Computer Style

I am currently writing my very first screenplay.

While I’ve written my angsty thoughts in numerous journals, and tried my hand at poetry and short stories, I’ve never written anything that I seriously considered sharing with anyone else.

But, for various reasons, here I am.

And it’s scary.

Some of the thoughts and ideas that come out of me on a daily basis are quite surprising. And when I don’t let myself edit what I write, and just let it flow out of me, I often feel like I need to look up and around and make sure no one is peeking over my shoulder, lest I be labeled as a complete weirdo.

There’s a great quote by Salman Rushdie that says, “Self-censorship is a lie to yourself; if you are going to be trying to seriously create art, to create literary art, and you decide to hold back, to censor yourself, then you are a fool to yourself and it would be better that you kept your mouth shut and did not speak.”

In the world of writing, you’ll never make anything great if you hold yourself back from ideas.

And the only way I’ve been able to do that is writing longhand in a brightly flowered notebook with a satin placeholder. Notes are scribbled everywhere…flashes I receive while riding the subway, dialogue I write while drinking my 4th latte in some random cafe. It’s a mess frankly.

But it’s the only way that I feel like I can purely write.

Maybe it taps into my childhood, where the bright colored visions of my future seemed as wide and magical as when you look out into the unending sea. Looking down at that pink page (yes, it’s pink, although not scented) I just feel like the whole world I want to express can pass down through my fingers, into the ink and on to the page.

Yesterday I was talking about this with some incredible ladies who I’m lucky to call peers, and voiced that soon I’m going to have to transfer all my cursive musings to “Computer Style”, which just made them giggle.

I sounded so old, like talking about computers was this new fangled fad that all the kids are using.

But I guess when it comes to this particular project, this new talent I’m trying to nurture, I have to ease in with all the self-care and open eyed wonder that I can get.

***As a side note, if you are interested in the debate on whether cursive writing should still be taught in schools (yes, this is actually happening), check out this article from USA Today on the topic.

Is cursive’s day in classroom done?