I Have No Idea about 2017

I'm not a big fan of making resolutions.
Or of setting goals.
Or of weighing myself.

As the New Year rolls around in a couple of days, people are putting their lists together of the things they need to do starting in January. My gym will be crowded and then empty again by the middle of the month. Not me. I worked out three times this week. I've been sitting down to get my work done. I'm doing the work I always do. Now this isn't some sort of enlightened, holier than thou way of looking at things. It's practical. Because work is labor. It's not a grandiose ideal. It's not a pipe dream. It's blood, sweat and tears. And that's not romantic.

This year, I learned that message the most by working on the show. We had deadlines when things needed to be turned in and those deadlines were defined by production schedules and money. The old saying goes, "It's not finished when it's done, but when it's time." Something like that. I learned how to be less precious with my work. It's a great lesson for productivity.

My friend Molly and I met up for drinks last night. She had just read Turning Pro and was enamored of its lessons. It had struck a chord in her and we talked about it at great length. It has shaped my work ethic in ways that keep me on top of things. In order to be successful, I believe, you need to produce. And film/TV production teaches you that lesson better than play production. As it goes, theatres want to do free readings, workshops and other developmental work that doesn't often lead to production. Therefore you have writers who have no experience of the rigor of production. That rigor makes you better. Forcing yourself to get something done because you're going into previews or production teaches you like nothing else can. Working in TV has made me a better playwright because I get revisions done faster. It's our natural way to want something to be good. And the pressure of making something great still exists. But in TV, it has to be great and fast. And fast is more important than great.
Slow is not an option. Slow and great means nothing.

I'm wandering around a lot here. Back to not making resolutions - I don't like to set myself up for failure. People feel that goal setting is productive and it makes you work towards something. But what happens in life is often what isn't planned, so setting a goal for something you have no control over feels like a losing battle. All you can do is work and work consistently. If you work on something enough, you get it done. It ends eventually. But looking at page count, or number of scripts written, or a number on a scale might not feel the way that the work feels. Working out feels great. Writing feels great. Saving the day's work feels great. But when I try and compare it to the weight I should be at or the pages I should have written that day or month or year, I will always be let down. However, when I go back over the year and count the number of pages I got done after I've been working, I can see that I was more productive than I realized. But if I said, I need to get three plays written this year, I put pressure on myself that feels unachievable. Yet, if I just focus on the work that day, eventually I'll get those scripts all written - and maybe even more.

I haven't done my yearly count of pages yet. But I think it's somewhere in the neighborhood of 1400-1500. And I think I've done six scripts. I didn't know I'd write two episodes of TV or that I would do a rewrite of two pilots. I didn't know that I'd have a new play done or that I'd start a new play. So that brings me to the title of this post -

I have no idea about 2017. 

I don't know what I'll accomplish or what wonderful things will happen. I know that I'm at work on January 3rd. Beyond that, I have no clue what awaits me. I'm supposed to have this pilot done soon. And I know that I'm trying to write four pilots this year - yes, I know what I said about not setting a number. But I'm have ideas for a bunch of pilots and I'm just going to start and see how far I get. I have a schedule - one each quarter. But a lot of things could happen between now and then. I have the new play to work on. As long as I'm working, I'm fine.

This year, I worked on what I called "The Year of Challenges." I was going to do a new challenge every month. And I ended up working roughly on that schedule because of work. Some months I wrote nothing. Other months I wrote two or three things. It's not important that I got a script done a month. The important thing was that I sat down to write - and I did. So that's all I can commit to. I can give myself a frame work of four pilots. And I know that beyond that I have a play or two I want to write next. I started the first play. The second play idea is there when it's time.

I have no idea about this next year because 2016 was so good about surprising me. I had no idea about the WGA or the TV gig or the theatre company or the new play or how much better the break up would make me feel.  And that worked out real well.

So…2017? Bigger? Better? More?

Who knows?

My intention is to breathe.
My intention is to keep typing.
My intention is to keep my eyes and ears open.
My intention is to grow and expand.
My intention is to question and wonder.
My intention is to be delighted.

I am grateful for the time away from LA.
I am grateful for the hook ups I've had since being in Portland.
I am grateful for sweet souls.
I am grateful for friend catch ups.
I am grateful for family catch ups.
I am grateful for love.
I am grateful for dancing nephews.
I am grateful for musician nephews.
I am grateful for smart nieces.