waves –
Brand looks closer – the ’mountains’ are moving, tiny lines of white sea spray are blowing from the tops …
A Discipline/Habit to Implement
This week, I challenge you to explore new ideas.
Instead of settling for the first idea that comes to mind, let’s push ourselves to delve deeper. Take a fresh perspective or approach to it.
Let’s use research to validate and enhance our story or song. There is an abundance of ideas out there waiting to be discovered and explored.
Put Pen to Paper this week and have fun!
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