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Knowledge Without Thought

no-blood-on-the-pageEver had a ?

described peak experiences as especially joyous and exciting moments in life. They involve sudden feelings of intense happiness and well-being… Wonder and awe — and possibly, involving an awareness of or knowledge of higher truth. They usually come fast and furious — often inspired by deep meditation, intense feelings of love, exposure to great art or music, or the overwhelming beauty of nature.

Ever had one?

I get them while I write. Sure, I get them at other times but since I write a lot, I seem to experience most of my peak experiences while I’m writing. I often get the same peak experience when I finally come up with a concept that I want to write a screenplay around.

It just HITS me. SMACK!

As I’ve said in earlier posts, I’ve been going crazy about theme over the past few months… Trying to recapture the peak experience. Trying to figure out WHY I had a peak experience in the first place.

It keeps coming back to theme and has had a profound effect on me… I was of the opinion — like many of us are — that through the writing, I would locate, develop, and create the theme of my story.

And of course that worked. My screenplays have always contained some overall theme to them but wow… Such a long hard road to get there.

Painful.

Brutal.

I truly do know what it means to … LOL.

But do I want to keep bleeding on the page?

I don’t think so. I think I’d rather experience more peak experiences.

How does one achieve that?

Well I don’t claim to be an expert… On anything. I know what I know. But I will say that what immediately comes to mind is the old quote: .

The more knowledge you gain… And of course, experience adds to knowledge… The more you begin to write without thought.

Flow.

Do you like flow? I sure as hell do.

How does one go from bleeding on the page to tapping into flow?

Who knows? For me, it’s knowledge and experience. Life certainly helps but I’m talking about knowledge of the craft and not simply reading an article but reading an article and then CONTEMPLATING its meaning and how it relates to you and your writing.

Too many writers open up the old screenwriting book, go to the workshop, seminar, read a screenplay… Whatever — in hopes that a microcosm of what they read is going to somehow be absorbed into their screenwriting bloodstream.

Does it?

Never has for me… I have to go back over all my notes and then contemplate those notes. Compare those notes to either my current or past screenplays. That’s why I have this site. Every time I write about the craft and you are kind enough to provide comments — be they good, bad, or indifferent, it kicks up my knowledge and experience a couple of notches.

Thanks for that. Much appreciated. I can only hope it has the same effect for you.

But back to knowledge, experience, and tapping into flow… The problem for me is balance. How do you balance what you learn? When do you apply it? Do you apply it here or do you apply it there?

Maybe it’s all bullshit.

Hell, I only believe half of what I read anyway… That’s how I balance. Too many times have I heard writers tell other writers to stop wasting time reading and learning about the craft and start fucking writing.

Could work. Might work.

For some.

I now understand that when I tap into my theme, I go through sustained peak experience… Or what Maslow referred to as the plateau experience. He was of the opinion — if I understand correctly — that all one’s needs must be met in order to attain a peak experience. But I am of the opinion that rarely can one have all their needs met. Especially for any real length of time. Life is just too crazy for that. I mean hey… Everytime I start feeling like all my needs have been met, WHACK!

Murphy’s law, Baby. Every fuckin’ time.

So rather than attempting to have all our needs met like crossing off the groceries on your list as you toss them into your basket, I think that there are those times when even though all our needs aren’t PHYSICALLY MET, we invoke or prod a that is commensurate with our needs being met and hence, experience a peak experience.

And if that’s true… How in the hell do we invoke or prod MORE of those feelings?

Knowledge and experience comes to mind again. I don’t see it being that different from any profession. You gain enough knowledge and experience and then one day, you go to work with a completely different mindset.

YOU KNOW WHAT YOU KNOW.

Do you know what you know?

If so, OUTSTANDING. I know what I know but I seem to have a leak… A leak that I keep having to plug and then add more knowledge and experience. However, the leaks are definitely coming along much more slowly than they used to be and I don’t have to crack nearly as many books, workshops, etc. as I used to. Now I can pretty much just pick any topic related to screenwriting and simply DISCUSS it and my knowledge and hence, experience grows exponentially. And when that happens, my confidence is restored… The feeling that most, if not all my needs have been met, are at least satisfied for the time being.

And then I write. Write like the wind. Tapping into that flow like nobody’s business.

Theme. For me, it just keeps coming back to theme. What my overall theme is. How all my characters deal with that theme. They obviously do not have to share my mindset with the theme… In fact, that would be boring if they all did… Nope. Now I’m taking my characters and tweaking their backstory as it relates to my overall theme. I’m contemplating. I’m giving it thought. Analysis.

Some of the characters like the theme. Some fucking hate it. Some are indifferent but it still affects them.

Knowledge and experience. Knowledge without thought. Flow.

So here’s my offer to you… I used to have a forum here but I never really liked the setup. I had to create categories and that just seems like bullshit. I don’t want to make shit up for people to discuss. So now I found a forum script that works in conjunction with WordPress… There are no categories. Just create a topic and we’re off and running. My offer is this… Let’s only use it for hardcore screenwriting discussion. Not some bullshit that we SHOULD already know.

Sure… Some will call it another way to procrastinate but I submit to you that the more knowledge, experience, and insight you have on any topic related to the subject of screenwriting, the faster you’re going to be writing a screenplay that sells. The faster you’re gonna GET IT.

Let’s think OUT OF THE BOX… Let’s go at a topic like it’s not been done before. Just for us. I don’t care if it’s only a few of us. That’s enough to get some amazing discussion going.

Are you game?

Unk

Forum



Saturday: 28 February 2009|1852|Under Tips

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Comments

11 Responses to “Knowledge Without Thought”

  1. Susan P. on Saturday: 28 February 2009|1942

    Posted in forum. What holds YOU back from success?

  2. dave on Sunday: 1 March 2009|0012

    WTF – I need serious help. I’ll go post in the forum and see what we get, eh? :)

  3. Mike on Sunday: 1 March 2009|0445

    Game on, Unk!

  4. Ryan on Sunday: 1 March 2009|0958

    HELL YES!!!

  5. Joshua James on Sunday: 1 March 2009|1013

    I’m in.

  6. Trevor on Sunday: 1 March 2009|1126

    Great idea! But I think you’re going to have to be extra strict and delete anything that isn’t about serious screenplay discussion (already someone has made a post saying they want someone to help them write a script). Maybe post rules there?

  7. Burn on Monday: 2 March 2009|2253

    I’ve just started reading your stuff and it’s great. As I was reading I found myself thinking about how some of my favorite ideas have come from just learning in general.

  8. Filmmaking Stuff on Tuesday: 10 March 2009|0847

    I once did a Tony Robbins weekend where we played around with the idea of getting ourselves in the zone, or what is also referred to as peak performance. At one point, this involved walking on a bed of hot coals. While this may sound strange to some of you, the emotional experience was much like any artistic flow I’ve ever had. Lots of words for the experience, but it’s a great feeling when inspiration hits.

  9. Chi on Monday: 16 March 2009|1426

    Hello. I did not know this: hamartia – i knew the concept, but thanks – i’ll def. look more into this. Great blog.

    chi

  10. Jessica on Tuesday: 14 April 2009|2310

    I have always wanted to write screenplays since I was 10 years old even I had not encountered the word “screenplay” to know what it is. I just thought it would be cool to have my own movie and star in it if the budget permits. lol.

    I enjoy reading your posts sans the occasional use of the “**ck” word and its derivatives. What caught me is your last paragraph:

    “Let’s think OUT OF THE BOX… Let’s go at a topic like it’s not been done before. Just for us. I don’t care if it’s only a few of us. That’s enough to get some amazing discussion going.

    Are you game?”

    What a timing! Just for today I encountered someone who might translate that wish into reality. This is exactly what he needs – an OUT-OF-THE-BOX kind of work that even nobody would understand – at first – exploring boundaries to make it more engaging, real, leading to a unique experience.

    Budget is rather high, in the mid-high xxx,xxx range. Contact me immediately with your portfolio or samples today. This is serious.

  11. Chris J. Scurria on Saturday: 21 November 2009|2304

    Yes. YES! I think that this is a great site and that you have taught me a lot Unk. . . but what I also like are all of YOU people. I have always enjoyed over the last year posting what I think and hearing all of your different thoughts all put together like we were having unscheduled writing “meetings” or something. I have learned a lot like from Clive and I have earned a lot and strengthened my writing because I hear from YOU>.

    I get a lot of good thoughts and influences about how to create plot from YOU. It is why I went on manias just typing like a sillyman for many minutes at a time because I- like you guys- have views on what I feel is the truth. I, similar to you guys, have certain opinions on what should and what should not be in a story or a screenplay. And with that I think that this place is a great place to UNLOAD. A place to just pour out thoughts and wonder how people think on the subject. Without this blog, I would never know what OTHER WRITERS THINK.

    Thank you for telling ME and countless others. I like and enjoy hearing from you too, Unk.

    Thanx.

    _____and God bless. :)

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