TIR Grows Presents: Quote Reflections Series
Welcome Realmies,
Before We Begin
This week in my Scriptwriting Craft class we were asked to describe our writing process. Here is a prompt you can use as well to take yourself on a similar journey.
The Prompt: Learning to trust the unfinished and give creative work permission to pause without abandoning it.
This quote and blog post is what flowed from that bit of introspection into my process.
The Quote
Read more: Learning to Trust the Unfinished“It is ok to let stories breathe and let creativity reset and refresh.” – TIR Grows
Using this quote, let’s ask ourselves where we are and where we’d like to go and explore the journey together.
The Beginning
I’m currently working on a short script and have finished Act 1. I found myself wondering whether I should keep going and finish the approximately 13–18 pages that remain, or if I could take advantage of the time left before the deadline to sit with the story and pick it back up in a day or two.
The Journey
The scriptwriting textbook says to write draft one from the heart with little to no stopping or edits, just a straight story dump. That is something I struggle with. I tend to painstakingly stop line by line to reword and “perfect” the story as I go.
Instead of writing the entire story as it exists in my head (from Act 1 through the end of Act 3) I worked Act 1 past an initial draft. It isn’t the final draft, but it’s definitely beyond what could have been considered an acceptable first draft. What I didn’t do was get Acts 2 or 3 onto the page at all.
So now I find myself asking a different question: do I have permission to pause here, let the story breathe, and return to it in a day? Let’s be honest, I won’t let it sit for much longer than that.
The answer, I think, is yes. It is okay to let stories breathe and to let creativity reset and refresh. Deadlines are important and should be honored, but so is giving yourself room to keep the battery full, within acceptable parameters.
Who knows what the muse will put in my brain between now and then.
Your Take
I invite you to take the same prompt (Learning to trust the unfinished and give creative work permission to pause without abandoning it) and process it around your own creative process. Ask yourself if your current process is working. Is there room for improvement? What does that look like for you and your work?
Stay Connected
For more reflections on creativity, life-work balance, growth, and learning how to work with yourself instead of against yourself in the creative space, follow TIR Grows. Save this post for seasons when creativity feels stagnant and a supportive nudge will help you on your journey. Please share with someone navigating structure versus creative freedom right now.
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