A Piece of My Mind: Do Not
Assume Rudeness
Bennet Pomerantz
I know you've heard it a thousand times before. But it's true --
hard work pays off. If you want to be good, you have to practice,
practice, practice. If you don't love something, then don't do it.”
~ Ray Bradbury
“My stories run up and bite me on the leg-I respond by writing down
everything that goes on during the bite. When I finish, the idea lets go
and runs off.”
~ Ray Bradbury
One of my favorite authors of all time is Ray Bradbury. His written work
has always amazed me. His words have inspired me many times over and still
do to this day. This column is for him.
During a lull at a workshop, there is a special place that talent (people
like writers, authors, publishers, editors, etc.) can retreat to. They call
it “THE GREEN ROOM”. Some of us find this small
room a resting place from the throng of people who go to the workshop. There
is, depending on the workshop, food and drink the writer can snack on. Most
of the time this place is private where many can unwind from their day of
workshop panels.
A few weeks ago, I sat in an empty green room, eating a BLT. I had my headset attached to
an MP3 player and was playing some tunes on my play list. It was background
music to my eating lunch.
This young man, who I had seen in my morning workshop, tapped me on the
shoulder. I was startled, since I was grooving to my music as I ate my
sandwich, I did not hear or see him come in the green room. I regained my
composure and said with a smile on my face, “Hi. I did not expect a guest
with my lunch.”
“Excuse me, Mr. Pomerantz, can we talk for a minute?”
I remembered advice from an actor friend of mine. He once told me, “You can always get another sandwich or get lunch reheated. However, you
cannot reheat a fan once you burned him.” So when a young writer stops me
and asks me a question or wants to talk . . . usually I stay available.
“Sure” I put down my sandwich. “Shoot!”
“ Well I have this idea I was thinking about and I wanted you to hear
it!”
I looked him in the eyes. “NO! I don’t want to HEAR IT!”
He was taken aback by my answer. “That was rude! I thought you were here
to help writers!”
“I am here to help writers. Do not assume I was rude. I do not want to
hear your idea. I want you to write it down!”
“Why? How am I to know if it is any good if you don’t hear it?”
I looked at him and tried to impart some sort of writer’s wisdom. “Look,
did you come up with this idea yourself?” He nodded. “Then this idea must be
a good idea. You came up with it. I now want you to write it down and
develop it fully. I want you to get the chance to play with the characters
and the world you create. I want you to expand on your ideas. I want you to
take this beginning idea, then flesh out your story and watch it grow.”
“Then will you hear it?”
“No!” I smiled. “Then I will read it. I hope when I get it, it won’t
be 300 pages!”
“I don’t think I could write that much”.
“You would be surprised once you start. Once the idea starts growing onto
that paper, you may not know when to stop!”
“How would I know it is good?”
Ray Bradbury once said, "You have to know how to accept rejection and
reject acceptance." I left him with those words.
I hope this writer comes up and hands me this story soon. I want to read
it!
So until next time, Reach for the stars!
****
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