Assignment 26A
1) Tell us
about a time this past semester that you failed -- whether in this class, or
outside of this class. Don't spare any details! It'd be even better if there
was something you tried several times this semester, and failed each
time.
This semester and every semester since freshman year (I’m about
to graduate) I have been working on writing screenplays in all shapes and
sizes. Whether writing movies, short
films, TV shows, or comedy sketches, I have tried
to write as much as possible because that’s how you get better. Also because that’s what I want to do “when I
grow up.” So throughout my time at UF, I
experienced a lot of failure through writing these scripts, if you will. First, the idea is the easiest part. I want to write a story based on blank.
But after that is where the failures come in. I will start writing scripts, but then I’ll
get distracted or deterred by the notorious writer’s block. I literally wrote the first 5 pages of every
script and been like, “I’ll save it for later,” and haven’t gotten back to
it. I recently got to page 20 on my
newest movie idea and I am freaking out.
That’s been the most success I’ve had, but it’s still technically
failure.
2) Tell us
what you learned from it.
I’ve learned that it is important to persevere. Additionally,
sometimes you think you have a good idea, but that might not always be the
case. Sometimes it’s okay to give up and
chase something else for a while.
Lastly, I learned that sometimes you have to tweak “your baby” and edit
things, which can be a hard thing to do.
3) Reflect,
in general, on what you think about failure. Failure is hard, isn't it? It's
embarrassing, sure, but it also means that we have to change something about
ourselves. Talk about how you handle failure (emotionally, behaviorally).
Finally, talk about how this class has changed your perspective on failure --
are you more likely to take a risk now than you were just a few months
ago?
I actually don’t mind failure. I’ve been saying all semester. It’s okay to fail, just learn from it. Even though I say this, I don’t handle
failure the best. It’s
demoralizing. You work so hard at
something for it to fail can really suck, but getting back on the horse is the important
part. This class has reassured me of
that. I’m going to keep taking the risks
that I’ve been taking since before this class, maybe even more.
Jeremiah, whoa! This is amazing. Keep up at it. I understand exactly what you mean when you have a block. It happens to me when I dance and can not think of moves. One suggestion I have from when you get into a funk, remember why you started and make it fun. We have the choice to make the learning process fun and its do not have to be this arduous road that most make it out to be. I am glad you love failure because it is an essential part of success, I can argue its the main ingredient. Good luck with you script, never give up.
ReplyDeleteJeremiah, first off I have to give you mad props for the Rocky IV photo and quote. I really think it exemplifies how one should view failure. Also, your work writing screenplays is incredibly impressive! I'd love to hear about some of the scripts you're working on sometime! I can really relate to starting multiple projects, and struggling to finish even one because of my inability to stay focused on one project at a time. I can definitely see where you'd experience this as a writer because writing is an art where ideas are fleeting, and sometimes inspiration for a project can be the same way.
ReplyDeleteHey Jeremiah! I totally understand the devastation one can feel when the goal which one is passionate about is placed on the back-burner to fulfill other goals. I agree with your statement in number two. It is perfectly okay for one to juggle different ideas and pursue each one success. I agree with your statement in number 3. The key point of failure is to rise again with ferver.
ReplyDelete