I have a phenomenal number of highly talented friends. Actors, musicians, artists, writers, marathoners, the list goes on. It's a little intimidating, so naturally I pretend that I, too, am a talented starving artist instead of a 22-year-old who draws cartoons and writes all day.
The dangerous part of the ruse is that it sometimes convinces people, which was the case when my director friend, Director, asked me to help write a script and act for a new film project he was working on. He'd read my blog and figured I had the writing and improv skills necessary for these roles.
Unfortunately, instead of saying I've never written a screenplay or acted before, my competitive nature came out roaring. But it turns out there's a reason people study screenwriting for years--that stuff is freaking intricate. My first mess of a script was discreetly replaced with one the director wrote. After that, I invested a lot of time into trying to learn this new art form. So I studied and I practiced. After filming two scripts, one of which I helped write, I learned three major things about myself:
This journey of self-discovery isn't over yet, but when it is, I'll probably post a link to the film here. So look for it!
