A gentle close to the week
A gentle close to the week
Mike Nichols, Billy Crudup, and not being cruel to ourselves … 1,167
Oh, hi friends!
I frittered away the morning.
Someone else already did it better.
Someone is going to steal my idea.
Someone is going to laugh at me.
I already ran out of time this week.
It would be crazy to ask for that much money.
I’m not as good as her, so why bother trying?
OMG, my friends, why are we this mean to ourselves? Seriously?
It kind of hurt my soul to even type out these things, yet…they’re the same scripts that can play in your head over and over again.
Let’s keep it simple.
I would never say these things to you. You (probably) wouldn’t say them to me. So let’s not say them to ourselves.
You have this morning.
No one will do it as good as you can.
No one is going to steal your idea.
No one is going to laugh at you.
You have an abundance of time.
You are worth the money.
You aren’t her, but you are you.
Make what only you can make.
Today, today, today.
Advice from Mike Nichols
There are three kinds of scenes:
- Fight
- Negotiation
- Seduction
Found this in an old note, not sure where it’s from, probably Mike Nichols: A Life by Mark Harris, which I loved a lot.
Great reminder.
Everyone says “up the stakes” or “more conflict” but this gives you some meat.
Hello, Let’s Go to the Moon!
I was intrigued by this trailer for Hello Tomorrow! a new series on Apple TV+ premiering February 17.
Here’s the logline: In a retro-futuristic world, charismatic salesman Jack Billings (Billy Crudup) leads a team of fellow sales associates determined to revitalize their customers’ lives by hawking timeshares on the moon.
The style, the tone, the commitment to the world.
Watching it made me want to think bigger for my own projects.
What is the biggest, boldest, deepest, most radical version of the story you want to tell?
Another post I will save and revisit. As closes to the week go, this would make a stellar opening! I'm going to start my week early. Like today. 😁
I read your opening line: I frittered away the morning. I had to stop and say, what? did she see what time I actually got to my writing chair? and then I laughed. I didn't really fritter it away - I was reading a book that I really wanted to finish.
You know what I love about your newsletters? They get right down to it and they make me think. They make it seem like someone tapped me on the shoulder and said, hey, why don't you consider this thing today? Like the Mike Nichols thing - Maybe in my next round of drafts, I'll see if I can fit those scenes I've been working on so hard lately into one of those three categories. Why not? I have time.
Enjoy your weekend. Take care. d