I don’t understand why people say the best writers are the lonely ones. Don’t get me wrong – I know all the stories of the tortured luminaries of Hemingway, Eliot and Plath. I appreciate their genius and how they capture the isolation and confusion of the modern world. Many great writers speak truths about life through looking into their own.
In my experience, though, the writing of which I’m proudest has little to do with myself. Obviously, I have no intention of creating literary masterpieces. I want to write sitcoms, for crying out loud! Still, when I hear mentors or professors tell me to spend all my free time reading, watching and writing, I disagree. Of course practicing a craft matters, but if I’m supposed to write about life, then I need to know lives that are not just my own. I try to prioritize people in my life – not so I can mine their lives’ highs and lows for dramatic material, but because the only way real people and emotions can make their way into my work is if I live life with people other than me, myself and I.
My friends and family inspire me without fail, and my scripts would lack so much heart and humor without them. So I challenge all aspiring writers to spend some time not writing: go to a football game, take a hike with housemates, or ask someone to get coffee. Just do something with other people and I bet it will change your ideas for the better. (Or at the very least, you’ll have some friends to soften the blow when your writing gets worse!)
